1. 1 Early Colleges: Supporting Students for College Readiness and Success Early Colleges: Supporting Students for College Readiness and Success Cecelia Cunningham Middle College National Consortium (MCNC) Jennifer E. Kim National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching (NCREST) Teachers College, Columbia University Deborah Shanley Brooklyn College, City University of New York, School of Education October 27, 2011 Council of the Great City Schools, Annual Conference, Boston

2. 2 MCNC School Design Principles Power of the HS-College site Student-focused teaching and learning Multiple performance-based student assessment Democratic school governance Collaborative professional development Comprehensive student support

3. 3 CGCS Districts: MCNC ECs Buffalo, NY Columbus, OH Denver, CO Houston, TX Los Angeles, CA Memphis, TN New York, NY

4. 4 Who are the students?

5. 5 How do the students do? 2009-10 MCNC 12th Graders (upon high school graduation) 94% had enrolled in college courses 91% cumulative course pass rate 2.70 average college GPA –83% of the students earned a 2.00 college GPA or higher 31.7 average college credits accumulated –47% completed a full year’s equivalent of college coursework

6. 6 College Course Participation

7. 7 College Credits

8. 8 College GPA

9. 9 8th grade achievement and college success 8 th Grade State Standards Test PROFICIENT NON- PROFICIENT College GPA 3.062.53 College Credits 5232

10. 10 College Aspirations

11. 11 College Readiness

12. 12 Student recommended supports Systematic scaffolding Support in navigating the systems Formalized communication Formal academic plan Staff consistency

13. 13 Supporting Students MCNC Design Principle: “All administrators and teachers meet at least once a week with the same small group of students (house/advisory/focus) for one to four years” “Seminars for concurrently enrolled students provide help to “unpack” college-level work, navigate college systems and provide personal and social support.” SEMINAR: Comprehensive system for academic support (tutoring, peer student support) College application/financial aid assistance Instruct and reinforce college readiness skills (academic behaviors, key cognitive strategies, college contextual awareness) Promote a sense of high expectations for all students

14. 14 Seminar Aimed at college course-taking students (also some specialized classes for lower grade students) Typically meets 1-2 times per week Curriculum: College textbooks, College 101 Class earns HS credit at half the schools Assessments: Class participation, reflections, graded and non-graded activities Brooklyn College Academy

15. 15 Student Voices [Seminar teacher] helped build my confidence by explaining the college course work, and I did better in the class. We're given an actual required time to study so we don't slack off or procrastinate. This class helps you focus on applying to college. Without this class, I wouldn't have the time to do all the necessary research. It helps to have material explained in a different way to better understand. Can share college-specific problems with the teacher and you're told, ‘We'll go over this together, we'll figure this out.’ When they check up on you, you feel like they care about you and you want to make them proud and make yourself proud.

16. 16 Implications More opportunities for early college course access for traditionally underserved students Replication and more formalization and of Seminar-like student supports Early College  Enhanced dual enrollment National Online Jam on Early Colleges: Nov 2, 2011 Nov 2, 2011

17. 17 Early Colleges: Supporting Students for College Readiness and Success Early Colleges: Supporting Students for College Readiness and Success For more information -- Cecelia CunninghamCcunningham@mcnc.us Ccunningham@mcnc.us Jennifer E. KimJek51@columbia.edu Jek51@columbia.edu Deborah ShanleyDshanley@brooklyn.cuny.edu Dshanley@brooklyn.cuny.edu