AzSOC is an elegant, efficient solution for rural high school students looking for quality, affordable dual credit (and credit recovery) options. It is a grassroots solution that is built to scale. AzSOC’s main innovation lies in flipping the script of what “underutilized” teachers mean in a time of national teacher shortages—as existing teachers who are certified to teach dual credit and AP courses but cannot do so at small, rural schools with insufficient student numbers—and manages to both reward and receive excellence from the best of Arizona’s teachers.
With ESSER funds covering the scaling of AzSOC’s current program, the Thoma Foundation’s 3-year, $1 Million grant will play an integral role in further increasing impact by funding an expansion program of College & Career Advising built on the organization’s existing infrastructure. As AzSOC expands access to rigorous dual-credit and AP courses, advising is the next logical step for improving long-term educational outcomes for Arizona’s rural and underserved high school students.