In September of 2021, Pleasant Valley High School was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School. Despite receiving this award, some other schools in the area excel above PV in one specific area: Dual Enrollment.

The Blue Ribbon award is a highly prestigious award given to a select number of schools in each state every year. In 2021, only 54 high schools across the country were recognized with this award, putting PV on a nationally recognized level for high level education. Even though this was a fantastic achievement by the students and staff of PV, not all students receive the benefits of graduating from a high school with this label. 

From 2018 to 2021, the number of high school graduates enrolled in college dropped from 69.1% to 61.8%. High school graduates have been going to colleges at a declining rate, and students are wanting more out of their high school diplomas. At PV, dual enrollment classes are offered to students through Scott Community College, with classes being taught in our high school by qualified teachers or on the Scott Community College campus.

PV has stood out in education when focusing on high school courses, but other schools such as Bettendorf High School offer a dual enrollment program that allows students to graduate high school with a high school diploma as well as a greater amount of credits needed for an Associates degree through Scott Community College, an opportunity that PV lacks. PV excels over Bettendorf in high school education, yet Bettendorf students that choose not to go to a college after high school are better educated than PV students.

According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, higher education directly translates to average earnings. The median weekly earnings for someone with an associates degree is $938, as opposed to a person with only a high school diploma at $781. This is a huge difference in median earnings when comparing schools like PV and Bettendorf. Despite attending a Blue Ribbon high school, PV students who do not attend college after high school are at a disadvantage compared to students at Bettendorf.

PV student Tate Skahill commented about the dual enrollment class differences between PV and Bettendorf. “I think PV should offer a program better or equal to Bettendorf,” said Skahill. As a Blue Ribbon school, it is expected that PV education excels at all levels, including post-secondary education.

Bettendorf student Aiden Sheldon added to the conversation. “It is great that Bettendorf offers classes through Scott because it helps students complete some classes they might need for college,” said Sheldon.

Even though high schools offer a wide variety of classes that introduce students to different areas of study and interest, students that already have a life plan figured out may just want to take classes that are designed to benefit them in the future, like the dual enrollment classes that PV and Bettendorf offer. 

College is very expensive when compared to high school education. Offering dual enrollment courses for students is a fantastic advantage for high schoolers because it comes at a low cost for them. “Classes being offered through Scott cost us [students] nothing, which is a nice plus so we don’t have to pay for them in college,” Skahill added. Students should be able to use the resources of dual enrollment classes freely because it is extremely beneficial to their success in their careers.

Allowing students to take dual enrollment classes that put them on the pathway to getting an associates degree much quicker than a standard two year college is much more beneficial to those students. This is a much better option as opposed to PV’s dual enrollment classes, which only provide a few specific credit hours to be transferred to some universities.

PV’’s highly rated education is very helpful to those who wish to pursue a further education in college, but students who do not go to college get the short end of the stick compared to other schools. As the college attendance rate from high school students continues to drop, the value of a high school education needs to be increased by offering a wider variety of dual enrollment classes that set up students for success.