1. Early College High School Initiative
June 16, 2009

2. North Carolina New Schools Project
Initiative of the Governor and the Education Cabinet established in 2003
Support from the State of North Carolina and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Collaboration with State Board of Education, General Assembly, Department of Public Instruction, Local School Districts, Public and Private Higher Education, Business and Philanthropic Groups
Earned Harvard Innovation in American Governor Award in 2008

3. Two Kinds of Innovative High Schools
Early College
Conversions/Redesigns
Co-located on a college campus, with students graduating high school with two years of college credit
Transformation of conventional secondary schools into focused and academically rigorous smaller schools
Key differences from conventional schools
Changed teaching that emphasizes inquiry and entrepreneurial thinking
All students complete college prep curriculum
All students graduate with transferable college credit
Most schools have a maximum of 100 students per grade

4. High School Innovation Projects
Statewide
64 Districts
Urban, suburban & rural
110 new schools in development

5. High School Innovation Projects Early College High Schools
11 in Planning
60 in Implementation

6. Early College HS Development
60 ECHSs are now open in 53 LEAs, up from the 12 that opened in 2005
Nearly 8,000 students (7,934) were enrolled in the state’s early college high schools as of the first month of the school year.

7. Early Indicators of Success
The 9th grade promotion rate in the first ECHS was 96% in , compared to 85% for all NC high schools.
ECHS had a combined dropout rate of less than 1% in , compared to a statewide dropout rate of 4.97%.
The dropout rate for 9th graders in ECHS in was 0.35 percent, compared to 5.5 percent for all high schools statewide.
59.5% of ECHS met Expected Growth targets in the ABCs system in , compared to 44% of high schools statewide
86% of ECHS outperformed comparison high schools in their school districts

8. Policy and Funding Considerations
Legislation authorizing secondary, post-secondary collaboration (Innovative Ed Initiatives Act)
Targeted funding for planning and implementation
Creation of college liaison
Funding for professional development
Integrated approach to professional development
Process to expedite waivers, flexibility
Intermediary connected to all education sectors
State agency staff assigned to intermediary
Formal and informal strategies for collaboration

9. Early College High School Initiative
June 16, 2009