AURORA, Colo.—Gov. Bill Ritter joined lawmakers and education advocates Friday to unveil legislation that would allow students to earn a college associate’s degree while getting a high school diploma.
“It will ensure that we continue to have one of the best-educated work forces in the country, which will be crucial to leading Colorado forward out of the recession and back onto a path toward sustainable prosperity,” Ritter said.
The program is called ASCENT, short for Accelerating Students through Concurrent Enrollment.
It was recommended by the governor’s P-20 Education Coordinating Council, which is exploring ways to integrate education from preschool through college.
The program will also allow students who need remediation to get the courses they need while pursuing a degree.
Some of the degrees will be transferrable to four-year colleges, while others will allow students to immediately get jobs.
“This gives high school students a reason to stay in school and earn a diploma,” Ritter said.
Rep. Mike Merrifield, D-Manitou Springs, said ASCENT offers an opportunity to all high school students to go to college.
“This is an investment opportunity for our state. With this investment, we can ensure that our kids will be able to reach their maximum potential and that we can offer them a prosperous future.”
Colorado has had concurrent education programs since 1981, but there was no coordination or transparency.
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