When High School Teachers Teach College Writing : Oregon Approaches to Dual Credit Teacher Qualifications, Support, and Professional Development

Graduation date: 2015This thesis examines the challenging situation high school dual credit teachers in Oregon face teaching first-year composition in the high school location. I argue that thorough training, support, and professional development are vital for high school teachers teaching dual credit writing courses, who without it may find themselves faced with "inventing" the university. I examine the professional development that Oregon dual credit teachers receive, which vary widely across programs and in many instances is very limited. To ensure that all dual credit teachers have the support they need in order to teach a rigorous college writing course, I argue that dual credit programs must put more emphasis on dual credit teacher support and training. This emphasis must come in the form of high standards and frequency for professional development, access for teachers to that professional development, and financial support for these opportunities