Early and Middle Colleges: Best Practices

Meghan Nyeste – Oakland University

Benjamin Brown – Michigan State University

Overview & Goals

Open dialogue

Define early and middle colleges

Understand the history of these programs

Identify challenges and benefits for students and institutions

Future of the programs

How MACRAO can assist

Quick Poll

An early/middle college program is…

A. An accelerated program for high-achieving students

B. An incentive for schools to make money

C. For traditionally under-represented populations

D. A way to increase the number of people in Michigan with a college degree

Definition and History

Early College High School Initiative2002 – Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationNorth Carolina holds 1/3 of all programsOnly 3 Michigan programs fall into this category

Middle CollegeA 5-year educational program

JFF Early College Design Features

Aligned curricula and instruction

Personalization and student supports

Power of place

College Credit

Partnerships

Definition and History, cont.

National Alliance for Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP)“Provides high school students the

opportunity to take college-credit bearing courses taught by college-approved high school teachers”

“Sole Accrediting body for concurrent enrollment partnerships”

Definition and History, cont.

Michigan Department of Education definitionStand-alone, school w/in a school, PSA or SEE

The picture in Michigan…School entities (19)School programs (49) Enhanced dual-enrollment – STEM Early College

Expansion Partnerships (SECEP) (13)

The LIST

Recently updated list of all E/M College programs in Michigan from MEMCA

81 total in Michigan

Student Benefits of Programs

Student Benefits, cont.

According to a 2013 study, Early College Students had…Better attendance

Lower suspensions

Higher levels of engagement

Compared to the control group, EC students reportedBetter relationships with teachers

More rigorous and relevant instruction

More academic and affective support

Higher expectations

Additional Benefits

Students receive tuition-free college credits

Colleges and UniversitiesEC students may graduate

sooner

Less scholarship money to provide

High school districtsAnother option for students

Able to create partnerships

Students may graduate with an associate’s degree

Overall Challenges

Defining these programsNACEP and EC Initiative standards vs. Michigan

standardsAssessment and accountability

Monetary influenceWho pays for what?

Other Challenges

Student Challenges Possibly disadvantaged with

college scholarships

Balancing high school life with college life – maturity levels

Extra-curricular activities

Credit transferability

University Challenges How to code these students?

FTIAC? Transfer?

What GPA to use? Admissible from HS, not college,

or vice versa

Transferability of courses

Orientation program?

Future – where to go from here

Is there a need for college admissions offices registrars offices and/or institutional research offices to have a “best practices” regarding early/middle colleges?

Would high school districts benefit from this college/university perspective?

How can we be more involved with MEMCA?

Questions to ask your college/university

Does our institution have a policy/practice/stance on…

o The admissions application process?

o The amount of transfer credit awarded?

o The type of scholarships these students qualify for?

o A specific orientation program or a preference for one or the other?

Resources

AIR.org – Impact studies regarding ECHSI

JFF.org (or earlycollege.org) – Jobs for Future Foundation resources

Michigan Early/Middle College Association – mighigan.gov/mde (under “MDE programs”)

Tc.Columbia.edu/ncrest – Teachers College at Columbia; research on programs

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/06/prweb11966313.htm

Discussion