HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-25-2007-2aTO: Neil Pedersen
Superintendent
FROM: Denise Bowling
Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services
DATE: September 14, 2007
RE: Middle College High School
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHHCS) has implemented several programs,
including opening a middle college high school, as part of the effort to expand learning
opportunities for high school students.
The Middle College High School at Durham Technical Community College
(MGRS) opened in the fall of 2005 with approximately 65 students. Twenty-nine
students graduated in June 2007, four from CHCCS. This year, 109 nine students are
enrolled; 13 are CHCCS students. The MCHS is designed to serve a maximum of 200
juniors and seniors.
Since the initiation of MCHS, Ms. Martin, Director for High School Programs,
has worked with schools in their efforts to provide information to potential candidates
and increase enrollment. Recruitment has included information sessions with students
and parents led by school counselors and the MCHS principal, Dr. Charles Nolan. In the
summer of 2006, ISD staff coordinated a dinner event with invitations to students and
their parents. Although personal contacts were made, only two families attended the
dinner. During 2006-07, a meeting was held to increase community understanding of the
program and to ask for help in recruitment.
This sunvxier, Dr. Eanes focused recruitment efforts on students identified by the
high schools as potential candidates and on students attending summer school whose
transcripts indicated a potential for success in the middle college. Dr. Eanes made
personal contact with the students and their parents encouraging them to consider MCHS.
In addition, students in the lst summer session received letters and telephone calls.
Students in the 2na summer session received flyers and attended a presentation by Dr.
Nolan: One additional student was recruited through the sununer efforts.
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We believe MCHS is great opportunity for students and are very disappointed in
the results of our recruitment efforts. In discussions with students and school
administrators, several reasons were provided for the low enrollment: the distance to the
facility is too long for many students, the lack of typical high school extra- and co-
curricular activities is a deterrent for many students, and recruitment comes too late in the
high school career.
We recommend that recruitment begin in eighth and ninth grades and is followed
up through out the year with opportunities to learn about and/or to prepare for the
transition to MCHS. In addition, we recommend a transition program for tenth grade
students who plan to enroll in the MCHS for their junior and senior years. We also
recommend more aggressive recruitment by the MCHS principal, Dr. Nolan. Johnston
County's MCHS principal believes this as the key to the success of their program.