Larson: Glenbard District 87 and College of DuPage extend partnership in offering dual credit courses
The central mission of Glenbard High School District 87 is to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college, the global workforce, and life after graduation. Strong community partnerships play a crucial role in accomplishing that goal. We are proud to work alongside the College of DuPage as a valued partner in expanding opportunities and helping our students achieve their academic and career goals.
Glenbard is pleased to announce a new three-year agreement with the College of DuPage, ensuring continued access to dual credit courses for our students. This Memorandum of Understanding was approved by Glenbard’s Board of Education on Tuesday, May 27th.
Our Vision and Partnership Journey
In 2019, we approached the College of DuPage with the idea of offering students the opportunity to take dual credit English. The very next year, Glenbard entered into a formal agreement with COD to offer four dual credit general education courses:
- English 1101: English Composition 1
- English 1102: English Composition 2
- Speech 1101: Fundamentals of Speech Communications
- Math 1218: General Education Math
Our long-term vision for dual credit was simple; we wanted our students to have access to both general education dual credit coursework and career-specific capstone courses. The dual credit classes allow our students to engage in college-level coursework—taught by Glenbard educators—during the regular school day. Students earn three college credit hours per course.
In alignment with the Dual Credit Quality Act, the purpose of this dual credit partnership is to help our students and families:
- reduce college costs,
- speed up the time to degree completion,
- improve curriculum alignment to college and workplace expectations,
- facilitate the transition between high school and college,
- enhance communication and collaboration with COD, and
- offer opportunities for improving degree attainment for underserved student populations.
We know that students who take dual credit courses are more likely to enroll in college, stay on track, and graduate, which has profound economic impacts on the lives of our DuPage families.
Successful Results
Our collaboration with COD has grown and blossomed over the years. For the 2025-28 academic years, this agreement will allow Glenbard schools to offer enrollment in 13 different dual credit courses. Our current subject areas include English, math, education, horticulture, health, and business entrepreneurship. The three newest general education course offerings will be:
- Political Science 1101: American Politics
- Psychology 1100: General Psychology
- Music 1115: Introduction to World Music
These courses are widely transferable for college credit, both within Illinois and beyond.
Next year, our four Glenbard high schools will have more than 3,300 enrollments in dual credit coursework. This number speaks to the profound impact of this partnership with COD.
Thanks to our dual credit programming and robust Advanced Placement (AP) offerings, Glenbard students are earning more early college credit than ever before. In 2024, a district-record 62 percent of our seniors graduated with early college credit already in hand.
Capstone Experiences
As the 2024-25 academic year draws to a close, we have also celebrated the accomplishments of our students in capstone courses.
The inaugural district-wide INCubator Final Pitch Night contest took place on May 7th as the culminating event for students in Entrepreneurship 1161. Glenbard’s INCubator program is a yearlong dual credit course that takes students on a comprehensive entrepreneurial journey – from ideation to execution. Participants develop a business plan, receive mentorship from community business leaders, and pitch their ideas to a panel of judges. Congratulations to Glenbard East’s Fidget Flair team who won the competition and received $5,000 to be used toward growing their business.
In late April, our horticulture students were recognized with the Ball Horticultural Scholars Award. This award recognizes a distinguished senior student who has identified plant sciences, environmental sciences or landscape as a part of their postsecondary plan. Recipients receive a $2,500 scholarship from the G. Carl Ball Family Foundation to be used toward completing their postsecondary education or working toward an industry credential. Ball Horticultural Scholars embody the values of a positively contributing member of the horticulture community and are committed to supporting the legacy of Glenbard’s horticulture program.
These capstone courses like INCubator and horticulture enable us to extend our reach into the broader community, fostering meaningful involvement and engagement.
Partners in Progress
We are grateful for and proud of our Glenbard teachers, who continued their graduate-level education to become dual credit-qualified instructors. Their passion and dedication have been instrumental in enriching our students’ academic experience and setting them up for future success.
All of these valuable experiences are made possible thanks to the collaborative efforts of the faculty and staff at our Glenbard schools and College of DuPage. We are thankful for this partnership, which continues to make a lasting difference for students and families in our shared community.
David F. Larson, Ed.D.
Superintendent