New Dual Enrollment Program to Create Affordable Pathway to a Teaching Degree

Johnston County Public Schools, Johnston Community College and the NC State
College of Education are establishing a dual enrollment program and piloting an Associate in Science
(Teacher Education Concentration) degree to create an affordable pathway to earn a teaching degree
and to supply highly-qualified teachers for Johnston County.
“We need to continue to strengthen the talent pipeline for North Carolina teachers. The Associate in
Science (Teacher Education Concentration) offers a seamless teacher preparation pathway that begins in
high school,” said Lisa Chapman, senior vice president and chief academic officer with the N.C.
Community College System. “This Johnston County Schools, Johnston Community College and NC State
College of Education partnership will engage potential teachers early in their high school career, will
ensure they understand the available teaching opportunities specifically in Johnston County, and
understand what those opportunities require in terms of preparation and what they provide in terms of a
career. The planned support from all three partners provided throughout the Associate Degree (including
the dual enrollment coursework) will help students stay on track, maintain momentum, and complete their
baccalaureate with minimal debt.”
Through the partnership, Johnston County residents will complete their Associate in Science (Teacher
Education Concentration) from Johnston Community College. If they complete the program with at least a
3.0 GPA, they will matriculture into a teacher preparation program at NC State University. As the students
work toward completing their bachelor’s degree, they will receive field-based experiences in Johnston
County.

The Associate in Science (Teacher Education Concentration) is the first of its kind within the North
Carolina Community College System, and will serve as a pilot to help prepare teachers who serve rural
communities in the state.
"Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, there is a teacher shortage nationally and we cannot continue
to do the same things over and over again. We have to tackle this ourselves,” said Johnston County
Public Schools Superintendent David Renfrow. “We need Future Teachers of America clubs at
elementary, middle and high schools to groom anyone who wants to be a teacher. Thanks to this
program, we can now start growing our own teachers in Johnston County.”
In its initial phase, the dual enrollment program is recruiting high school students and employees in the
Johnston County Public Schools, as well as current Johnston Community College students.
“Johnston Community College has trained early childhood educators for many years, and we are excited
about the opportunity to now partner in this dual-enrolled program and grow our own highly-qualified
teachers in Johnston County,” Johnston Community College President David N. Johnson said.
Rather than being a traditional 2-plus-2 transfer program, the dual enrollment program is taking a
“wrap-around approach” to identifying and supporting future teachers. Future teachers will be identified as
early as high school; and once students begin working on their associate’s degree at Johnston
Community College, the NC State College of Education will be involved throughout the program by
providing academic advising, co-teaching, synchronous classroom experiences and on-campus
enrichment opportunities that align with the college’s course of study.
“This initiative represents the best of collaborations to ensure a seamless pathway to develop the
talents and aspirations of students who will return to their community to teach,” said NC State College of
Education Dean Mary Ann Danowitz. “We look at this program as becoming a prototype and an
exemplar for other districts, community colleges and four-year institutions to help address a critical
workforce shortage.”
The Associate in Science (Teacher Education Concentration) program will enroll its first students in Fall
2019.