Ed Source – Fermin Leal
“Emma Centeno stood on the stage last month during her Santa Ana College graduation, proudly holding up her associate of arts degree to cheering friends and family. Two weeks later, she stood on another graduation stage, this time to receive her high school diploma. “I was able to knock out two years of college before I even graduated high school,” said Centeno, 18, who will enroll this fall at UC Davis as a junior to study food science. Centeno is a glowing example of a rising number of California high school students in dual enrollment programs, which allow students to take community college courses while still enrolled in high school. Over the last few years, California has been actively encouraging more high school students to enroll in college programs because of research that shows these students are more likely to earn both a high school diploma and a college degree.”(more)