Chapter 6: When Community Support Fails: How a Local Early College Program Failed to Gain Traction

Early college high schools, also known as middle colleges, are programs that place high school students on college campuses, enrolling them in courses at no or reduced tuition, and allowing them to accumulate credits or credentials by the time they graduate high school. In central Appalachia, one program, Appalachia Middle College (AMC) targeted faltering or uninspired 11th graders for classes on a nearby university campus as a means to encourage high school graduation and transition to postsecondary education. Students took accelerated high school classes with district teachers, but also attended regular college courses. Nearly all who attended met the challenge. Results included improved attendance, academic improvement, and earned college credits with a majority of students continuing to pursue postsecondary education. The school was not successful, however, in enrolling large cohorts or gaining widespread support among district educators, school administrators, or the school board. Four years after opening, the program graduated its last class and was discontinued.