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COLLEGE
START
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Arlington
Memorial High School
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Burr
& Burton Academy |
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Mt.
Anthony Union High School
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Community
College of Vermont |
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Bennington
County, Vermont
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DESCRIPTION
OF PRACTICE
Arlington Memorial High School, Burr and Burton Academy, Mount Anthony Union
High School and the Community College of Vermont (click HERE for other examples
of "dual enrollment" initiatives around the state) are jointly offering
a College Start Program designed for students entering their junior year in
high school. The program is five semesters in length and grants both high school
and college credits to students who successfully complete courses. Targeted students
are those who have the potential to do college level work but are unlikely to continue
into post-secondary education. Students in the program are not generally involved
in extracurricular activities such as sports, music, or high school clubs.
Students participating in the program pay no tuition or fees for the college credits.
All students participating in the program must take math, writing and reading assessments
before enrolling in any CCV courses. Students can earn up to 15 college credits and
5 high school credits through this program.
The goals of the program are to:
- Build positive
experiences in high school students through academic success in college courses
- Encourage
self-exploration and healthy risk-taking in students
- Broaden students'
sense of options and possibilities for their future
The main features
of the program include:
- Students enroll
in five CCV courses during the program in the following areas: career and life planning,
written or oral communications, computer, math or science, social sciences, and the
humanities;
- Students take
one college course per semester along with their regular high school acadernic load;
- Students enrolled
in the program are expected to commit for five semesters
- Students work
with career mentors, CCV academic advisors, and high school guidance staff while
enrolled in the program;
- Students have
opportunities to participate in workshops on specific topics (i.e., career focus,
time management, building academic skills in writing, math, and research, and others
as appropriate);
- Students meet
with representatives from other post-secondary institutions and participate in tours
of colleges; and
- Students in
their second year of the program will be mentors for the next group of College Start
students.
IMPLEMENTATION
STRATEGIES
Different strategies have been used to identify appropriate students for the
program. One high school opened the application process to the entire junior class
while encouraging specific students to apply. Guidance departments in two other schools
selected students based on students' academic records and aspirations.
All students are asked to take EDU 101: Career and Life Planning as the first of
the five semester series. The course is offered at CCV with a college instructor.
College Start students enroll in the course as a group and explore academic and career
interests, personality types and learning styles, and write resumes and practice
interviewing techniques. In addition, students complete fifteen hours of community
service as part of the course requirements.
In semesters two through five, students choose courses in designated academic categories
based on the strength of their skills and personal interests. While their progress
is monitored, College Start students are fully integrated into the courses in which
they enroll and are expected to meet the same standards as any other college student.
SUSTAINABILITY PLAN
Without question, the most challenging problem facing us is that of continued
funding. To date, the program has been supported through a patchwork of funding sources
including a Bennington County School-to-Work grant, Medicaid monies, high school
general budgets and CCV funds earmarked for high school students. The long-term success
of the program is dependent on finding a more stable source of funding.
CONNECTION TO THE VERMONT STANDARDS
The five academic areas of course work that College Start students sample align
well with the Vermont Framework of Standards. Essential Objectives for CCV courses
are available upon request.
LESSONS LEARNED
- Students in
the program often need assistance in mastering the "mechanics" of being
a good student. Specifically, many of the students need to develop stronger academic
work habits and to become more aware of their own academic strengths and weaknesses.
- For many of
the students, follow-through and closure on issues is unfamiliar. As a result, the
first semester of the program requires a considerable time investment on the part
of the course instructor, CCV academic advisors and high school guidance counselors.
In subsequent semesters, students become more self-reliant and more confident of
their ability to be successful.
- Perhaps the
most rewarding lesson we have learned so far is that when presented with a fuller
range of academic options, many students will follow their passions and become engaged
learners. The increase in self-confidence inside the college classroom from semester
one to semester three is readily apparent. Feedback from high school teachers indicates
that there are gains in self-confidence and healthy risk-taking in the high school
as well. Our real test, of course, will be over the long term. We look forward
to the opportunity of gauging the impact several years from now.
CONTACT
Jeannie Jenkins
Coordinator of Academic Services
Community College of Vermont
324 Main Street
Bennington, VT 05201-2244
Phone: (802) 447-2361
E-mail: jenkinsj@mail.ccv.vsc.edu
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