Federal Grants Boost N.C.’s ‘Early College’ High School Push

On a recent afternoon at East Surry High School, the students were fully engaged in their studies. However, what sets them apart is that they were not all working on the same lessons or courses, and some weren’t even part of the same school. Senior Ben Chilton was seated in a corner, reading for an online political science class at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Meanwhile, a few other students were earning credits from East Carolina University in an online community where avatars represent both students and teachers. Another senior, Timothy Crotts, was highlighting passages from a textbook for a personal-finance class, also part of an ECU course.

Although high school students earning college credit may not seem like a novel concept, the students in East Surry and 17 other rural high schools in North Carolina have made significant progress in dual enrollment over the past few years. This progress can be attributed to help from North Carolina New Schools/Breakthrough Learning, a non-profit organization, and a $15 million grant from the federal Investing in Innovation (i3) fund.

The grant aimed to answer the research question of whether Breakthrough Learning could successfully implement the strategies used by "early college" high schools, typically small schools located on the campus of a community college or another postsecondary institution, in a more traditional high school setting. According to an interim report by the SERVE center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the approach has shown promise. Schools that started the program in the first year of the five-year grant saw higher percentages of students taking college-credit-bearing courses by the end of 11th grade. Additionally, a separate, multi-year study led by the SERVE Center found that approximately 89 percent of students in early-college high schools enrolled in some form of college, compared to nearly 74 percent of similar students.

Breakthrough Learning’s success in improving college readiness has earned the organization further federal support and funding. Through the i3 program, they were awarded a $20 million "scale up" grant, making them the first program nationally to progress from the validation stage to the scale-up level. This grant will allow Breakthrough Learning, which was established in 2003, to expand its reach in North Carolina and venture into Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina. These states are implementing a combination of early-college and comprehensive high school approaches. Like in North Carolina, Breakthrough Learning will provide outside coaches to help schools improve teaching and personalize instruction for individual students. They will also train college liaisons to facilitate dual-enrollment efforts.

Receiving this type of grant signifies that there are individuals in Washington who believe in the value of education and are willing to invest in experimentation. Laurie Baker, the senior director of New Schools Rural Initiative, expressed how seriously they take this opportunity to be pioneering in the field of education. The i3 program was established under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to investigate and expand district-level practices. Its successor, the Education Innovation and Research program, is now a part of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the latest update of the main federal K-12 law.

The four states participating in Breakthrough Learning’s scale-up grant are just beginning their work. Mississippi recently opened its first early-college high school in partnership with Breakthrough Learning this academic year. The Golden Triangle Early College High School had nearly 120 applicants for its first 9th-grade cohort, double the available spaces. Starting a school, especially on a community college campus, comes with its challenges. However, visits to successful sites in North Carolina have provided guidance and insight for Jill Savely, the director of the school.

A storefront window in downtown Mount Airy, N.C. in Surry County reflects a lively street scene. Through federal innovation grants, high school students in Surry County and other parts of the state have the opportunity to participate in early-college programs.

Meanwhile, certain communities, such as Surry County, are delving further into the "career development" aspect of being college- and career-ready. The ultimate goal is to establish stronger connections with local businesses that can offer internships to students and "externships" to educators. These experiences aim to help educators understand how to make their classwork relevant to the real working world. Ideally, each school involved in the program would have at least one strong partnership with a postsecondary institution or business.

According to Jill Y. Reinhardt, the assistant superintendent, work-based learning provides a way to reach Surry County students who may not comprehend how academics can prepare them for the professional world. Celia Hodges, the principal of Central Surry High School, which joined the initiative with a scale-up grant, expressed optimism about the internships, saying, "The students want it." She also emphasized the importance of community support for the students.

However, there are obstacles in remote Surry County, which includes the picturesque town of Mt. Airy, North Carolina, famously depicted as the model for the town in Andy Griffith’s television comedies. Currently, work-based learning opportunities are available in the district, but they are inconsistent, and the internships often do not offer any compensation. Transportation across the county poses a significant challenge. Furthermore, parents may not fully comprehend the purpose of the experience, or even the college coursework, making it harder for students to fully engage.

Communities like Surry County have a lot at stake as they navigate these barriers. Many residents of Surry County were once employed in the now-declining textile industry. A recent meeting involving educators, local business leaders, and others acknowledged that the industry will not be making a comeback. Consequently, it falls upon the school district to train a new generation of workers who can fill jobs and potentially attract new industries and businesses to this isolated community.

Baker, referring to the unique challenges of rural contexts, explained that they are positioning these districts and schools as agents of change within their communities.