Norco College

Administrators at Norco College and Eleanor Roosevelt High School in nearby Eastvale took a year to plan their dual enrollment program, going slow to grow strong, and enlisting faculty in the process. The result is a carefully structured, scalable program that includes student supports from the beginning. Students have been enthusiastic.

1. 1. Strong partnership — Leaders of the Norco-Roosevelt partnership, anticipating worries among college faculty, took them on a tour of the high school. Norco Vice President for Student Services Monica Green said the concerns disappeared when faculty met students at Roosevelt and visited their classrooms. The partnership’s methodical approach also supports a strong working relationship. Maureen Sinclair, the project’s director at Norco, said that having a single point of contact at Roosevelt was “essential.”
   2. Student supports — After an introductory meeting for parents and students, outreach and admissions advisers from Norco hold application workshops at the high school as needed. All dual enrollment students start with a college-readiness course before they take courses in their pathway.
   3. Student voices — Roosevelt High School students would recommend the program, especially for anyone struggling academically.

• • • They appreciate its rigor: “It’s like an AP class but without the test,” said one student. “It’s more about the value of learning; the attitude is different.”
    • One said dual enrollment helped her writing: “Before, I would say I was an average student, but now I feel I have a stronger footing in writing.”
    • Another said participants develop “real-life, adult skills”: “You need to be able to communicate with your instructor, and you need to have a work ethic.”