The recent Morning Call article below caught my attention for several reasons – most notably for providing me with a few more tidbits of information to the 6-seconds of a PR blurb (yes – literally!) mentioned at our school board meeting held on April 14th at Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC).

Due to the brief mention of this topic, I had to do some of my own “digging” to actually see and understand this initiative further. Here are some of the links from Google that you may find helpful as well:

At first glance, I’m pleased to “read” we’re not taking a leap of faith into an unknown pool just yet. A quick review of our graduation requirements, curriculum and block scheduling does not appear to provide sufficient “time” for this to occur by the end of 10th grade presently. I’m eager to “hear” and learn more in the coming weeks ahead. I’ll keep you posted…

Go from 10th grade to college at LCCC?

School pushes Northwestern Lehigh to join new national early grad program.

Lehigh Carbon Community College wants to be part of a national pilot program that would allow academically eager and able 10th-graders to skip their last two years of high school and go right into a college classroom.

LCCC would like the Northwestern Lehigh School District to be its partner in an early-graduation program, modeled on those in Europe, that fast-tracks high school students with the skills to enter college early.

The program also would help students who want to go to college but still need to work on their skills.

”What a lot of schools are responding to is they know they have students who the current program doesn’t help — students who are bored at that level and students who just don’t have a clue,” said Susan Sclafani of the National Center on Education and Economy, who will be setting up early-graduation programs in eight states, including Pennsylvania.

Northwestern Lehigh isn’t sure it wants to be a guinea pig.

”It’s still under discussion,” said Interim Superintendent Brad Cressman.

Commentary: The reporter (or editor) should have performed a thorough proofread on this article (see below) – especially given the “educational” aspect of this topic…don’t you agree?
would set up a and those who pass would receive a high school diploma and could enroll at a two- or four-year college. Students could also opt to stay in high school and prepare for admission at a selective college.

The National Center said the program The center is looking for 10 to 20 schools in Pennsylvania to ”see if it works as well as we anticipate,” said Sclafani. Schools in Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Vermont will also participate.

Efforts to offer high schoolers a spot in college courses isn’t all that radical, with many students taking community colleges credits that transfer to a four-year college.

Started in 2007, LCCC’s PA Academy for the Sciences, Arts and Advanced Technologies provides college-bound, academically superior students a chance to earn transferrable college credits. However, the PA Academy classes usually isolate high school students into their own classes.

Under the Board Examination System, Northwestern Lehigh students would take classes with LCCC’s general student population.

Source: Devon Lash. “Go from 10th grade to college at LCCC.” The Morning Call April 24, 2010

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