Early College: An “Early” Opportunity to Excel

by Deedee Stakley, Director of Early College, Lake Michigan College and Paul Bergan, Regional Director of Career and Technical Education, Berrien County Intermediate School District

Each year, hundreds of southwest Michigan students begin working on their college transcripts while still in high school. By enrolling in the Early College program at Lake Michigan College (LMC), one of eight such programs offered in Michigan, students are able to experience college-level course work and earn college credit while discovering career opportunities and new interests. Local school districts benefit from the program. Area high schools are able to offer a diverse selection of courses without significantly increasing curriculum funding. Parents also benefit with college tuition savings, thanks to the unique partnership established between Lake Michigan College and the participating districts.

How Early College Works

Early College opportunities are offered to Berrien County students as part of their standard high school curriculum, as well as through Berrien County Intermediate School District’s (ISD) Career and Technical Education (CTE) Consortium program. Every public high school in the county, including parochial high schools, has partnered with LMC to make earning college credit a realistic possibility for all students. Berrien County high schools offer access to LMC college classes as a part of their regular high school schedules. When participating in Early College, students can earn college credit through two types of classes: direct credit and dual enrollment.

• Direct credit courses are college classes offered at local high schools during the regular school day and taught by high school teachers who have been credentialed as college instructors. Direct credit classes can help students get a jump-start on college and save money, since tuition and fees are offered at 30 percent of traditional costs and may be paid for by the area high school or the student.
• Dual enrollment is when students spend part of their day at high school and part of their day attending college classes on campus. The classes for Berrien County students, taught by LMC faculty, are offered at any LMC campus or area high school. Students may select any class offered at any LMC location as a dual enrollment class. Tuition and fees for classes offered through dual enrollment are not discounted and may be paid by the school district or the student.

Students work with guidance counselors and career technical directors to determine which classes they should take for college credit, as well as to identify classes that may be used for both high school and college credit. Two hundred and seven college courses were offered through dual enrollment and direct credit to 1,237 students in Berrien County high schools through the Early College program during the 2006-2007 academic school year.

An extensive selection of courses fit the needs of students who are interested in a bachelor’s degree college track as well as a one-year certificate or two-year associate's degree track. No matter what a student's interests might be, Early College allows for exploration of college-level studies and smoothes the transition from high school to college.

The Cost of Early College Credit

Certain programs offered through Early College allow students to earn nearly an entire semester of college credit before they graduate from high school. This is a significant savings to students and their families. Most credits earned may be transferred to any accredited college or university in the country or applied to a degree or certificate from Lake Michigan College. In fact, many of the Early College courses lend themselves to direct certification upon the completion of the classes and the passing of state exams, such as those in automotive technology, allied health, or cosmetology.

LMC has a new scholarship for Early College students that began last spring with the graduating class of 2007. The Early College Achievement Award provides Early College students, who have earned a minimum of four college credits, with a resulting GPA of 3.00 or better in both high school and college, with a scholarship of up to $500 per semester. The scholarship opportunity is renewable for four consecutive semesters. Students must follow scholarship guidelines in order to be eligible.

Program Offers Education Academies

The Early College program offers students the opportunity to enroll in one of CTE’s many education academies. Academies are programs in which students may be dual enrolled in their high school, another area high school, and LMC. Currently, CTE offers academies in the areas of CISCO (computer programming), law enforcement, machine tool, manufacturing, pharmacy tech, professional health careers, engineering, and finance. Each of these featured programs is highly competitive. Students often earn six or more college credits by participating in an academy during their junior and senior years of high school.

The Professional Health Careers Academy is a prime example of the expansiveness of the Early College program. Upon completion of the academy, students earn 11-13 college credits. Students gain hands-on experience through hospital rounds with physicians and nursing staff. They also have the opportunities to care for patients directly (under supervision). This is an example of how Early College can infuse the work force with well-educated and dedicated employees. Students consequently have a skill set that makes them employable right after graduating from high school. Through Early College Academies, students confirm their postsecondary education career goals.

Students in the Professional Health Careers Academy receive financial support through the Lakeland Hospital Foundation. Lakeland pays 85 percent of every student’s tuition and has hired many of the Academy’s graduates upon passing the state exams and certificate completion.

Advantages for Schools

More than 100 area teachers have received credentials to teach Early College classes. This means that schools are able to broaden their curriculum and course offerings by simply aligning course content and expected student outcomes with the college’s curriculum and outcomes.

Early College is successful due to the dedication of teaching staff at Berrien County high schools and at LMC. Not only do teachers motivate students to challenge themselves with accelerated course work, they also work to increase their own credentials in order to meet Lake Michigan College’s adjunct faculty standards. Students ultimately benefit from these efforts.

Often, supplementary classroom supplies and textbooks are the only additional costs to school districts.

The College Appeal

Early College offers students an in-depth perspective about what a particular college offers. Students are very likely to continue attending beyond high school if programs go well. LMC has indicated that these early opportunities encourage increased college enrollment. As a reward for participation in Early College, and as an incentive for students to continue their education, LMC offered nearly $100,000 in scholarships to high school seniors in 2006.

Families Benefit

Families benefit when their students take college courses early. Many courses are offered to students free of charge or at a discounted rate. Should students take Early College courses while in high school, they could potentially earn semesters of college credit, allowing them to reduce their future college expenses significantly.

Early College exposes students to academic experiences early enough to avoid costly changes if they find they dislike their chosen career field. This early college experience allows students to utilize post-high school career training time to intensify their education, without wasting time trying to discover what it is they wish to study.

Early College has proven to be successful. It is expected that enrollment in the 2007-2008 school year will exceed 1,100 students. Early College students account for approximately 13 to 15 percent of those enrolled at LMC.

To learn more about Early College, contact: Deedee Stakley, Director of Early College, Lake Michigan College, (269) 927-8100 ext. 5186,
stakley@lakemichigancollege.edu or Paul Bergan, Regional Director of Career and Technical Education, Berrien County ISD, (269) 471-7725 ext. 115, pbergan@remc11.k12.mi.us. More information on dual enrollment can be found in Michigan Merit High School Graduation Requirements Frequently Asked Questions, available at http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-38924-152784--,00.html.

For a complete listing of Early College programs, visit MDE’s www.mi.gov/highschool. The information is available under “Parents & Family.”