FUNDAMENTAL TENETS
- Reaches out for the students who are underserved by regular schools.
- Demands a cooperative relationship between the district high school
administration and the college president.
- Offers a different sequence of courses from the tenth
grade and an accelerated program from the ninth grade to the Associate's
degree.
- Combines the resources of a high school on the college campus with the
college facilities (gym, library, cafeteria), making them all available to
the early college high school student.
- Requires active college campus collaboration from the college administrative
structure: faculty interchange, support fro the college division of finance, admissions,
scheduling and counseling under a college-appointed administrator.
- Enhances the role of the high school faculty.
- Integrates high school and college study in an articulated program.
The structural features are "non-negotiable." All are necessary for the success of the model.
—Janet Lieberman, from The ECHS Concept: Requisites for Success.
Today, Early College of Alaska is a dream,
one shared by teachers and students and
parents. The task now is to extend the dream
to a wider audience and work on making it real.
It's hard to imagine a detailed timeline, but if
the following steps are pursued with faith and
vigor, Early College of Alaska could be admitting
students for the 2008-2009 school year.
- Secure University support in pursuing charter
- Appoint an Advisory Committee to write charter
- Gain School Board approval in pursuing charter
- Forward application to State Board of Education
- Use charter to apply for development grants
- Establish a school site on university campus
- Advertise for student applications
- Hire and train teachers on the ECHS approach
- Start learning