Palomar College\u2019s innovative partnerships with three local school districts have students earning college credits before they even graduate high school.<\/p>\n
NORTH SAN DIEGO COUNTY \u2014 From Escondido to Rancho Bernardo to Fallbrook, three unique and innovative partnerships are bringing college classes to high school students within the Palomar Community College District (PCCD).<\/p>\n
Known as \u201cmiddle college\u201d or \u201cearly college,\u201d the programs are blazing a new path from high school to 4-year institutions by reaching students long before they would ordinarily begin taking college classes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are so proud of our middle and early college partnerships, and of what these unique high schools are doing for students in our district\u2014many of whom will choose to pursue higher education as a result,\u201d said Palomar College Superintendent\/President Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiddle colleges are secondary schools authorized to grant diplomas in their own name\u2014and they\u2019re located on college campuses across the nation,\u201d explained Palomar\u2019s Dual Enrollment Supervisor, Jennifer Finn. \u201cTypically, they\u2019re small\u2014often fewer than 100 students\u2014but they offer a rigorous academic program with a supportive educational environment. And they often serve historically under-represented student populations.\u201d<\/p>\n
The programs operate under College and Career Access Pathway (CCAP) agreements between Palomar and a local high school or unified school district, which document how the partnership will provide college and career pathways to students.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no cost to the students, whatsoever,\u201d Finn emphasized, adding that middle college is designed for students who might have otherwise missed out on higher education. \u201cThe primary goal is increasing the opportunity for underserved students to earn post-secondary credentials.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese students have exposure to, and support for, college while they\u2019re in high school,\u201d she added. \u201cThey are often more likely to graduate from high school, more likely to enroll in college after high school, and more likely to earn a degree\u2014based on research findings.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Escondido, the largest and oldest of Palomar\u2019s middle college partnerships currently has 253 students enrolled at Orange Glen High School.<\/p>\n
Assistant Principal Amy Booth, who oversees the Middle College at Orange Glen, said that the program launched online in August 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, her students have been taking at least one Palomar course every semester in place of one of their high school classes.<\/p>\n
Being located at Orange Glen in North Escondido, Booth said, \u201cThe students get the college credit and college experience as part of their school day, but they also have access to all of the things the comprehensive high school offers\u2014clubs, sports, dances and all of the support services.\u201d<\/p>\n
She characterized the Middle College as \u201ca school within a school,\u201d and said the goal is for every student in the program to graduate high school with 30 or more transferable college credits.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of our students are thinking several steps ahead, thinking of their future, thinking about saving money when they go to college,\u201d said Booth. \u201cThey\u2019re really just ahead of the game, in terms of their preparation level, and in terms of college units completed. They know they\u2019re getting a competitive advantage, and a higher level of preparation for whatever comes after high school.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finn said the Orange Glen program is a good example of how middle colleges can put \u201ca lot more resources in the hands of the students.\u201d The students there have guided support, additional instructional resources, access to college counselors, and all of the help they need to achieve college and career readiness. They take college courses twice a week at Palomar\u2019s Escondido Education Center, a mile away from the high school campus.<\/p>\n
Booth said there are some challenges to overcome: \u201cBeing a 9th grader and taking a college class is not easy, and some students have needed more support than their peers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Overall, though, she said she sees the program as a tremendous benefit to her students.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love that we can create this opportunity in a community where we need more college success,\u201d said Booth. \u201cThe benefit of college is clear, and students can have success in college while they\u2019re in high school\u2014that sets them up for success after college, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
In Rancho Bernardo, the team from Palomar College spent four years working with the Poway Unified School District to open Poway to Palomar Middle College (PPMC). The grand opening, and the first day of school, was held on August 15, 2022, as dozens of high schoolers filed into a classroom at Palomar\u2019s Rancho Bernardo Education Center.<\/p>\n
Poway to Palomar Middle College is unique in that it is the first high school located entirely on one of Palomar\u2019s campuses. Students will attend class at Palomar in Rancho Bernardo; they will have access to the library there; and they will have additional support from staff on site.<\/p>\n
They will also graduate high school with up to a full year\u2019s head start on their college coursework.<\/p>\n
The Principal of PPMC, Patty Hurtt, said that each of her approximately 40 students had a reason for choosing to attend the new high school, which is uniquely situated in its own classroom at the center, allowing students to easily attend Palomar classes in the building.<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil now, they may not have had confidence in their education, but now they will know that they can succeed,\u201d said Hurtt. \u201cTo see this much support for these students, from Poway Unified and Palomar College, students means the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the northern part of the PCCD, Bonsall High School (BHS) launched an Early College program in partnership with Palomar\u2019s Fallbrook Education Center this fall.<\/p>\n
Some 45 students in the program are taking traditional high school classes at Bonsall High, while being transported to Palomar\u2019s center off Interstate 15 and Highway 76 during the school day for a variety of college courses.<\/p>\n
Dr. Jason Fowler, Principal of Bonsall High School, said the program \u201cis designed to provide college opportunities for students from low socioeconomic families, first generation college goers, and other groups traditionally underrepresented in college.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBonsall High School is very proud to partner with the Palomar College Fallbrook Education Center to provide the BHS Early College High School Program in order to better serve the students of our community with a highly individualized, rigorous, and relevant educational program,\u201d said Dr. Fowler.<\/p>\n
He continued, \u201cThrough this program our students can challenge themselves by taking college courses offered at the Fallbrook Education Center during the school day. This will allow our students to take courses that interest them and lead them toward their educational goals.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"