Accelerating their future: Initiative allows high school students dual enrollment opportunity
May 26, 2013 - For East Rutherford High School students Austin Beaty, Briana Geiger and Kayla Pritchard, enrolling to take college coursework was not on their minds when they began their sophomore year of school this past August. The three students were among 80 at East Rutherford High School enrolled in college coursework at Isothermal Community College which was paid for out of funds from an innovative grant called North Carolina Investing in Rural Innovative Schools (NC iRIS). Students at East Rutherford enrolled in the NC iRIS program were provided tuition and books through the grant.
The NC iRIS initiative is funded by a $15 million grant under the federal Investing in Innovation program along with an additional $1.5 million in support from businesses and foundations. The initiative is administered by NC New Schools, in partnership with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, the N.C. Community College System and 10 rural school districts across the state.
NC iRIS seeks to increase rigor and relevance in high-need rural school districts by blending strategies from North Carolina's successful early college high schools, where students are challenged to read, write, think and talk in every class every day. By increasing classroom expectations, students will be prepared for college, careers and life. Through NC iRIS, North Carolina New Schools is now leading an effort in a number of rural school districts to provide students in traditional high schools as well with the opportunity to earn college credit before graduation.
"I never thought I would be able to attend college while in high school," said Kayla Pritchard. "I am the first in my family to have this opportunity. I want to complete a nursing degree and then enter the military. Taking classes now is allowing me to accelerate my future."
Like Pritchard, Briana Geiger is also the first in her family to take college classes.
"It is exciting to take college classes while in high school. I never thought I could be successful in college but after completing my first class, I am more confident in my ability to enroll in additional college classes and even signed up for honors high school classes at East because I feel I can succeed," said Geiger.
Austin Beaty is interested in a career in computer technology and is eager to take CT classes at Isothermal Community College.
"It's cool to have the opportunity to take classes that I feel will be relevant to my career goals. It has helped to make school interesting and made me more likely to do better in all my classes because I am beginning to understand how my performance will impact my future," said Beaty. "Sometimes school seems irrelevant because there is no connection to what I want to do in life. Having the chance to take these college classes has changed that."
Tony Habit, president of NC New Schools, said the effort promises to help students be better prepared for some level of postsecondary education, now essential for all graduates.
"Study after study shows that the world we now live in demands a higher level of skills for jobs that pay a good wage," Habit said. "We owe it to our students and our community to ensure that they learn those skills. Opening doors to college courses, and the challenges they present high school students, is a smart approach. Our kids are going to come out ahead."
"North Carolina's early colleges are demonstrating that by raising expectations and supports, students who may well have underperformed in traditional high schools - possibly even dropped out - can truly excel and graduate well prepared," Habit said. "We know this model works."
In all, the five-year NC iRIS initiative will apply early college strategies to 18 traditional high schools in rural communities and reach more than 20,000 students by 2016. Beginning in the 2013-14 academic year, students at RS Central High School and Chase High School will also have the opportunity to participate in the NC iRIS initiative. In addition to Rutherford County Schools, other districts included in the initiative are Alleghany, Beaufort, Hertford, Jones, Madison, Rutherford, Surry, Wilkes, Warren and Yancey.
