To the Editor:
Thank you for the good news that dropouts and potential dropouts are becoming re-engaged academically when their schools are on or near college campuses where they can take college classes (“College-Based High Schools Fill Growing Need,” May 25, 2005.).
It might be helpful for readers to know that about 180 such schools are under development, with about 48 currently opened under the banner of the Early College High School Initiative. In fact, there are additional schools in North Carolina beyond those mentioned at Guilford Technical Community College and Bennett College. Networks of early-college high schools also exist in California, New York, Ohio, Utah, and Washington state, and are under development in Georgia, Texas, and other states. The Early College High School Initiative is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the Ford Foundation, along with other, local foundations. Partner organizations include the Middle College National Consortium, the National Council of La Raza, the KnowledgeWorks Foundation, and a number of other intermediaries. Information about early-college high schools can be found online at www.earlycolleges.org
Nancy Hoffman
Director
Early College High School Initiative
Jobs for the Future
Boston, Mass.
