<p>For most of the folks here, taking college credit courses in high school is commonplace enough. Honors-level students may take either AP classes or, in some cases, for direct college credit via the state U. Taking classes at a local community college is also common.</p>
<p>The details of this program are a bit sketchy, and I have to admit that I don't get it. Usually, one completes four years of high school, and then takes two years of community college classes to earn an associates degree. Is it really possible to cram a conventional high school education and a two year degree program together in a way that doesn't overstress kids who probably aren't academic superstars and that offers the normal rigor of both programs?</p>
<p>Anyone have experience with this kind of program? If so, how has it worked?</p>
<p>I do recall one student on the forum from Florida who will graduate from high school with enough credits for an AA to enter college with junior status. After a quick forum search...the username is NSX750, they would likely have some insight on how it works.</p>
<p>Assuming one starts their Sophmore year, takes 6 credits each in spring/fall Sophmore, junior, and senior year (12 a year X 3 years=36) Plus 12 credits each summer (2 X 12=24 credits) You could feasibly get a 60 credit associates degree before you graduate. Noone I know personally, but several that I have read about. This could be conceivably accomplished sooner if someone took a lot of distance learning/independent learning courses.</p>
<p>The concept of early college high schools has been champtioned by Leon Botstein, president of Bard College and of Simon's Rock College of Bard. It is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and has already been tried out in a couple of high schools in NYC.</p>
<p>My son will complete his AA at the same time as his high school diploma.</p>
<p>he is homeschooled (via a charter school -- so an accredited public school diploma will be issued). He takes all his classes at the community college and gets both high school and college credit. </p>
<p>We just select classes from a list of the required courses for the AA and match them up with the required high school graduation courses -- they overlap most of the time.</p>
<p>now I do not know how this would work for a child who was not college prep -- my son took all the placement tests at the end of 8th grade and tested past the introductory levels of math, reading and composition -- something many high school graduate don't do. He is academically ahead and really enjoys academics -- again, not something you find with most kids who are not college bound.</p>
<p>I think that high school level learning belongs in high school -- it would devalue both the high school diploma and the AA diploma if a non-college bound kid could get both diplomas by the end of high school. I think you would find the level of instruction seriously compromised by such a system!</p>
<p>Oph
My S could have entered a FL U as a junior after jr. y in HS, but then what? He would not be prepared for grad school.
FL is trying a program for HS kids to take most of their classes in local U or CC. This program is not for the superstars, who dual enroll because HS doesn't offer the classes they want (advanced math, Latin, etc). This new program is for many who will be happy to have the college degree. Too new to know how effective it will be</p>
<p>My friend went to Bard High School in nyc where they have a 2 yr high school and then auto admit to some college (bard?) i think. shes faring well for her self.</p>
<p>I do think higher ed needs are changing. Kids are no longer content to be bored but compliant thru HS. They don't want to take college classes in the evening, but want to just jump in. Once one kid skips sr year of HS, then others plan ahead to do the same. Some colleges make a point of letting kids know they do not need a HS degree to enroll. It seems that kids & schools are accepting that many 16 & 17 y.o. are ready for college.</p>
<p>There are pros and cons and it depends on whether the student is willing to give up the typical HS life of sports, proms, etc. It's not for everyone but considering that it's free, it's quite a moneysaver for those that can't afford college any other way. You can basically get a 4 year degree for the cost of 2 years' worth of tuition.</p>
<p>My daughter has a close friend who is taking advantage at just such a program at Grossmont Community College in San Diego. Since Junior year, she has taken all of her courses at Grossmont, while continuing to receive counseling and participate in EC's at her high school --- she'll even be going to her high school prom. The Grossmont program also provides some counseling and supposedly works to introduce the other students in the program to each other. </p>
<p>On the one hand, it has worked out well for her - she was always very mature and hated the high school environment due to boredom with the classwork. She's had a great deal of flexibility in what she's taken at the CC, which has allowed her to take more art classes (a strong interest) than she would have been able to in high school. On the other hand, she has hooked up with a boyfriend in his early 20's at the CC, moves with an "older" crowd socially now having lost day to day contact with most of her high school friends, and, while her grades at the CC have been good, her SAT scores (350 on math! plus 450 and 480 on reading and writing) indicate that she has not necessarily received the educational basics from this program. She will, however, be transferring to a Cal State in the fall because her CC GPA qualifies her for entrance without consideration of her test scores. Ironically, she has told my daughter that she doubts she'll be able to graduate in just two years as she hasn't met some of the pre-requisites for graduation at the cal state through the "high school college" program.</p>
<p>Interesting that her test scores do not really match up. That would concern me, as those test scores should reflect a certain level of reasoning. </p>
<p>I wonder if there are certain cc courses that would be more beneficial to increasing test scores than others?</p>
<p>My son will be taking Comp I and II (with some additional grammar on the side) to address the writing aspect of the tests and Intro to lit for he critical reading (plus another lit course, most likely -- he enjoys them).</p>
<p>for the math, he will finish up a high school geometry course and then take survey of algebra, college algebra and trigonometry at the CC. </p>
<p>I was thinking these courses, along with a good spread of other types (history, science, humanities, etc) would give him a good base to score well on the SAT. I am crossing my fingers and hoping that there is nothing magical about the high school classes vs. community college classes that would effect test scores.</p>