Early College High School

So you’re 15, maybe 16 years old and sophomore in high school.  This May, you will be just a few classes shy of completing your high school coursework.  You already have a semester of college under your belt.  How do you feel?

“It makes me feel good about myself.  I gave up things to get better things, and I’ll have an associate’s degree as an 18 year old. That’s something others don’t have the opportunity to do.  I applied myself to become better, and it means a lot.”

This is just one of the things I heard recently when interviewing a group ... Continue Reading

By: Alan Dessoff

For at-risk students who stand little chance of going to college, or even finishing high school, a growing number of districts have found a solution: Give them an early start in college while they still are in high school. An early college high school (ECHS) strategy, which combines high school and college-level instruction, reduces dropout rates and improves academic achievement levels while also boosting students' chances of graduating from school and finding jobs.

About 86 percent of early college high school graduates in 2009 went on to some form of postsecondary education, according to Jobs for the Future, ... Continue Reading

LAS CRUCES, NM – New Mexico’s first Early College High School illustrates local educators’ willingness to launch innovative approaches to improve graduation rates.  It also improves the economic impact of educational dollars when there is a spirit of partnership between education and industry. 

Seeds for Early College High School were planted in conversations between business, government, economic development and education leaders seeking to reduce the dropout rate and exploring best practices nationally.  Ultimately, those leaders also formed a non-profit to continue the work, The Bridge of Southern New Mexico.  The Bridge’s mission is to foster collaboration and leverage resources to increase ... Continue Reading

A little over a year ago, 112 high school freshmen students agreed to do something that no one in New Mexico has done before.  They enrolled in the state’s first Early College High School – a four-year journey to simultaneously earn a high school diploma and a two-year college degree.

Last month, they completed their freshman year – and every one of them, (yes, every single one) will be starting their sophomore year next year.  There’s a lot to be proud of for the students, their teachers and principal, and all those at Las Cruces Public Schools and Dona Ana Community ... Continue Reading