News Article

Edison's Proposed Collegiate High School Would Benefit Many

Feb 11, 2008

This message is from Dr. G. Stephen Atkins, Campus Dean, Charlotte Campus:

Small innovative high schools are becoming an important reform strategy throughout the United States. The feasibility study that Edison College is conducting may very well result in a new kind of institution that blends high school and college into a unique educational program. It is designed so that students start college work based on their performance and prepare to eventually complete a Bachelor's or Associate's degree. Further, Edison's Collegiate High School [ECHS] will provide a supportive clinical setting for Edison College's teacher preparation programs - the Educator Preparation Institute and its new baccalaureate degrees in math and science education.

As a college administrator in North Carolina, I participated in the development of two collegiate high schools. Both schools followed the early college high school model sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This model has emerged at the forefront of a national wave of new schools specifically designed to help all students complete high school and get a jump on college. Based on my experiences and from participating in study visits to early colleges in several states, I am impressed with the level of excitement and energy of the students and faculty. I have been particularly impressed with how these schools are able to successfully engage all students, particularly those that are traditionally considered at-risk of dropping out or not attaining acceptable levels of academic performance.

Our goal at Edison is to investigate successful practices asnd to develop a good model of teaching and learning for students from a diversity of backgrounds; to make advanced curriculum the 'norm' for every one of our students, not just the handful at the top. The concept is based on the notion that often less accomplished students - including those in danger of dropping out - are capable of handling more difficult work, and that more of them will graduate if they are challenged in a smaller, supportive school. If all goes as planned, the new school expects to enroll 100 ninth graders during Fall 2009, who are looking for a different experience and have strong recommendations from their middle schools.

Emerging design principles that ECHS will incorporate are based on best practices from early college/collegiate school models and are intended to strengthen student relationships with adults, connect classroom work to real-life problems, and improve connections to postsecondary education. Best practices and features of ECHS will include the following:

• College Campus Location: Integral to student motivation and success and to an enduring collaborative partnership. It is a visible symbol to the community of dual accountability for student outcomes and academic success. Students are treated as college students and see themselves as college completers.
• Teaching and Learning: Engage students in rigorous, in-depth academic work. Use active intellectual inquiry, critical thinking, and sustained writing and revision in all classes. High standards will be communicated for all students; and learning experiences will be meaningful, engaging and celebrated.
• Student Assessment: Will utilize a system of assessment that provides multiple opportunities for students to exhibit what they know and can do. Assessment is interwoven with classroom activities; student outcomes are measured using multiple assessments, and assement informs school-based decisions.
• Student Support: All students are known well. Not only because the school is small, but also because the school values and gives priority to small class size and extended time with a teacher daily and over the course of the student's high school years.
• Democratic School Governance: Issues of teaching and learning are the center of a dialogue among the entire school community. Students and parents are empowered to participate in the life of the school and to have their voices heard in school-based and national forums.
• Professional Development: Provide college and high school faculty opportunities to collaborate and focus on research-based teaching strategies, critical thinking, academic rigor, professional learning communities, and other approaches that facilitate students' readiness for college level courses.

We have a lot of work yet to do. However, we are very excited and have received a strong level of support from the community. It is a very arduous process and involves collaboration from a variety of people in the community including the local school district, college employees, and potential partners. The feasibility study is a good process for assessing and developing a unique fit for Charlotte County students. We hope to gain a lot of valuable input from the community. See our website at http://www.edison.edu/ for more information or email your questions to echs@edison.edu.

Last Updated: February 11, 2008