minimalist she has come to appreciate the small things in life. “The early college and NCCU gave me the opportunity to do what I am doing. The stars were perfectly lined up for me,” she said. “I’ve learned not to give up. When people tell me I can’t, chances are I’m going to do it. It wills me to do things.” Besides empowering students, the early college also provides an economic advantage to its graduates who may have difficulty paying for college. Early college graduates can finish with up to 60 college credits – a savings equivalent to $33,000 of college tuition, according to WoodsWeeks. “There is an economic advantage to the program,” she said. “We are trying to get students that much closer to a four-year degree and economics is a major barrier students face.” In addition, students who complete the early college’s accelerated program often are high academic achievers, increasing the possibility of earning a college scholarship. In short, the majority of early college graduates complete their four-year college degree completely debt-free. WEIGHING THE COSTS AND BENEFITS The benefits of the program are numerous, but there are challenges. Some parents are uncomfortable with their children attending classes with college-age students. Retaining quality teachers can be difficult because of the low wages earned by North Carolina teachers. Students lose some opportunities for extracurricular activities, because early college has few student clubs or organizations and no sports programs. Addressing the concerns of parents is usually managed by informing them of the gradual transition process the school employs, Woods-Weeks says. Early-college students spend their first two years within the Robinson Science Building, which houses the school. The first college course that students take, “Dimensions of Learning,” is taught at the high school by NCCU professors. In fact, even when students move onto the campus to begin
In reality, many students by their senior year had completed their requirements and loaded their schedule with electives. We wanted a way to prevent students from wasting time and if we could build a pipeline to college, that would be a bonus.”
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classes, they remain with their cohort, taking courses together in the Miller–Morgan Building. It is not until their senior year that students take classes independent of the early college and their classmates. A former assistant principal at East Chapel Hill High School and director of the Holten Career and Resource Center in Durham, Woods-Weeks says she is comfortable being the head cheerleader for her staff of 19. Woods-Weeks also works each weekend – along with many of the faculty. “Our staff is small and the extra work and pressure can impact morale,” she said. “Many of our teachers have part-time jobs just to be able to take care of their families. When you have the opportunity to teach and impact young people it gives you ener-
gy to stay the course and keep going. That motivates me, and that motivates my staff.” But for the students, there has to be life outside of the classroom. “Students give up a lot when they come here, when you look at what goes on in a traditional high school,” Woods-Weeks said. “I would like to see our partnership advance to the point that NCCU can help meet some of the social needs of our students.” Under current policies, early-college students must travel back to their base school to participate in extra-curricular activities such as band or athletics, an arrangement that to many seems less than ideal. Recently, the early college was named a magnet or specialty school, and the process for admission changed. Luck of the draw now determines which students are admitted to the early college. Each year, more than 400 applicants enter a lottery for the 95 available slots. THE F UTURE OF THE EARLY COLLEGE Woods-Weeks is optimistic about the future of the early college. Of the nearly 400 early college high schools in the country, North Carolina is home to 127. “We will continue to build on the momentum the last 10 years have given us,” she said. “I’d like to see our involvement in STEM come back.” When the school was established, students were given the opportunity to participate in research at the Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnical Research Institute. Over time, students were moved out of the campus labs, instead focusing on STEM subjects primarily in their classrooms. Woods-Weeks would also like to expand the school’s mentoring model by pairing all of the early college students with an NCCU student to help them navigate the college campus and experience. “As an NCCU alumna, I know the benefit this university provides to high school students,” she said. “There is no other university that can support our students the way my alma mater supports us.”