Italy ISD has had many outstanding achievements in recent years; however one area that has grown and become our shining achievement is the dual credit college program. Prior to the 2014-2015 school year, students were reimbursed their tuition fees if they earned a B or above. At the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year, Italy ISD was fortunate to be able to pay all dual credit student tuition and fees upon registration for classes. The funds are part of the state high school allotment funding.

The students have shown success in our dual credit program. Italy ISD would like to highlight our graduating class of 2015 for earning a total of 418 semester credit hours upon graduating in May.

Reagan Adams will graduate earning the most college credit hours with 41 semester credit hours completed. Reagan plans to spend a year at Navarro College to complete her pre-requisites; she will then continue to the University of Texas at Arlington to complete a degree in nursing. All of the following seniors will earn a total of 35 college semester credit hours upon graduation: Trevor Davis, Kelsey Nelson, Alexis Sampley, Juan Suaste, and Whitney Wolaver. These seniors have completed more semester hours than the average college freshman.

The administrative staff at Italy High School and Navarro College have successfully facilitated a relationship to increase our student achievement through academic and technical dual credit.

According to Mr. Joffre (principal), “The development of the dual credit program has been a priority for me over the last four years. I wanted to increase the number of students who could participate and include students from low income families. The process has required a lot of work and collaboration between our staff and the staff at Navarro. We have been able to work together to provide college education for students who qualify and still allow the students to participate in sports, band and agricultural extra-curricular activities. The Class of 2015 has raised the bar for our dual credit program with their overall success. Students in the classes of 2016, 2017 and 2018 have also started college courses. Some of them will be able to graduate with an Associate’s degree. We are proud of our students’ achievements and look forward to the future growth of the program."

Kelsey Nelson (student)– “Dual credit has been an amazing opportunity for me. Education is very important to me, and I loved being challenged and having the chance to experience college level education before I even left high school. I only wish I had started sooner. By taking dual credit, I finished most of the classes required for a college freshman so I saved a year.”

Samuel Corley III (student) – “The technical side of N.C. Dual Credit has given me something that I will love to do for the rest of my life.”

Reagan Adams (student) – “With the opportunities available through the school, I was able to complete my freshman year of college and half of my sophomore year. These classes have allowed me to challenge myself while also complete classes for both high school and college. I believe that this is my greatest accomplishment throughout high school. I’m grateful for this chance to be a part of this.”

Amber Droll (parent) – “The dual credit program that Italy ISD offers has helped Reagan in so many ways. It kept her focused, challenged her, and prepared her for what to expect in college. Mrs. Miller was very helpful during the process. She was always there to answer questions. She also worked with us in an effort to ensure that Reagan took as many classes as possible that aligned to her degree plan of nursing. This program has saved Reagan thousands of dollars, and it is because of this program that Reagan will have her first year of college completed by graduation. I cannot thank Mrs. Miller, Italy ISD, and Navarro College enough for their partnership. It has truly been a blessing to our family!”