PSU Magazine Fall 1988

Giving high school students a CHALLENGE W hen David Redpath grades a paper, two spelling errors are an automatic "F,'' a mark :Pamela Dupasquier stoically accepted three years ago in his Survey of English Literature class at Milwaukie High School. The difficult nature of the class isn't just a matter of Redpath's teaching style, but reflects the demands of Portland State University's Challenge Program. The Challenge Program allows high school seniors to take college courses at their own schools. The PSU credit counts toward completion of a bachelor's degree and is transferable to any college or university in the Oregon State System of Higher Education, as well as many other colleges and universities throughout the U.S. Dupasquier passed the class, transfering the PSU credit to Mount St. Marys Col– lege in Los Angeles where she is now a junior in the honors social sciences program. "That class was more difficult than any honors freshman class I took ," says Dupasquier, " not overwhelming, but definitely college level." Dupasquier, 21, is not averse to hard work, just an expert on it. The scholar– ship winner speaks three foreign languages fluently and knows a fourth, her college major requires honors work in political science and international economics, and after graduation she would like to pursue a career in interna– tional diplomacy. Dupasquier represents a typical Challenge student - smart , motivated , and college bound . Started in 1976, the program attracts 500 students each year throughout the Portland metropolitan-area high schools. Only high school seniors with a 3.00 grade average are eligible to enroll. Pamela Dupasquier, now a college junior, got a head start by taking PSU credit courses at Milwaukie High School. The high school instructors who teach the classes also pass certain standards. They must have graduate degrees in the disciplines they teach and a minimum of two years' teaching experience. Challenge Program teachers are appointed adjunct instructors by the University, teaching the courses as part of their regular high school teaching loads, and working with PSU departmental coordinators to ensure quality, college level courses. Redpath , Dupasquier's tough instructor at Milwaukie High School, has been a Challenge teacher since the program's in– ception. " It's a wonderful program for the kids ," says Redpath. "They have the op– portunity to read more demanding college texts." Giving students a preview of what's to come in college is also an emphasis appre– ciated by Challenge Program Coordinator Karen Tosi . "They get some experience in the reading, thinking and general work load that's going to be involved,'' says Tosi. She has been with the program since 1980 and enjoys the link Challenge has fostered between Portland State and area school district faculty. "There are many prestigious colleges setting up some form of continuous dialogue between select high school teachers and their faculty. This program affords that opportunity very nice!y." PSU's Challenge Program was modeled after Project Advance at Syracuse Univer– sity in New York. That program, started over 20 years ago for talented and gifted high school students, covers four states giving students Syracuse University credit. Portland State's program offers courses in English , foreign languages, history, calculus, and computer science in Portland, North Clackamas, Beaverton, Gresham , Hillsboro, Tigard, Scappose and Rainer school districts. Steve Dodge took calculus at Sunset High School in 1984-85 through the Challenge Program . He is now a com– puter science senior at Oregon State University and credits that year of calculus as a "good basis" for his ad– vance classes. " That saved me eight hours to take other classes,'' remembers Dodge. He also appreciated not having to take an advance placement test. This is a four or five– hour exam which also gives the passing student college course-work credit. (Continued on page 22) PSU 11