Early college high school being organized

By FULLER ROYAL
and LEE HINNANT

Southeastern Community College, the Columbus County Schools and the Whiteville Schools have received tentative approval from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to put into motion plans for the opening of the early college high school.

To be known as the Southeast Early College and based on the SCC campus, the school will begin with 50 ninth-graders, selected from the city and county schools’ current eighth-grade classes.

A new advisory board will be created, consisting of two representatives each from the city and county school boards as well as the SCC trustees.

Funding has been approved to hire a principal in April and to begin developing a curriculum and interviewing teachers.

Already, meetings are being held at the city and county middle schools to discuss and promote the program.

SCC Dean of Business and Technology Al Phillips told a group of two dozen parents and students at Central Middle School earlier this week that the early college high school will be a reality and will be integrated as much as possible into the SCC campus.

Phillips said that the school would add at least 50 students annually as it adds a new grade.

Ultimately, there will be four grades with up to 200 students. At least 100 students must be enrolled each year for the state to pick up the tab of a principal.

Phillips said that planners had toured several existing early college programs. One of those programs consisted of a group of mobile trailers or classrooms stuck on the back of a college campus. He said that’s exactly opposite of what SEC would have.

SEC will be put “right up front” in A building and occupy most of the second floor. Some teachers will be hired while some of the SCC staff will teach the early college high schoolers also.

As students progress through the grades, they will have a larger variety of college classes from which to chose. At first, for example, they may choose only pottery or music electives.

Applicants can request a formal application, which includes a statement as to why they wish to attend. Interviews will follow.

SEC is designed for students who have the ability to be good students but who aren’t “connected.” Other factors for admission include low-income families or families with no history of college graduation.

The lack of ability to participate in extracurricular activities will also be a big factor. SCC, however, will offer students a chance to be in the chorus, community band or existing clubs, including those that go hiking or rappelling. The school may also form its own clubs.

Phillips said two tracks would be offered the SEC students. One is an associate’s degree with emphasis on a specific trade, which would also transfer to another college. The second is an associate’s degree that will focus more on college transfer. The bonus here is that in five years, students will have a high school degree and a two-year degree and it’s essentially free.

Each student will work closely with a counselor and a mentor. Mentors may be faculty members or older college students. There are no bells at SEC. When the instructor is finished, the students move on to their next class. Phillips said there would be a lot of hands-on projects and possible internships.

City Superintendent Danny McPherson, County Superintendent Dan Strickland and SCC President Kathy Matlock have all voiced major support for the project – an initiative from Gov. Mike Easley and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

SEC will be one of 35 in the state, offering specialized education to students who are in danger of dropping out of traditional high schools. There are 15 schools operating this year.

Forty-five administrators, teachers and staff from the three local educational entities came up with the proposal and initial plan for the school.

School hours will be 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., which meets the state’s 5.5-hour class time requirement.

Bus students will take a regular bus to their home school and then transfer to a bus for the trip to SEC and then reverse the procedure in the afternoon.