Bard High School Early College
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Bard High School Early College (BHSEC) is a series of early college schools with multiple campuses in the United States, enrolling approximately 3,000 students across all campuses.[1] The schools allow students to begin their college studies two years early, graduating with a Bard College Associate in Arts degree in addition to their high school diploma. Students complete their high school studies in the ninth and tenth grade, after which they begin taking credit-bearing college courses under the same roof. Unlike some dual-enrollment programs, students stay on the same campus for all four years, and both high school- and college-level courses are taught by the same faculty. Teachers at the Bard High School Early Colleges are both certified public school teachers as well as experienced academic scholars, often holding terminal degrees in their areas of study.
The first campus, Bard High School Early College Manhattan, opened in New York City in 2001 as a partnership between Bard College and various local public school systems. There are now eight Bard High School Early College campuses across the country.
The Bard High School Early Colleges are part of a larger network of early college programs run by
Admissions
BHSEC has a conventional admissions process. Applicants must maintain a B letter grade of 85 percent or higher to be considered. Bard has its own academic standards, and if a student meets them, they will be called to a one-on-one interview. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, admissions interviews have been replaced by student-made short personal videos. There is also an essay-writing requirement for admission.[1]
History
Founded in 2001 as a partnership of the
BHSEC Manhattan was the first school in the Gates Foundation's Early College High School Initiative, which aims to improve education in the U.S. by introducing smaller public high schools that help remove barriers to college education by offering students a college education in a high school setting.
As of 2023, over 4,000 A.A. degrees have been awarded at BHSEC campuses.[2] The schools have a 98% high school graduation rate and a 95% A.A. degree attainment rate. Many BHSEC graduates transfer their 60+ college credits to another college or university and finish their Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in two more years; others opt to study for three or four years in their subsequent institutions. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, the six-year B.A. attainment rate for the classes of 2005-2009 was 98%.
School structure
High school (9th & 10th grades)
In the BHSEC program, students spend what is traditionally ninth and tenth grade finishing the bulk of their high school work. Students are encouraged to take all required state testing by the end of 10th grade, when possible – in New York City, students take the five
BHSEC does not rank its students, name a valedictorian, or maintain a dean's list.
Early College Program (11th & 12th grades)
The two years spent in the college program are called "Year 1" and "Year 2". As a college program, students may select their courses based primarily on their academic interests and preferences for certain professors, but they must also meet the college program's core requirements. These include four semesters of the Bard Seminar, in which students read and discuss seminal works of western thought, from
BHSEC's college program offers classes that are more specialized than in the high school program, such as
Writing and Thinking Workshop
At all of Bard College's campuses and programs, the school year begins with a Writing and Thinking Workshop. The length of these workshops has varied over time and across campuses, from as long as a week to only three or four days. Students spend each day engaging in critical reading, writing, and thinking exercises that are employed in the classroom throughout the school year. It is an opportunity to introduce new students to and refamiliarize current students with BHSEC's academic environment.
Teaching at the Bard Early Colleges employs practices developed at the Bard Institute for Writing and Thinking to advance the philosophy that “Writing is both a record of completed thought and an exploratory process that supports teaching and learning across disciplines. At all levels writing allows the writer to discover what she or he wants to say.” Students and their teachers write together using various classroom exercises and teaching methods to respond to texts reflecting diverse genres, voices, and perspectives. This written dialog then becomes the basis for classroom discussion.[3]
Campuses
Bard High School Early Colleges (4-year)
- Bard High School Early College Bronx
- Bard High School Early College Manhattan
- Bard High School Early College Queens
- Bard High School Early College Newark
- Bard High School Early College Cleveland
- Bard High School Early College Baltimore
- Bard High School Early College DC
Other Bard Early College programs (Half-day)
- Bard Early College New Orleans
- Bard Early College at the Harlem Children's Zone
- Bard Early College Hudson
Recognition
In 2009, President Barack Obama singled out BHSEC as the model for the future in his Centennial Speech to the NAACP:
We also have to explore innovative approaches such as those being pursued here in New York City; innovations like Bard High School Early College and Medgar Evers College Preparatory School that are challenging students to complete high school and earn a free associate's degree or college credit in just four years.[4]
Notable alumni
See also
References
- ^ Relations, Bard Public. "Bard High School Early College Opens Its Bronx Campus". www.bard.edu. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
- ^ Relations, Bard Public. "Bard High School Early College Opens Its Bronx Campus". www.bard.edu. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
- ^ "Our Methods | Center for Early College". cec.bard.edu. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
- ^ "Remarks by the President to the NAACP Centennial Convention 07/16/2009". whitehouse.gov. 17 July 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2020.