LEWISTON — Natalia Atkins, 17, listened to former Lewiston police Chief Andy D’Eramo lecture about police search and seizure at the Lewiston Regional Technical Center.

In her law enforcement class, Atkins is earning credit for her high school diploma and college next year.

A few floors down, Tyler Ford, 17, wore a tool belt and safety glasses as he measured boards for building benches. He, too, was earning high school and college credit, in his case from a building and construction class.

This fall 30 high school students are taking part of the center’s “dual enrollment” program, where students in selected career classes are earning high school and college credit, center Assistant Director Jake Langlais said.

Similar to how early college programs help students start college while in high school, dual enrollment gives technical center students a jump-start. It saves them time and money by not having to repeat courses in college they’ve taken in high school, Langlais said.

“This saves them hundreds of dollars,” he said. “It also enhances our curriculum” by providing courses that meet college and industry standards. That means “students are getting a better education experience in high school.”

Dual enrollments are achieved through articulation agreements that align curriculum between colleges and high school technical centers. Area colleges that LRTC has agreements with include Central Maine Community College and Southern Maine Community College, the University of Southern Maine, Husson University and Kaplan University.

LRTC serves Lewiston, Edward Little, Leavitt, Oak Hill, Lisbon and Poland high schools.

The costs of earning college credit in high school “depends on the college,” Langlais said. A CMCC course cost a LRTC student about $45 instead of the normal $250 or $300. Students don’t pay tuition or fees.

Interest is growing among students, colleges and universities, Langlais said.

In 2010-11, 25 LRTC students earned college credit through dual enrollment. In 2011-12, that number grew to 51 students. This fall 30 students are enrolled, and a higher number is expected during the spring semester.

Dual enrollment is a growing movement, Maine Department of Education spokesman David Connerty-Marin said. Most high school technical centers offer dual enrollment and are working to expand it.

CMCC spokesman Roger Philippon said it’s growing at his college. CMCC has agreements with approximately 75 high school technical centers in Maine and New England. “Students are taught by qualified instructors at their high schools or technical centers who have had their credentials and curriculum approved by the college,” Philippon said.

At LRTC, Ford said he’s in his second year of building and construction. “We learn a lot of practical skills. Anything related to building, framing, different techniques, cutting, planing wood,” Ford said over the buzz of electric saws.

“Free college credit, you can’t outdo that,” he said with a smile.

Natalia Atkins is planning a career in law enforcement, maybe as a police officer, crime scene investigator, FBI agent or the law enforcement arm of the Navy.

Dual enrollment “takes money off” what she’ll have to pay in college, she said. “That’s pretty good.”

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Early College participation high

Another way high school students get a head start on college is through the Early College, where students take their normal high school classes and go to a local college to take a college class.

Many Maine high schools offer juniors and seniors Early College, but Lewiston High School has among the largest participation, Superintendent Bill Webster said. Early College allows high school students to earn college credit at reduced costs.

“Very consistently we send 100 or more students to early college each school year,” Lewiston Aspirations Director JoAnne Dowd said. That equates to one out of every six Lewiston juniors and seniors participating.

Lewiston students take courses at Central Maine Community College, the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College, Bates College, the University of Maine at Augusta, Kaplan University and through online courses at the University of Maine. Some students also take college classes during the summer, Dowd said.

Joan Macri, who works with area high schools to promote college education, said Lewiston’s numbers are high, and that Lewiston High was the first to promote Early College and have a full-time aspirations director, which was Macri.

Others schools, however, are gaining, Macri said. “Poland does a good job; Oak Hill (in Wales) does a good job, too,” Macri said. Several high schools, including Edward Little in Auburn, have recently gained Early College coaches, which should help boost participation, Macri said. Macri is the associate director of Learning Works at USM LAC.