When More Money and Programs Don’t Work: Higher Ed Teams With K-12 To Insure The Needs of Underrepresented Kids Are Met
Paula Szulc Dominguez,
Senior Director Research Strategy
On February 26, 2005, Bill Gates stood before our nation’s governors with a challenge. “America’s high schools are obsolete. Even when they’re working exactly as designed, [they] cannot teach our kids what they need to know today. …Until we design them to meet the needs of the 21st century, we will keep limiting – even ruining – the lives of millions of Americans every year.”
Of particular interest are innovative models that engender high school students who graduate prepared for the academic rigors of college. One promising model is the Early College High School Initiative (ECHS), a Gates-foundation supported approach that seeks to make higher education more accessible and more affordable for students in underrepresented groups. There were 67 ECHS programs operating in 24 states as of fall 2005, which enrolled approximately 12,000 students.
Many education leaders support the notion of high school reform. Given all the models that exist, how can leaders committed to change determine whether groundbreaking approaches truly address the learning needs of high school students? To address this question, Hezel Associates recently tested the feasibility of SUNY Brockport’s joining with Rochester City School District (RCSD) to develop an ECHS with funding from the Gates Foundation, which requires applicants to provide evidence-based proposals. Under the Gates program, school districts approach colleges to identify an ECHS model that serves students while meeting the needs and goals of all institutional parties. Hezel Associates developed a design for an ECHS that reflects SUNY Brockport’s interest in working to address the particular challenges facing Rochester’s most vulnerable student population.
“Finding innovative approaches to public secondary education that increase performance and college-going rates among underrepresented groups is critical. The ECHS concept focuses on proving it can be done,” said Dr. Richard Hezel, president of Hezel Associates.
Hezel Associates’ study outlined the array of academic and support services necessary for the proposed ECHS partnership to succeed. Student support services will begin with remediation in grade seven, focusing on literacy and math skills critical to their academic careers. Through developmentally appropriate activities, students will be exposed to college-going behaviors and settings. Families are always the backbone of support, as indicated in a letter of commitment required before the student is admitted to the program. Other core elements of the ECHS model include a concerted focus on teacher professional development and a set of extracurricular activities that apply the academic study to real world settings. Rochester City Public Schools will include Hezel Associates' analysis in its proposal to the Gates Foundation.
What do you think? Is the Early College High School model better, worse, or no different than other education reform efforts? www.hezel.com