School board OKs new ECE courses

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PROSPECT — The Region 16 Board of Education has approved three new University of Connecticut early college experience (ECE) courses at Woodland Regional High School.

The new courses — ECE fundamentals and ear training I, ECE fundamentals and ear training II, and ECE popular music and diversity in American society — will be available for students in the 2020-21 school year.

The new ECE courses led to the elimination of Advanced Placement music theory. Officials said the ECE courses cover the same material as the music theory course.

ECE courses are UConn courses that students can take and earn college credit for successfully completing the class. AP courses also offer college credit to students who receive a high enough score on the final exam. Students can take an AP course without taking the exam.

The additional ECE courses bring the number of ECE and AP classes Woodland will offer to students to 24 next school year. Whether classes run depends on enrollment.

Officials said Woodland students earned a total of 375 college credits in the 2018-19 school year through ECE and AP classes. The credits equaled about $393,000 in value based on an in-state cost of $1,048 for a college credit, according to the district.

Students pay for ECE courses, typically $150 for a three-credit course, and $94 to take an AP exam. According to the district, the cost to students last school year was about $10,875.