Lauderdale County high school students are able to gain college course credits through Dual Enrollment (DE), Advanced Placement (AP), Statewide Dual Credit (SDC), and Middle College opportunities. Though all of these lead to course credits, they each have an individualized learning plan.
Advanced Placement (AP) provides an opportunity for high school students to experience postsecondary-level coursework across multiple subjects. Each course is aligned to a subject-specific AP exam, which provides students the potential to earn credit for postsecondary coursework in that subject.
Some AP courses are being offered online through TN AP Access for All sponsored by the Niswonger Foundation.
Dual Enrollment (DE) postsecondary courses are taught either at the postsecondary institution or at the high school, by postsecondary faculty or credentialed adjunct faculty. Dual enrollment instructors must meet postsecondary requirements, but do not have to meet specific TN teacher licensure or endorsement requirements. Dual enrollment courses can be taught at the postsecondary campus, the high school, or online. The location of the course does not affect its status as a dual enrollment course. Students are enrolled at the postsecondary institution and earn postsecondary credit upon completion of the course. High school credit is awarded based on local policy.
Dual Enrollment courses offered by LCS are in partnership with the following colleges and universities:
Dyersburg State Community College
University of Tennessee at Martin
Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Ripley
Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Covington
East Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University
Bethel University
Statewide Dual Credit (SDC) are college-level courses taught at the high-school level by trained high-school teachers. Course learning objectives are developed by Tennessee high school and college faculty in order to ensure alignment with post-secondary standards. All statewide dual credit courses are approved by the Consortium for Cooperative Innovative Education before they can be offered as a part of the state’s current pilot program (see Public Chapter 967 for more information). All students enrolled in a statewide dual credit course take the online challenge exam, which is used to assess mastery of the postsecondary-level learning objectives. Students who meet or exceed the exam ‘cut score’ receive college credit that can be applied to any Tennessee public postsecondary institution. Exam scores are reported on the high school transcript to ensure postsecondary credit is accurately awarded but are not used in any state accountability measures.
Current programs include:
Criminal Justice
Pre-Calculus
The Middle College of LCS began in Fall 2022 and is a collaboration between Lauderdale County Schools (LCS) and Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC). The mission of Middle College of LCS is to offer a unique pathway for students to accomplish their secondary and postsecondary goals simultaneously while in a supportive and small learning community.
The Middle College of LCS is a rigorous program in which rising high school juniors are enrolled in high school and college courses at DSCC for their junior and senior years of high school. Upon successful completion of the course requirements, students will graduate with their high school diploma AND an Associate’s Degree in General Studies from DSCC. While enrolled as part of the Middle College program, students have a combined high school and college experience allowing them to participate in traditional secondary activities, including athletics, prom, sports, pre-graduation activities and commencement with their peers. As an enrolled student at DSCC, students will receive a campus student ID and are eligible to take part in DSCC student activities.
