Is Early College right for my student?
- Does your child have a positive attitude towards learning new things?
- Does your child seek out ways to solve problems?
- Does your child enjoy seeking out new challenges?
Please take our Early College Self-Survey.
The Application Process
- February 24th - Students can begin completing applications.
- February 25th-March 11th- Committee will begin to review applications.
- April 1st- April 8th- Interviews with potential candidates at Middle Schools.
- April 11-April 22nd- Families will be notified.
What is Early College?
Early College is a partnership between Alamogordo High School and our local 2 year institution, NMSU-A.
This partnership allows students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma while simultaneously earning an Associate's degree.
Students can earn an Associate's degree with little to no cost to them and their family.
Why Early College?
Significant savings on the cost of a college education.
Early access and exposure to the college experience.
Increase of academic and non-academic support (cohort group).
Potential for early access to the workforce.
Potential for early qualification to apply to various allied health programs.
Early college students still have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activites.
Benefits
The American INstitutes for Research has conducted two studies on the cost benefit of Early College and found the following:
The first studey (Berger et al.,2013,2014)- an impact evaluation built on rigorous, "gold standard" randomized experimental design- incuded a sample of almost 2,500 students who applied to 10 Early Colleges across five states between 2005-06 and 2007-08. All study participants entered in Early College admissions lotteries; Early College students were randomly offered admission, and control students were not. Following these students for 2 to 4 years after expected 2 high school graduation, the study found significantly higher rates of high school graduation, college enrollment, and college degree attainment for Early College sudents than for the control students.
Additional Long Term Benefits
A follow-up study (Song & Zeiser, 2019), which included these same groups of students, was the first study to assess the longer-term impacts of Early Colleges. This study found that the positive impacts of Early Collegeson college enrollment and degree attainment continued for at least 6 years after expected high school graduation.
A second report from the follow-up study (Atchison, Mohammed, Zeiser, Knight, & Levin, 2019) compared the cost of Early Colleges to the estimated benefits resulting from increased postsecondary attainment. This study found that per-student lifetime benefits of Early Colleges substantially exceeded the per-student cost.
The Academic Plan
The first year of the program would provide students an opportunity to work on earning high school credit while being exposed to at least one college course each semester the first academic year.
Classes will be held on the high school campus the first year.
Academic years two through four will be held on the NMSU-A college campus with an increase of college level work. The high school to college course ratio would be closer to 50/50.
Students will still have the opportunity to select some of their elective courses.
Students can earn one of the following degrees:
- Associates of Arts
- Associates of Applied Science in Allied Health (Upon completion students can earn a certificate in Nursing Assistant, Phlebotomy or Electrocardiogram Technician)
Contact Information:
Christina Calentine
Email: christina.calentine@alamogordoschools.org
Phone: 575-812-6505
Resources
- The Lasting Benefits of Early College High Schools
- Evaluating the Impact of Early College High Schools
FAQ's
What is the purpose of the new Early College High School?
The purpose of The Early College High School will be to provide a challenging academic setting where all students complete core high school credits during the first two years and engage on a college level career technical or academic pathway graduating high school with an Associate Degree or other industry recognized certificate.
Who is eligible to apply to the AHS Early College Health Academic Academy?
Currently rising freshman are eligible to apply for admission to the program for the 2021-2022 fall semester.
Where will the Early College classes be held?
Classes for the freshman students will be held on the Alamogordo High School campus located at 103 Cuba Ave. Sophomore year through Senior year courses will be held at the New Mexico State University Campus on Scenic in Alamogordo.
Once my student begins attending classes at NMSU-A, will transportation be provided?
Yes! Busses will run both before and after school for Academy students.
What is the cost for this program?
It is FREE! There may still be the cost of lab fees or supplies as you would experience taking high school or college courses.
What if we are a military family interested in the program?
We will work with your family as you transfer in/out of our district. Students transferring into our district may have the opportunity to apply to our program.
How closely will grades and attendance be monitored?
Very closely! Each cohort will have a team dedicated to meeting and checking in with students each week to ensure that frequent and ongoing support is provided to our students. Students will be provided with resources and interventions as needed throughout the entirety of the program.
Can my student still participate in extracurricular activities?
Yes! Before and after school programs as well as athletics will still be available to Academy students. Courses offered during the day may not be an option for students.
