March 10, 2015
JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Department of Education, in partnership with East Mississippi Community College, will open the state’s first early college high school this fall.
The Golden Triangle Early College High School (GTECHS), which will be located on the EMCC Mayhew campus, is currently accepting applications from 8th grade students who are in the Columbus, Lowndes County, West Point/Clay, Oktibbeha/Starkville and Noxubee school districts. During its first year of operation, only 50 students will be selected to participate, but future plans will allow for the addition of 50 students annually up to 200 students.
An early college high school is designed to be a small school that targets middle school students who show great potential for academic success but may need additional support to graduate. Students can earn both a high school diploma and an Associate’s degree from EMCC. Students also have the option of obtaining national certification in a technical field if they want to enter the workforce upon graduation.
Early college high schools have the potential to improve high school graduation rates and better prepare all students for high-skill careers by engaging them in a rigorous, college preparatory curriculum and compressing the number of years to a college degree. Jean Massey, associate superintendent at MDE, said the program is designed for students who may not make it to college without an intervention.
“This innovative program is for students who may be first-generation college students, but they don’t have the confidence to think they will do well. The school is also for students who need an alternative to the traditional high school setting,” said Jean Massey, associate superintendent at the MDE.
Students must apply for admission to the school and candidates are interviewed, as well as their parents. Massey said both students and parents need to understand what’s required of them to be successful in the rigorous program.
MDE and EMCC officials met with the participating districts’ school boards, middle school principals and high school principals, and Massey said the response has been wonderful. Businesses and industries in the region also have shown their support, and she hopes they will be able to partner with the school.
MDE has been working with North Carolina New Schools, which has 10 years of experience in implementing early college high schools. North Carolina has 70 early college high schools. Through a grant, the organization provides professional development and consultation to MDE at no cost.
Jill Savely, former principal at Columbus High School, will be the principal of the early college high school. She said she is excited that students will have another avenue for success.
“About three years ago I visited some of the early college high schools in North Carolina. We looked at how they were performing compared to how traditional high schools performed. At the early college high schools, we saw increased graduation rates. Students’ grades had improved, and they had increased test scores,” Savely said. “They began to see themselves as college students and began to gain their confidence in their ability to do college level work.”
Massey said the long-range plan is to expand early college high schools to other regions across the state, and she hopes to gain the support of communities and school districts across the state for this kind of innovative program.
“We hope to make this available to any community college or university that wants to have an early college high school on campus. We think this is a good opportunity, and another way to help our kids,” she said.
Applications for the GTECHS are due to 8th grade counselors by March 31. They are available at each participating middle school in the Golden Triangle and online at the EMCC website.
Media Contact:
Patrice Guilfoyle, APR
Director of Communications
601-359-3706
Jean Cook, APR
Communications Specialist
601-359-3519