Funding will help El Paso teachers become certified to teach dual-credit courses, increasing students’ access to those beneficial courses
El PASO, TX– Today, CREEED announced that it has awarded scholarships to 17 teachers for the 2024-2025 school year. Four recipients teach in Canutillo Independent School District and 13 in the El Paso Independent School District. The scholarship, which is open to all public-school teachers in El Paso County, supports CREEED’s goal of increasing the number of students who enroll in dual-credit and early college courses by ensuring there are qualified teachers to teach them in the region.
Dual-credit teachers are required to complete 18 graduate semester credit hours in their instructional area and obtain a master’s degree. The ACT Dual Credit Scholarship provides upfront funding for teachers to complete the qualifying coursework.
“Research shows that dual-credit classes in high school positively impact a student’s performance and ability to complete college. By investing in initiatives such as the ACT Dual Credit Scholarship, CREEED is providing the resources necessary to make post-secondary education attainable for all El Paso public school students and ensuring that our students are able to pursue and complete those postsecondary degrees in a timely manner,” said Eddie Rodriguez, Executive Director of CREEED.
Dual-credit courses give high school students the opportunity to take college-level coursework and earn college credit while still in high school. In 2024, 415 Socorro ISD students had enough dual credits to earn both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree by the end of high school. In 2023, 435 Socorro graduating seniors also earned an associate’s degree. These numbers don’t include the thousands of students in the region who received credits for dual-credit courses that transferred when they attended UTEP or EPCC.
According to a study by the University of Texas system, students who enter college after taking dual-credit courses are three times more likely to complete a degree in four years than students who enter college without any college credit. Additionally, dual-credit students are twice as likely to remain enrolled in college through their first and second years than non-credit bearing students.
CREEED has committed $1 million to provide dual credit scholarships for teachers in El Paso. According to data from El Paso Community College, since CREEED began providing the ACT Dual Credit Scholarship in 2015, dual-credit course participation has increased in Region 19, from 13% of eligible students participating in at least nine hours of dual credit classes in 2022 to 23% of eligible students doing so in 2022.
GECU and WestStar Bank have contributed to ACT Dual Credit Scholarships.
CONTACT: For media inquiries, please contact Kayla Suarez at 915-253-2200 or ksuarez@rabengroup.com.
###
About CREEED
CREEED is a non-profit organization focused on increasing college readiness and completion rates. We invest in high-performing schools and high-quality initiatives that have shown success in closing the achievement gap for all El Paso County public school students. CREEED supports organizations, initiatives, and policies across four focus areas: Students & Schools; Educators; College & Career; and Parent & Community Engagement.