Accelerate You!
West Kentucky Community & Technical College offers a unique opportunity for students with low placement test scores.Accelerate You! provides an "on-ramp" directly into college-level courses without slowing students down in non-credit courses.
If you have low placement test scores, and you:
- are a first time, full-time student, or
- are a student coming to college after being out of school for an extended period of time
then the Accelerate You! program may be exactly what you need to complete your credential.
Accelerate You!
- Save time and money
- Skip non-credit courses
- Enroll directly in classes needed for your degree
- Provides a customized schedule including
- A clear pathway to your desired credential
- A learning community of fellow classmates taking the same schedule as you
- A dedicated Academic Specialist
Accelerate You! can help with college-level math courses and ENG 101 courses every semester for any program!
Learn more about the programs offered at WKCTC by visiting:
How do I know if the Accelerate You! program is right for me?
If you answer “yes” to the questions below, Accelerate You! is a good opportunity for you to explore.
- Are you a new student, a student returning to college after being out of school for an extended period of time, or a current GED-seeking student with only one section left to complete?
- Are you going to be a full-time student?
- Do you have low placement test scores? Students scoring less than 20 in Reading, 18 in English, or 19 in Math on their ACT are required to take placement testing.
What is the cost of the program?
There is no additional cost for the Accelerate You! program.
Are the classes taught at a faster pace?
No. The name of the program, Accelerate You!, does not mean that classes are taught at a faster pace. The program helps “Accelerate You!” by allowing you to skip non-credit classes traditionally required if you have low placement test scores.
Can I still work and be in the Accelerate You! program?
Yes, although your availability to work will be limited and you need to dedicate enough time each week for homework and study time. The Accelerate You! program may be a four or five day per week schedule depending on your program. There is flexibility to have a part-time job evenings or weekends.
College-level courses have prerequisites that must be met by students before taking the course. For instance, students must have an ACT 20 in Reading before taking PSY 110, ACT 18 in English before taking ENG 101, and ACT 19 in Math before taking MAT 110, MAT 116, or MAT 150 with MAT 100.
Students in the Accelerate You! program will be required to attend supplemental instruction time, designated on their schedules as “AOCCR.” This replaces non-credit courses and can save you lots of credit hours and money!
Before starting back to college, Ca’Ron McClure worked at Community Options in Paducah
as a life skills therapist. She had stopped attending college because she was “unfocused
and undetermined.” She was also “too afraid to ask questions in front of a large classroom,”
but her desire to become a nurse gave her the motivation to try college a second time.
Since her math score was not high enough to take college level math, Ca’Ron enrolled
in the Accelerate You! program. She was able to take MAT 100/150 without taking transitional
courses first. Ca’Ron said Accelerate You! “helped me with studying and helped me
more one-on-one.” She said, “If there had been an AY! program when I attended college
before, I would have never quit.” She feels the program helped her to “stay focused
and determined to finish.” Ca’Ron believes others who are considering AY! should “take
the class, because you won’t regret it!”
Olivia Chell graduated from Pope County High School in May 2017 and began attending
WKCTC the following August. Olivia was not sure what she wanted to major in so she
decided to pursue an Associate of Arts degree. In order to complete her degree within
two years, Professor Tina Ragsdale recommended that she sign up for the Accelerate
You! program. By doing so, Olivia was able to successfully complete MAT 100/150. When
asked how the program helped her, Olivia said, “Accelerate You! helped by giving me
time to ask questions and a success coach to walk me through each problem.” She feels
the program “helps students with any problem they might have, allows for more time
and practice, and eases all anxiety about math.” Olivia’s advice to other students
thinking about signing up for Accelerate You! is, “Definitely do it!”
Jimmy McNabb had never taken a college course. It had been more than thirty years
since he had graduated high school, but when the paper mill in Wickliffe, KY, closed,
Jimmy decided to enroll in classes at WKCTC. He selected industrial maintenance technology
as his major with the goal of earning an associate in applied science, which requires
the completion of MAT 116 or higher. His math score was not high enough to be placed
into MAT 116, so Jimmy enrolled in Accelerate You!. He thrived in the program and
was able to complete his degree on time. Jimmy said, “AY! provided me with the tools
needed to excel in my classes and obtain my associate degree.”
Links to published JFF reports:
https://www.ccdaily.com/2017/04/accelerating-opportunity-for-more-students/ April 11, 2017
https://www.jff.org/resources/accelerating-cte-student-success/ April 24, 2018
https://www.jff.org/resources/accelerating-opportunity-rural-regions-designing-pathway-programs-adults-and-other-non-traditional-learners/ February 22, 2019
https://www.jff.org/resources/accelerating-cte-evaluation-case-studies/ May 14, 2019
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Megan Dotson
Hubert Harris
Ben Hottel
