Genesee Early College

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Genesee Early College

• _at_ The University of Michigan-Flint
• Genesee Intermediate School District
• November 2007

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Genesee Early College

• GEC is a fully operating high school (grades
  9-13), operated by the Genesee Intermediate
  School District, on the University of
  Michigan-Flints campus.
• GECs goal is to prepare students for academic
  and professional careers in the health
  professions and related fields. GEC offers a
  course of study specifically tailored to each
  students Educational Development Plan.

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Genesee Early College

• Health care partners include Genesys Regional
  Medical Center, Hurley Medical Center, McLaren
  Regional Medical Center, Hamilton Community
  Health Network, and the Greater Flint Health
  Coalition.
• Other partners all 21 Genesee County school
  districts the Genesee County Health Department
  the GASC Technology Center and, of course, Mott
  Middle College.

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Genesee Early College

• Most high school and college courses are taken on
  the campus of the University of Michigan-Flint.
  Two cohort courses take place on the campus of
  Genesys Regional Medical Center.
• High school classes are hubbed in the best
  building on campus, the William S. White
  building.
• Office space is presently across the street from
  WSW--not an ideal situation. Goal is to move to
  WSW shortly.

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GEC Design Principles

• GECs design principles are consistent with the
  recommendations of the Middle College National
  Consortium
• Power of the Site removing students from K-12
  culture and facilitating their entry into a
  post-secondary culture
• Teaching and Learning accelerated HS curriculum
  with emphasis frequently placed on literacies
• Authentic Student Assessment and individualized
  EDPs

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ECP Design Principles

• Design principles, continued
• Student Support small class size, embedded
  counseling, academic support
• Democratic School Governance (frequently anathema
  to K-12)
• Professional Development embedded, design and
  reform oriented

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Benefits to Students

• Eases physical and cultural transition to
  college.
• Assumption of college attendance
• Provides meaningful academic programs in an
  integrated, 9-13/9-14 school (14th year seen as
  support/research cohort).
• Provide guidance for first two years of college
  and significantly raise graduation rates.
• Two years of college paid for by state, plus
  Merit after 60.

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Benefits to Higher Ed

• Better prepared students entering higher
  education programs.
• Higher likelihood of successful matriculation and
  graduation (students with at least 26 dual
  enrollment credit have a 80 likelihood of
  graduating).
• Opportunities for low-income and first-generation
  students who frequently cannot attend college.
• Increased enrollment.

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Genesee Early College

• Genesee Early College opened in August of 2007
  with approximately 50 11th grade students from
  Genesee County and its neighboring counties. GEC
  anticipates adding 5-10 more students for the
  winter semester.
• Students attended 2 week orientation program
  focusing on college survival and study skills,
  team-building, and introduction to health
  programs.

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Genesee Early College

• Like all early colleges, GEC is founded on dual
  enrollment opportunities. Its important to note
  that of the approximately 60 undergraduate
  credits each student will take, 58 are in
  traditional college courses with traditional
  college students.
• All 11th grade students take a mixed mode
  schedule of HS and dual enrollment courses. For
  this initial cohort, all students take

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Genesee Early College

• High school courses
• American Social History Project (ASHP), a
  cross-curricular, primary document based American
  History/American Literature program
• General Seminar course focusing on college
  skills, research methodologies, and foundational
  issues in health professions and STEM fields.
• Focus Group course for homeroom and advising

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Genesee Early College

• About half our initial cohort of students were
  not prepared for college mathematics, and are
  taking a high school math course.
• College courses
• Two one-credit foundational cohort courses in
  health professions
• On average of 9 credits per student for fall
  semester. Common course selections include
  biology, math, ethics, dance, English.

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Sample student schedule
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Genesee Early College

• Growth
• Grades 10 and 12 will be added in 2008 Grades 9
  and 13 in 2009, with the Grade 14 cohort of 2010
  tracked for research and support purposes.
• Per small school research (and potential grant
  requirements), the school will be capped at an
  absolute maximum of 400 for Grades 9-13.

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Genesee Early College

• Students in Grades 9 and 10 engage in rigorous,
  academic curricula emphasizing skills and
  knowledge specific to health science careers.
• Embedded in these grades are hands-on health
  science experiences at and/or with our partner
  health care institutions.
• Grades 9-10 expose to health professions grades
  11 and 12 instruct in health professions grades
  12 and 13 focus on experiential learning in
  health professions.

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Genesee Early College

• High school classes taught on campus by NCLB
  highly-qualified, certified secondary teachers,
  employed by the GISD.
• 9th and 10th grade curriculum is based on
  projects with a purpose and essential schools
  research.
• Once fully implemented, cohorted health
  profession courses will be taken in 10th grade

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Genesee Early College

• Central to the GEC experience is that students
  participate in hands-on health care experiences
  in the form of clinical rotations at the various
  health care facilities. These may be for earned
  college credit.
• Overall curricular goal is that students should
  be ready to successfully enter SHPS, CAS or other
  health-oriented programs as a means to entering a
  health science career.

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Genesee Early College

• Other program features (but are not limited to)
• Moduled language classes
• International travel/semester abroad focused on
  service-learning and immersion
• E-materials for learning
• Hybrid student life opportunities.

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Funding

• As GEC is its own school with its own school
  code, funding for GEC is based primarily off
  state foundation grants. However, this raises a
  number of major issues
• Constant need to persuade county districts to
  release students despite its inherent financial
  cost to each district
• GISD negotiated agreements with local districts
  to cap total number from each based on district
  size. Thus, while we are not yet at full
  enrollment, we have had to turn away a large
  number of students from overenrolled districts

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Funding

• A consortium model was not viable due to the
  inherent costs of dual enrollment, especially in
  a four-year university system
• The costs of higher education are expected to
  dramatically outpace K-12 revenue growth, which
  raises many long-term concerns
• Besides the MDE planning and implementation
  grants, other foundation support has been sought
  for implementation however, long-term concerns
  persist because of the costs of tuition.
• Huge problem 75 blended funding issue (only 75
  per new student)

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Curriculum and Prof Dev

• Professional development for ASHP was provided by
  ASHP trainers at Mott Middle College. General
  seminar curriculum was home brewed and is being
  refined. 10th and 12th grade curriculum will be
  selected and developed during winter term of this
  year.
• In addition to GISD provided professional
  development and ongoing curriculum work (weekly
  time is allocated), GISD has committed to ongoing
  professional development through the Middle
  College National Consortium.

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Student Support and Services

• In addition to using the embedded advising and
  counseling model, UM-Flint has provided a
  student services coordinator, SI tutoring
  support, workshops, academic advising and
  counseling, and full access to UM-Flint student
  life activities, as well as a part-time liaison.
• Other grant support has been sought to maintain
  and grow these services.
• Transportation is provided to field experiences,
  and MTA access has been given to students to
  travel to and from school.

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Public relations

• GISD and UM-Flint have coordinated a strong
  public relations campaign, including substantial
  regional media coverage. Events such as the
  governors visit to our official opening has
  provided additional public relations
  opportunities.
• Public relations have been made more complicated
  by the need to not be seen as robbing the local
  districts--student recruitment has to maintain a
  delicate balance.

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Lessons learned, etc.

• Strong coordination between higher education
  institution and K-12 is absolutely essential.
• Principal selection is crucial, and must be done
  well and early enough not to hamper development.
• Starting with 11th graders is generally a good
  idea however, it raises additional issues
  regarding appropriate placement and preparation
  for college classes.

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Lessons learned, etc.

• Funding is a constant issue, and the first
  through third years require additional support,
  even with MDE grant assistance.
• Teacher selection is crucial--this is not
  business as usual.
• Student preparedness varies widely our students
  are quite capable, but it takes a while to learn
  to play the role of college student.

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Lessons learned, etc.

• Students identify powerfully with the higher ed
  institution. Making sure that they have access
  to high school as well as college student life
  activities is a balancing act.