News Article

Edison College to Seek Charter for Charlotte Collegiate High School

Jun 6, 2008

A Collegiate High School at Edison College's Charlotte Campus is a step closer to reality with the College's District Board of Trustees recent decision to submit an application to the School Board of Charlotte County later this month.

The proposed Edison Collegiate High School [ECHS] would be funded by the State of Florida and open under a charter issued by the School Board. Edison College Trustees would establish policies and provide oversight for school operations.

"We see the collegiate high school as a natural progression of programs that have been offered in area high schools for many years," said Dr. Patricia Land, Edison's Charlotte Champus President. "The new school would provide additional opportunities for local students to earn college credits while completing high school graduation requirements in a small, very focused educational environment."

Plans project admitting 100 ninth grade students in Fall 2009, and growing school enrollment within four years to a 400-member student body reflective of the local community. Admissions decisions would be based on applicants' records and test scores, teacher and community recommendations, college placement scores, and interviews with parents and students. If more than 100 qualified applicants are identified, students would be selected through a lottery system.

An honors-level curriculum is envisioned for all students, offering pre-collegiate and collegiate instruction. Through dual enrollment, students will have the opportunity to accelerate college attendance and potentially earn a college degree the same year that they graduate from high school. Individualized learning contracts and student success teams would document mastery of content knowledge and facilitate accelerated college completion. All high school students would have access to Edison's library, labs, cafeteria and recreational facilities.

Core values of the proposed ECHS include critical thinking, reading, writing, global learning outcomes, learning communities and service learning opportunities. The school day will be arranged to encourage student participation in activities such as to provide students an opportunity to return to another high school to participate in student activities or to other community or ECHS sponsored extracurricular programs.

The Florida Charter School Application will be reviewed by the School Board of Charlotte County this summer, with the decision on granting a charter expected in September.

Last Updated: June 6, 2008