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| Unique partnership bringing college to high school students | | |  (WACO) — A unique partnership between Rapoport Academy and Texas State Technical College underscores the importance of an educational movement that’s changing the lives – and minds – of young people who are often least likely to attend college.
Rapoport Academy, an Early College High School (ECHS) is partnering with Texas State Technical College through the Texas High School Project, bringing the college experience to students as early as the ninth grade. This spring, the institutions will jointly celebrate the first-ever graduating class of 22 students.
The unique ECHS partnership between TSTC and Rapoport is the first of its kind in Waco and only one of two such programs in all of Central Texas. And TSTC is the only technical college in the state to partner with Early College High Schools. This collaborative partnership accelerates opportunities for young people to enter the workforce more prepared than the average applicant.
ECHS is an initiative that springs from the Texas High School Project, a public-private partnership designed to ensure Texas’ students are college and career-ready by the time they graduate from high school. Designed for first-generation college goers, the program gives high school students a chance to earn up to 60 transferable academic hours or an associate degree (up to 72 hours) for free, as there is no charge for courses, books, fees and even transportation.
Unlike dual credit and advanced placement classes, ECHS offers students a chance to begin their college career as early as the ninth grade. By the time they are through, students can enter the workforce more prepared, or seamlessly transfer to college to continue their education.
“TSTC is excited to collaborate with Rapoport on the ECHS initiative,” said Anita Steele, Tech-Connect Program manager. “Our college is known for providing innovative, non-traditional training that fits perfectly with the ECHS model and Rapoport’s unique approach to education. It’s an exciting, successful formula that helps instill a college state of mind for students who might not otherwise attend college.”
Rapoport’s high school, which received a 2009 exemplary rating from the TEA, offers the full high school experience while providing a creative approach to learning. As a TSTEM school (Texas Science Technology, Engineering and Math), the academy’s curriculum allows students to receive plenty of hands-on, relevant practice through a multi-disciplinary approach that incorporates field trips, the college experience and special projects designed to create an excitement about learning in youth.
“Engaging with TSTC in this innovative initiative provides students with an opportunity to accelerate their college coursework in a supportive environment while maintaining rigor,” said Dr. Nancy Grayson, founder and superintendent of Rapoport Academy. “Together, we can be the model that is replicated nationwide to open doors for students in meeting the needs of employers. We are, indeed, educating students today for jobs that do not yet exist. This requires high energy and teamwork. We so appreciate our partnership with TSTC.”
Funding for ECHS comes from the Communities Foundation of Texas (Bill and Melinda Gates, Michael and Susan Dell foundations) as part of the Texas High School Project. TEA, which recently joined in the effort, ensures designated schools follow the ECHS model. Nationwide, more than 200 schools in 24 states have started an ECHS initiative in the 2008-09 school year.
Preliminary data shows great promise for the initiative. More than 900 students graduated from 17 ECHS schools around the country in 2007, greatly surpassing the achievements of their peers from traditional high schools serving similar population groups that traditionally forgo college. According to the Early College High School Initiative Web site, www.earlycolleges.org, more than 85 percent graduated with substantial college credit.
To find out more about Early College High School, contact Steele at 867-4860 or Gaylene Reed at 754-8000. Or visit, www.rapoportacademy.org. |
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