Wednesday, May 26, 2010

The first senior class from Isaac Bear Early College High School will graduate on Saturday, June 5, 2010. The inaugural commencement, which will include 68 seniors, will be held at 10 a.m. at Kenan Auditorium on the campus of the University of North Carolina Wilmington. All graduating students plan to continue their education beyond high school at a two or four-year college, fulfilling one of the main goals of North Carolina’s early college high school program. Of those 68 seniors, who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and reflect the demographics of New Hanover County, 20 will be the first in their families to have the opportunity to earn a college degree.

“Not only have the students grown in the last four years, but so has the program,” said Principal Tilly Gurley. “IBECHS offers a unique and challenging early college program for all students, particularly those at risk of getting “lost” in the larger comprehensive high schools. We are proud that our students are entering college and beginning to accomplish their career goals.”

UNC Wilmington shares the school’s pride in its graduates, who have also been university students for two years. More than 20 will go on to attend UNCW as full-time undergraduates, while others will take transferrable credits with them to other institutions of higher learning.

“We think of them as our own,” said UNCW Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo of the Isaac Bear students. “NHCS and UNCW set out to bridge the divide between high school and college, creating a smooth, productive transition. The extraordinary success of this first graduating class is proof of what is possible.”

The Early College Concept
New Hanover County Schools’ first early college concept high school began just four years ago. A collaborative program between UNCW, NHCS, the New Schools Project and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the school was intended to provide motivated students from diverse backgrounds with the opportunity during high school to access higher education and earn up to two years of transferrable college credit at no cost to them or their families. IBECHS students complete a compressed honors level high school curriculum during their freshman and sophomore years, with an emphasis on academic rigor and college readiness. They can then begin taking college basic studies courses on the university campus during their junior and senior years of high school.

North Carolina leads the nation in early college high schools, with more than 70 such programs across the state as part of the North Carolina New Schools Project (NCNSP). Created in 2003, NCNSP works to accelerate systemic, sustainable innovation in secondary schools across the state. The majority of these programs are partnered with community colleges. Only four universities have early college high school partners: UNC Wilmington, Fayetteville State University, NC Central and NC A&T.

About Isaac Bear Early College High School
IBECHS began in 2006 with 98 students in two classrooms and an auditorium in the old Snipes Elementary School facility. IBECHS has made great progress since then. Through the support of the New Hanover County Board of Education and the UNCW administration, IBECHS now has 237 enrolled students and is based out of its new mobile facility located on UNCW property at 630 Macmillan Avenue. As a part of North Carolina’s New Schools Project, IBECHS implements challenging standards. Students participate in meaningful class work that is connected to life after high school. The tools, resources and faculty are available for all students to be successful throughout the experience. Supportive relationships between teachers and students are essential at Isaac Bear. Teachers “loop” with their students, staying with them through their freshman and sophomore years and continuing to provide support once they begin their college courses.

Collaboration Between IBECHS and UNCW
The close collaboration between IBECHS and UNC Wilmington is illustrated in numerous ways, starting with the location of the school on university property. IBECHS students have easy access to the UNCW campus, where they regularly utilize the university’s state-of-the-art science and computer labs, Randall Library, recreational fields and other services and facilities. University administrators, faculty and staff from across the campus are involved with the school on an ongoing basis, including teaching physical education courses, providing student mentoring and tutoring services, providing digital literacy courses, and providing special assistance for UNCW admissions processes, course registration and textbook purchases. In addition, several faculty are involved in a comprehensive study of the first three years of IBECHS to document its impact on student achievement and assess the results of the early college academic experience. Deron Fort, UNCW’s early college liaison, works daily to coordinate these numerous initiatives between UNCW, Isaac Bear and NHCS.

Media contact:
Dana Fischetti, UNCW media relations manager, 910.962.7259 or fischettid@uncw.edu

Interviews are available with IBECHS students, faculty and administrators as well as representatives from UNCW and New Hanover County Schools. Media are welcome to attend and cover the graduation ceremony June 5.