By Glenn Rolfe

DOVER — The seeds of success have been sown, and now is the time for growth.

That’s the stance of leaders of Delaware State University’s Early College High School, who are seeking state approval through charter modification to increase enrollment, add grades seven and eight and change the school’s name.

“The Early College High School represents a dream and a promise for our community, and we want to extend that promise to middle school students,” said Dr. Marsha Horton, president of ECHS’ board of directors.

Testimony and other comments were made virtually Tuesday during a required public hearing on the charter-modification request held by the Delaware Department of Education and the State Board of Education.

ECHS, launched in 2014, currently enrolls between 400 and 425 students in grades nine-12.

“With the full support of our board, we want to expand by adding seventh and eighth grade students, leading to a total anticipated enrollment of 625 by 2022,” said Dr. Horton. “If this modification is approved, we will also change our name from the Early College High School to the Early College School, with both middle and high school divisions.”

ECHS School Leader Dr. Evelyn Edney explained the reason for the change.

“We believe that adding on grades seven and eight will fit perfectly in our secondary setting, where vertical alignment of the curriculum can occur to give students an opportunity to expand their academia at a younger age,” she said. “They will have earlier exposure to higher rigor and be provided opportunity for choice and critical thinking.”

ECHS was successful in obtaining an expansion grant of $750,000, pending the outcome of the modification request, Dr. Edney said.

“The stars aligned for us this year with the potential of this dream becoming a reality,” she said. “The numbers are solid, and we are confident that, financially, we are sound to do this expansion.”

ECHS is working with DSU to ensure the best physical placement of the school system. “We will be relocating to the Wesley campus once the issue has completed — the pending acquisition of Wesley College,” said Dr. Edney.

Since opening its doors, there have been three cohorts of students that have graduated from DSU’s Early College High School.

“Each year, our graduation rates have surpassed the state overall graduation rate,” said Dr. Nyia McCants, ECHS assistant principal. “Our students have collectively earned 7,951 college credits as of August 2020 — and they are still earning.”

Dr. Horton told of the DSU connection.

“Our students have full access to DSU’s accomplished faculty and resources. This provides opportunities for internship and community partnerships not easily found,” she said, adding that it also is a direct benefit to DSU, as “it reflects its core values of outreach, community, scholarship, diversity and integrity. Nowhere in the state can you earn up to 60 credits of college coursework while still in high school. Nowhere in the state can use those credits tuition-free.”

Most graduates of ECHS have gone on to become Hornets at Delaware State University. Others have attended institutions like Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania.

“Our (ECHS) graduates are guaranteed acceptance at Delaware State University, but they have also been accepted in a wide range of public and private institutions,” said Dr. Horton, dean of DSU’s College of Health and Behavioral Sciences and parent of an ECHS student.

In her testimony, Dr. Horton cited a study by the American Institutes for Research that showed Early College students are more likely to graduate from high school, more likely to enroll in college and more likely to earn college degrees.

“There are over 300 Early College high schools in this country, and there are 23 charter schools in Delaware, but there is only one Early College charter school in this state, which makes us pretty unique,” said Dr. Horton. “We are unique for other reasons, too. We are unique because we offer opportunities. We are unique because we offer (a) personalized learning environment within the context of project-based learning. We are unique because we offer options. Students can take courses in 41 of the 42 majors offered by DSU. The only exception is aviation, due to the age of our students.”

Dr. McCants said research has shown that Early College models enhance progress “toward postsecondary attainment goals, reduce student loan debt, narrow equity gaps in higher education and create meaningful and long-lasting collaboration between secondary schools and institutions of higher education.”

Dr. Edney remembers when she arrived at ECHS in 2015. “I realized very quickly the idea of turning 14-year-olds into college students seemingly overnight was by far the hardest job that any of us ever had,” she said.

That winter in her first year, she had the opportunity to visit two Early College high schools and two Early College middle schools in Ohio. “I know now that that encounter planted the seed. To watch students in a middle school strive to achieve college-readiness skills to allow them to go to their local Early College high schools made me realize that was missing in our school system,” said Dr. Edney.

During the hearing there was one phone-in comment from the mother of an ECHS freshman. She supports the program and said that “early intervention, again, is an excellent pathway to academic success.”

Feedback from others also has been positive, school leaders said.

“In essence,” said Dr. Edney, “this would allow us to start the college-going culture earlier, to produce some more ready students who will have an opportunity to take high school classes as junior high school students.”