Our Present Pursuits: The Application and Recruitment Process: Newbie/and Administration Edition

​Please make sure that you are on the correct blog.  This is for faculty and staff with less than five years at an early college.  Administrators will be joining us for this assignment. 

Why Early College?  The Rationale Behind the Movement
In 2002, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the ECHSI (Early College High School Initiative) with the primary goal of increasing the opportunity for underserved students to earn a postsecondary credential. To achieve this goal, Early Colleges provide underserved students with exposure to, and support in, college while they are in high school. Early Colleges partner with colleges and universities to offer all students an opportunity to earn an associate’s degree or up to two years of college credits toward a bachelor’s degree during high school at no or low cost to the students. The underlying assumption is that engaging underrepresented students in a rigorous high school curriculum tied to the incentive of earning college credit will motivate them and increase their access to additional postsecondary education and credentials after high school. Since 2002, more than 240 Early Colleges have opened nationwide. (American Institutes for Research [AIR]) Critical elements include "First Generation" and  "Lottery" style admissions. 

For a critical overview of the ECHSI, please click on the button at the right labeled Early College Impact. 

Why Cross Creek? 
Cross Creek Early College High School, established in 2005, is one of about seventy early colleges in North Carolina.  It was the first early college in Cumberland County. While most early colleges are located on community college campuses, Cross Creek is one of about ten that are located at a university.  “Students at Cross Creek graduate with both a high school diploma and up to two years (60 credit hours) of university credit. Cross Creek Early College High School (CCECHS) is a progressive, public school of choice located on the campus of Fayetteville State University.  Our goal is to improve the college going rate and success in college of traditionally underrepresented groups by exposing them to a rigorous curriculum which includes college coursework beginning in the sophomore year.”  Critical elements include "First Generation" and "Lottery" style admissions. 

Key Features of Early College
*There is a gradual integration of college courses and gradual accrual of college credit. 
*The power of site: most early colleges are located on college campuses. 
*Academic rigor is key to student success. 
*Supports, both academic and social, are provided. 
*Faculty and staff expectations beyond high school diploma; rather, expectations of a college degree. 
*College admission process is demystified.

Early College Recruitment All ECHSs and their intermediaries developed a number of recruiting strategies and selection criteria to shape their enrollments. That is, they were schools of choice first and foremost, so they began with a group of students and families that chose the school or had the opportunity to choose. It appears, however, that the vast majority of the schools we examined worked hard to widely disseminate information about their schools to increase the number of students and families with knowledge of this option.

Within their pool of applicants, nearly all ECHSs exercised a screening process. Criteria included some combination of dimensions of students’ demographic, academic, and behavioral/motivational characteristics.  Generally speaking, the ECHSs with the most rigorous enrollment criteria also enrolled fewer traditionally underserved students than would be expected given the local student population. A key question as the ECHSI moves forward is to determine the appropriate degree of selectivity. That is, is this an initiative that should target and serve all historically underserved high school students? Or, should it target minority or low-income students who are best positioned to succeed in an accelerated secondary school environment? Are there some students who reach high school unable to succeed in this accelerated environment? Are there performance criteria (e.g., prior achievement, high motivation, some notion of “undiscovered talent”) that should be taken into account and sought after? 

First Generation

Why target/recruit first-generation college students, those who come from families who have had no experience with college or expectation that their children will attend a university? Why stay true to the ECHSI? Simply stated students who have parents with at least a four year degree have the knowledge and background to assist their child in the application process.  They also have life experiences to support their child in the entire college experience. The Early College Initiative is not meant to be an elite traditional small school on a college campus; rather, it is meant to serve those who need the support to be successful in high school, college, and life!  

It should be noted that all students are welcome to apply to Cross Creek.  

Lottery

Cross Creek uses an out-of-county third party to "tumble" applicants into the order of acceptance.  This removes any possibilities of favoritism, discrimination, bias, and general unfairness.  

Newbie Presentation Instructions- 
 
For this assignment, you will complete a presentation using an effective tech tool like Windows Movie Maker, Photostory, Animoto, etc.  (No powerpoint slide presentations).  Click on the button to the right labeled Presentation Options for a great article on ten possible presentation applications you may want to use. 

The objective of this assignment is for you to create a (up to seven slides/transitions) recruitment  presentation to inform others about Cross Creek. It should have images, words, and sound.   In essence, you are creating a recruitment presentation specifically targeted to the audience. Note:  the above information is background on the process and is not meant to be included in your presentation. 

1.  Read the background information on recruitment of early college students. 

2.  Assigned target audience.  Each of you will be targeting a certain audience listed below:

      Teacher/Asministrator . . . . . . . Audience 

     Nicdao.................8th Graders
     Matkins............... 8th Graders  
     White................... 8th Graders
     Howard............... 8th Graders 
     Little.....................Parents of Prospective 8th Graders
     Rappold...............Parents of Prospective 8th Graders
     Hickle..................Middle School Counselors 
     Patrick.................Middle School Counselors 
     
    
3. The presentation should be no more than 7 slides/transitions and/or 5 minutes in length. If you use pictures of students, please make sure they have all signed the photo waiver. 
 
4. Don't forget our tag:  Cross Creek.  College Begins Here. 

5.  Presentations will be used for recruitment and general information in the future. 

​6. This assignment is due NLT March 10, 2018. 

Feel free to contact me with questions. 

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American Institutes of Research
https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/ECHSI_Impact_Study_Report_Final1_0.pdf
www.jff.com
Institute for America 
https://www.in.gov/che/files/ERIA_Report_Higher_Ed_Supports_Review_of_the_Research_REV_1915(1).pdf