This year, educators have a new incentive to teach college-level courses at high school campuses through a state pilot program.

Any Montana educator who teaches a concurrent dual enrollment class with a minimum of four students earning high school and college credit may receive a credit-for-credit coupon. Qualified teachers may earn up to 24 credit coupons over the pilot’s two-year period through spring 2016.

The credit-for-credit coupons can be used in two ways. Teachers may use them to take classes at any state university or tribal college, or transfer them to students, family and friends.

Columbia Falls High School teacher Betsy Funk saw the credit-for-credit coupon as a great incentive to get more high school educators teaching concurrent dual-enrollment courses and expanding students’ opportunities to earn college and high school credits simultaneously.

“The more you can offer them [students and teachers] an opportunity to extend their education within their budget, the better,” Funk said.

Funk currently teaches Opportunities in Health Care, a career exploration course, as a concurrent dual-enrollment course.

Funk, along with Flathead High School teacher Mike Thiel, agreed that the ability to transfer earned credit coupons to students, friends and family was a bonus for teachers who do not need additional education and want to open the door for others.

“That’s huge,” Funk said. “I’ll use mine for my son.”

Thiel, who teaches linear math and probability as a concurrent dual-enrollment course at Flathead this year, thinks he will transfer credits to his students.

“I’ll have six college credits that I can give to someone this spring,” Thiel said.

The pilot program, introduced by Gov. Steve Bullock, Lt. Gov. Angela McLean and the Commissioner of High Education Clayton Christian, aims to increase the number of college credits offered at high school campuses.

“The dual credit courses makes them [students] feel like they really can go to college and really can be successful,” Funk said.

Any high school educator with a master’s degree who teaches concurrent dual-enrollment classes at an accredited public or private school is eligible to receive the coupons. Dual-enrollment courses typically are taught by high school teachers who are also adjunct faculty members at a college. This is the case for Funk and Thiel who went through an application process to be hired as adjunct faculty members at Flathead Valley Community College.

Through partnerships between FVCC and local school districts, concurrent dual-enrollment courses are offered at nine area high schools, including Arlee, Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Flathead, Libby, Polson, St. Ignatius, Troy and Whitefish.

These dual-credit classes are taught in person, not online. Funk said she thinks this method provides a richer learning experience.

“The students are able to engage in those deeper discussions and get immediate feedback,” Funk said. “Then, you also have those teachable moments where students open up.”

The pilot program is funded through the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education.

In his State of the State address, Bullock laid out a goal to increase the number of Montanans with a college degree or career certificate from 40 to 60 percent within the next decade and made it a priority to reduce the time to earn a degree for Montana college students.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.