For Buffalo HS Students

With high school graduation only months away, students in Middle Early College High School at Erie Community College are setting a new standard for success.

Now in its fourth year, nearly 300 students are enrolled in the Middle College. With the addition of a new freshman class this fall, enrollment will peak at approximately 400 students.

“It’s an exciting time,” Middle College Principal Susan Doyle said. “Our first cohort is getting ready to meet their high school requirements and move on to earn their associate degrees next year.”

Erie Community College and Buffalo Public Schools joined together in 2003 to develop the Middle College, one of the first of its kind in New York state and one of only 28 in the nation.

The Middle College allows students to obtain both a New York State Regents Diploma and a career or technical associate degree from Erie Community College in five years.

During the first three years of Middle College High School, students take high school classes and take ECC college courses during the final two years. Students also attend school for two summers, which enables them to earn both a high school diploma and an associate degree in five years instead of six.

This innovative program is geared toward eighth-grade students whose performance has not yet measured up to their abilities.

Students applying to the program must have a grade point average for seventh and first semester of eighth grade between 65 and 82 percent. Students must also have a low incidence of discipline issues.

“We’re looking for kids who have the potential, but who are not obtaining the grades they could be. Middle College is not an alternative school, but rather an alternative to a large school,” Doyle said.

Middle College was developed under the premise that the children in the middle are the ones most often overlooked. The program follows the principle that motivated learners create lifetime skills and abilities that result in successful transitions from secondary and post-secondary education into personally satisfying careers and lifestyles.

“We are helping students become mature, responsible young adults,” Doyle said.

Middle College strives to improve attendance, improve academic performance, increase graduation rates, improve job placement rates, and raise the number of high school graduates who pursue higher education.

To achieve those goals, the Middle College has strong academic focus, with small classes emphasizing individual attention. Classes are 65-95 minutes, as they are at ECC, rather than the typical 40-45 minute class period in high school, which allows students more time to explore subject matter. Middle College also provides tutoring and academic counseling along with focus and seminar support classes to students.

The program is designed to emphasize time management, study skills, independence and responsibility.

A key factor in the success of the Middle College is what college officials call the “power of the site.”

“Students are a part of the campus climate,” Doyle said. “This provides them with a connection to the next stage of learning, making it a realistic goal.”

One student has already connected to that next stage, earning his associate degree this summer and going on to a four-year school, Doyle said.

“That is just one example of how students can really excel in a smaller learning environment,” Doyle noted.

“As a member of the college community and a parent of a Middle College student, I have seen first hand the growth of these students,” Marsha Jackson, Ph.D., associate vice president for student services at ECC, said. “It is amazing to see 15 and 16-year-olds sit in the same classes as our traditional aged students and compete.”

“As a result of this program, our staff and faculty have worked collaboratively to examine the way we deliver programs and services. This is a great partnership that has the ability to make a tremendous difference in this community,” Jackson said.

“The Middle College, by giving support, provides opportunities for students who otherwise might not have realized the potential they have. A smaller learning environment has turned our students into shining stars,” Doyle said.

However, Middle College, located at a temporary site two blocks from ECC’s City Campus, is outgrowing its space rapidly.

“We are busting at the seams,” Doyle said, “and will eventually need a new space to accommodate our students.”

Middle College is funded by a four-year grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, along with grant funding from the Ford Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Kellogg Foundation.

For more information, call 851-3763.

Erie Community College is a comprehensive provider of quality, flexible, affordable and accessible academic training programs, along with related services, that meet the needs of a diverse student body and promote regional economic growth.