As you may have heard or read in local publications recently, MCC is involved in a new initiative with Rochester City School District and St. John Fisher College. This initiative creates opportunities for city high school students to earn college credits while completing their high school education and continue their studies toward an associate's or bachelor’s degree.
About $447,500 was awarded from SUNY to help facilitate the creation of the Rochester Early College High School (RECHS). This educational model is designed to provide Rochester city students with a high-quality educational experience in a collaborative and diverse community committed to excellence in teaching and learning.
MCC’s role in RECHS reflects our fundamental mission: to provide high-quality, affordable education to a diverse population as we respond to the needs of the community. This initiative allows us to further strengthen the education pipeline between the college and the Rochester City School District. Not only will we increase access to higher education, but our hope is that we will also increase high school graduation and college completion rates, particularly among students who are historically underrepresented in the college population.
RECHS is scheduled to open in September 2010 and serve Rochester city students in grades 9-12, who will be selected by a lottery and through a rigorous process, including student-and-parent interviews, to ensure a fit with the Early College model. It will welcome its first cohort of about 100 ninth-graders and add one grade each year thereafter for a full enrollment of approximately 400 students in 2013-14. The school district is exploring a site near downtown Rochester for the new school that would provide students with easy access via public transportation to the Damon City Campus and St. John Fisher.
RECHS students will earn college credits from MCC and/or St. John Fisher and a Regents diploma upon graduation. They will receive additional academic and student services support from MCC and St. John Fisher to ensure college readiness. Support services include tutoring, mentoring and counseling; career development; financial aid and scholarship opportunities. After completing high school, students will have an opportunity to pursue an associate degree or certificate at MCC and transfer to St. John Fisher through our 2+2 program to continue their studies toward a bachelor’s degree.
A veteran Rochester city school principal is being considered for the position of RECHS principal. All RECHS staff will be selected through a hiring process, with input from MCC on the selection of counselors and secondary teachers. Professional development opportunities through RCSD will be offered to all staff associated with RECHS, including those at MCC, to learn firsthand what it means to teach and provide support services in an Early College High School.
Key MCC staff involved in creating and planning the Rochester ECHS are Pete Otero, Janet Glocker, Diane Cecero, Kate Schiefen, Ann Topping and Michael Quinn. We are finalizing work on the MOU. Once it’s completed, we will be able to share additional details of this initiative with the college community.
The Rochester school will be one of eight Early College High Schools across New York state.
Hency Yuen-Eng
College and Community Relations
01/27/2010 |