Early College Programs for High School Students

The Early College Option for high school students is a program whereby the students enroll for dual credit.  It requires a partnership between a high school and a college.  I teach at a college that houses high school students on campus, a plus in making the program work.

The program we have results with high school students completing their high school work and graduating with a high school diploma, while they earn sixty hours of college credit concurrently, and graduate with an Associates Degree from an accredited college.  In the first two years of high school they take some college work in special sections taught only to them by college faculty, and finish some necessary high school credits.  In the last two years they take college courses, and mix with the general college population.  The college courses carry both high school and college credit, so they get credit twice for the same work.  There is an agreement with the four-year state run universities in the state to accept the courses these students obtain, so they enter a four year institution as a junior.  Basically, they get the courses that are general degree requirements.  

College courses are different.  The pace is much faster than the pace of a high school course. 

I once had a student taking a college course while still in high school who was often called from class because he was on the prom committee.  While this class was not part of an Early College Project, the discovery made by the student is very important to this discussion.  One day he told me that he finally figured out how college courses are different from high school courses.  He realized every class he missed put him behind, but his high school classes worked on the same material for perhaps two weeks.  In college, it is there for one day only.  The high school courses run longer than both semesters of college combined, and have five days of class a week.  College classes typically meet three, or even two, days per week.  College is a much faster pace.

In high school students are formulating skills for writing and problem solving.  College level courses must start with the expectation those skills are there, or it would be unfair to those who are ready.  A grade in a course must be fairly given, and working at the college level is expected to be worthy of the grade.   Course delivery is different, and much faster with higher expectations.

Another consideration is whether the student will enjoy such activities as athletics, school dances, and school clubs.  A small group located on a college campus might not have the true high school experience.  Even if the student has a technical association with a high school there may be a transportation dilemma, and more importantly, an acceptance by peers who are involved in the activity.  So, while our program is on a college campus, others might not be. 

A certain level of maturity is also needed.  College professors may take attendance, but not chase after a student who misses class.  And parents cannot expect a call should a student fall behind.  Students are treated as adults, and must have adult level responsibility.

In the program we have the students basically have a preset list of courses they will take.  There is currently a consideration being made to offer a second track.  So, if a student would like an extra history course, or more biology, that may not fit with the program.  There is less freedom in course selection, so those sixty hours of college credit might not allow a graduate of the program to take junior courses in a chosen field of study after moving on to a university.  And if it did, higher level college courses might be daunting for an eighteen-year old.  

You must remember the courses taught by the college faculty carry college credit.  They establish a grade point average.  Transferring credit must meet the requirements of the institution to which those credits are being transferred.  If a certain grade point average is required by a university, the student not meeting that grade point average will probably not get in.  And low grade point averages impact scholarship opportunities.

Our college once taught four courses at some of the local high schools.  One student got a low grade in a course, and was told that his high school record of high grades would not be considered by his chosen university, since he attended college, and was considered a transfer student.  He needed a C average in the college courses, or would be turned away.

And, the grading is different.  I had student not take a test after getting several test grades of A.  I asked a colleague why this might happen.  He explained that in high school students in the area who missed a test would have an average from only the tests they had taken, and they did not want to ruin that A.  But, in college that missed test might very well be recorded as a zero, and the A is lost. 

Another case was a college professor was teaching at a high school for dual credit and a student got a very low grade on a test.  The high school averaged quality points, so all F grades were equal.  But, the college grades were calculated using the actual points earned, so a zero does much more damage to a grade than a fifty.  The result was the student expected to pass, but did not.

Ask before starting, and know the rules.

A high school teacher may quality to teach at the college level with the right education.  Some high schools offer Advanced Placement courses, which carry college credit, by assigning these courses to the qualified teachers and adding rigor to the courses.  Of course the material is still presented more slowly than a college course, so this might be a good option, especially for those who do not earn college credit but qualify for the high school credit.  There might not be the problems with getting accepted to a university or with a scholarship that could occur with a college course.

A credit exam is an exam a college or university may give to a person who would like credit in a course due to existing knowledge.  While a credit exam successfully passed does give college credit, a grade of P might be the only grade awarded, so that material the person has mastered will not impact the grade point average.  If one is really proficient in a subject enrolling for the class might yield an A, which does impact the grade point average.  Here the student must balance the desire to move on faster against the earning of a higher grade point average.

The ability to take a credit exam rests with the college or university.  The institutions of higher learning are under no obligation to make this option available, and may make it available only in selected courses.

Some students take one, or even a few, college courses before finishing high school.  First, both the high school and the college must agree.  Some institutions of higher learning have a high school diploma or GED as a requirement for admittance, but may waive this for select students.  This usually is allowed for gifted students near the end of their high school work.  These courses may involve travel to the college, so they are often scheduled early in the morning, allowing an uninterrupted day for high school work later. This is a concern for the high school and the student.

Since these are true college courses care must be taken with the grades to avoid the problems mentioned above.

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