To finish high school, teens start college

While almost all of those surveyed said they planned to attend college, most reported doing fewer than four hours a week of homework. More than a third said they hadn't written a single paper longer than five pages that school year.

"If you take out the uncertain answers, more than 90 percent of students say they're going on to higher education," says Martha McCarthy, director of the HSSSE, noting that national statistics show far fewer will actually enroll, and fewer still will finish college. "There is a big gap in terms of the preparation and the expectations in college."

That preparation gap - and the fact that fewer than 50 percent of African- American, Latino, and native American students who begin ninth grade make it to graduation - was the impetus behind the early college high schools.

The schools are founded on the dual principles of higher expectations and more support - students are tossed into college classes in which they can't possibly succeed. All are situated on or near local college campuses, but many, like DECA, say the real difference in their approach lies in the connections they build with students.

"When our kids become engaged with people, when teachers become their advocates and confidants, then that relationship causes them to tackle more difficult and challenging material," says Judy Hennessey, DECA's principal. "We're absolutely unwilling to sell our kids short."

It can be an uphill battle when a student enters at the second-grade math level, as one DECA student did. His adviser worked with him, got him to spend two or three periods each day focusing on the subject, and the student moved up multiple grade levels that year.

"He realized, 'I'll have to go to college, and take the SAT,' and his understanding of his own educational process was a huge light bulb for him," says Ms Arnold. "One of his major motivations is that he'll be able to take college classes eventually."

At DECA, many of the traditional high school elements are gone. There are no sports, although some students make arrangements with other area high schools, no letter grades (except for college courses), and no traditional years. Instead, students pass "gateways" and demonstrate proficiency in subjects through public exhibitions. Those who attain a degree will have saved two years of college tuition.

Early college high schools are still subject to state and No Child Left Behind testing requirements.

The school's success reinforces research showing that strong mentorships and community are often the keys to keeping kids from dropping out.

Of California schools with unusually low dropout rates, "one common factor was a commitment to giving kids multiple opportunities to succeed," says Daniel Losen, a professor at Harvard's Civil Rights Project and the author of several studies on dropout rates. One school he looked at on the Mexican border found multiple ways for failing students to make up work, through independent studies, after-school work, or summer school.

In the schools that had success, Professor Losen says, "there's a strong commitment from the leadership and the teachers to really having a connection to the kids. There's the sense of not giving up on kids."

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