College Courses for our High School Students

This year, Woodbury High School juniors and seniors have been provided the opportunity to take college courses at the high school. The course marks a new journey for Woodbury High School in our quest to provide excellence and innovation in all that we do for our students.

The cost of these college level psychology courses (Psychology 101- Semester 1 and Abnormal Psychology- Semester 2) has been underwritten by the Tech Prep Grant for Applied Sciences. Woodbury Public Schools was awarded this grant as a result of a partnership between Woodbury High School and the Gloucester County Institute of Technology.

A letter was mailed to students taking honors and advanced placement classes to solicit an interest for the proposed course during the summer. More than twenty students responded positively; approximately fifteen (15) students ultimately registered to take the courses.

Dr. DeeAnn Wilcox, Dean of Liberal Arts at Gloucester Community College, played a major role in coordinating the program. This included the hiring of an adjunct professor to teach the course. Dr. Maddison, Woodbury’s music teacher, was one of the candidates; he was ultimately selected to provide the instruction for our students. Dr. Maddison has years of experience teaching psychology courses at the community college level.

This new course offering is first and foremost a college level course for which successful participating students will receive three (3) college credits per course. Through the innovation of what the New Jersey Department of Education references as the “Option II” approach to high school graduation, our students will also be able to receive high school credit upon successful completion of each course.

The students are taking their first course during a “Zero Period” – first thing in the morning – at 7 a.m. The course runs four days a week and will follow the traditional college semester pacing. The second course will start some time in the winter.