Early College (EC) program

[Anonymous]

My 10th grader at Wootton received this letter but I called his school counselor and she does not know anything about this program. Was this something that was sent from the central office to all 10th-grade student?

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in partnership with Montgomery College (MC) is pleased to announce
the expansion of the Early College (EC) program to all three MC campuses. The EC program is offered at each MC
campus, and provides qualified students the opportunity of earning an Associate Degree in a specific content area,
tuition free. Participating students will complete their 11th and 12th grade years of high school while simultaneously
completing their first two years of college. They will graduate with an Associate's degree from MC as well as a
Maryland State High School diploma.
To be eligible to participate in the program, current Grade 10 students must –
? Passed both mathematics and English state assessments by the end of Grade 10;
? Maintain an unweighted GPA of 2.75 or higher throughout Grade 10, and
? Met or be near completion of required SSL hours by end of Grade 10.
(NOTE: Additional MC requirements must be met and vary by degree program)
MCPS will provide transportation from various centralized locations to Richard Montgomery High School and then to
the Rockville College Campus. Students also may utilize the RideOn bus system, or the MC shuttle bus system
between campuses, as part of their MC student benefits. Students also may provide their own transportation.
To learn more, you are encouraged to attend the program option information session of interest at the
identified location per schedule below. All sessions will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Date: Monday, November 5, 2018
Location: Montgomery College, Germantown Campus, Globe Hall in the HT Building
Two Degree Program Options:
• Computer Science Area of Concentration, Computer Science and Technologies, AA
• Cybersecurity, AAS
Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Location: Montgomery College, Rockville Campus, Parilla Performing Arts Center
Three Degree Programs Options:
• Science, Mathematics Track, AS
• Secondary Education–Mathematics, AA
• Business, AA
Date: Monday, November 19, 2018
Location: Montgomery College, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, Cultural Arts Center Theater
Six Degree Programs Options:
• Biological Science Area of Concentration, AS
• Diagnostic Medical Sonography, AAS
• Nursing, AS
• Physical Therapist Assistant, AAS; Radiologic (X-Ray) Technology, AAS
• Surgical Technology, AAS
If interested, please complete and submit the interest form found at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/MCPS-EC2020. The Deadline to submit an interest form to the EC program is November 26, 2018. Seats are limited. If
there is more interest by eligible students than seats available, a lottery may be held. To learn more about the
EC program visit: https://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/partnerships/dual-enrollment.aspx.

[Anonymous]

Not sure if it goes to every kid..but many many kids...maybe every one with a 2.75 Basically kids can take classes at MC if they want..

[Anonymous]

This looks like a big expansion if MCPS is going to provide busing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This looks like a big expansion if MCPS is going to provide busing.

No bussing is provided.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure if it goes to every kid..but many many kids...maybe everyone with a 2.75 Basically kids can take classes at MC if they want..

My son's counselor said some seniors are currently taking an English class at MC but she never heard of a student receiving a full AA degree. She does not even understand how that will even work because they have high school requirements the school is focused on them completing. She is very concerned that this was not discussed with the school counselors who plans the student's schedule for graduation from HS. Every 10th grader my son knows at his school has at least a 2.75 GPA so I am sure everyone he knows got it. There is definitely a disconnect somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Our school started the AA program for 11th graders this year. The students participating do not have any classes at their HS. This year the program had limited concentrations -- only Math and Computer Science and all 10th graders that applied last winter had to be in Honors PreCalc at least. The students attend MC for two years and get their AA. The program has not yet made a determination about guaranteed matriculation to Maryland colleges and entering college as junior but that is supposed to be sorted out in the next few months. Again, the first class at our school participating are currently juniors. This is clearly an expansion for next year since the number of concentrations has increased. There is no busing and the kids are typically done around 12:30 with their MC classes each day.

[Anonymous]

My son is in college and got that letter several years back. It is different than the AA programs which are only at specific schools and are degree focused (and fairly new). My son was at RM and kids did take classes at MC using Ride-On busses. I heard of it but don't think it was that common.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 10th grader at Wootton received this letter but I called his school counselor and she does not know anything about this program. Was this something that was sent from the central office to all 10th-grade student?

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in partnership with Montgomery College (MC) is pleased to announce
the expansion of the Early College (EC) program to all three MC campuses. The EC program is offered at each MC
campus, and provides qualified students the opportunity of earning an Associate Degree in a specific content area,
tuition free. Participating students will complete their 11th and 12th grade years of high school while simultaneously
completing their first two years of college. They will graduate with an Associate's degree from MC as well as a
Maryland State High School diploma.
To be eligible to participate in the program, current Grade 10 students must –
? Passed both mathematics and English state assessments by the end of Grade 10;
? Maintain an unweighted GPA of 2.75 or higher throughout Grade 10, and
? Met or be near completion of required SSL hours by end of Grade 10.
(NOTE: Additional MC requirements must be met and vary by degree program)
MCPS will provide transportation from various centralized locations to Richard Montgomery High School and then to
the Rockville College Campus. Students also may utilize the RideOn bus system, or the MC shuttle bus system
between campuses, as part of their MC student benefits. Students also may provide their own transportation.
To learn more, you are encouraged to attend the program option information session of interest at the
identified location per schedule below. All sessions will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Date: Monday, November 5, 2018
Location: Montgomery College, Germantown Campus, Globe Hall in the HT Building
Two Degree Program Options:
• Computer Science Area of Concentration, Computer Science and Technologies, AA
• Cybersecurity, AAS
Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Location: Montgomery College, Rockville Campus, Parilla Performing Arts Center
Three Degree Programs Options:
• Science, Mathematics Track, AS
• Secondary Education–Mathematics, AA
• Business, AA
Date: Monday, November 19, 2018
Location: Montgomery College, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, Cultural Arts Center Theater
Six Degree Programs Options:
• Biological Science Area of Concentration, AS
• Diagnostic Medical Sonography, AAS
• Nursing, AS
• Physical Therapist Assistant, AAS; Radiologic (X-Ray) Technology, AAS
• Surgical Technology, AAS
If interested, please complete and submit the interest form found at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/MCPS-EC2020. The Deadline to submit an interest form to the EC program is November 26, 2018. Seats are limited. If
there is more interest by eligible students than seats available, a lottery may be held. To learn more about the
EC program visit: https://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/partnerships/dual-enrollment.aspx.

I'm not really understanding why this program seems appealing. Maybe it makes sense if a bright student has nothing challenging left to take at their high school? But that seems unlikely in grade 10. And on the other hand if a student hasn't taken all their high school offers and is planning on getting at least a bachelors, why would they trade their program at a good high school (e.g Wootton in this example) for classes at MC ? Their actual claim is that they will do high school and 2 years of college at the same time ?!? Obviously there is a trade-off somewhere, certainly in terms of inconvenience/confusion, and maybe in terms of content/peers at MC versus at a good high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 10th grader at Wootton received this letter but I called his school counselor and she does not know anything about this program. Was this something that was sent from the central office to all 10th-grade student?

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in partnership with Montgomery College (MC) is pleased to announce
the expansion of the Early College (EC) program to all three MC campuses. The EC program is offered at each MC
campus, and provides qualified students the opportunity of earning an Associate Degree in a specific content area,
tuition free. Participating students will complete their 11th and 12th grade years of high school while simultaneously
completing their first two years of college. They will graduate with an Associate's degree from MC as well as a
Maryland State High School diploma.
To be eligible to participate in the program, current Grade 10 students must –
? Passed both mathematics and English state assessments by the end of Grade 10;
? Maintain an unweighted GPA of 2.75 or higher throughout Grade 10, and
? Met or be near completion of required SSL hours by end of Grade 10.
(NOTE: Additional MC requirements must be met and vary by degree program)
MCPS will provide transportation from various centralized locations to Richard Montgomery High School and then to
the Rockville College Campus. Students also may utilize the RideOn bus system, or the MC shuttle bus system
between campuses, as part of their MC student benefits. Students also may provide their own transportation.
To learn more, you are encouraged to attend the program option information session of interest at the
identified location per schedule below. All sessions will begin at 7:00 p.m.
Date: Monday, November 5, 2018
Location: Montgomery College, Germantown Campus, Globe Hall in the HT Building
Two Degree Program Options:
• Computer Science Area of Concentration, Computer Science and Technologies, AA
• Cybersecurity, AAS
Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Location: Montgomery College, Rockville Campus, Parilla Performing Arts Center
Three Degree Programs Options:
• Science, Mathematics Track, AS
• Secondary Education–Mathematics, AA
• Business, AA
Date: Monday, November 19, 2018
Location: Montgomery College, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, Cultural Arts Center Theater
Six Degree Programs Options:
• Biological Science Area of Concentration, AS
• Diagnostic Medical Sonography, AAS
• Nursing, AS
• Physical Therapist Assistant, AAS; Radiologic (X-Ray) Technology, AAS
• Surgical Technology, AAS
If interested, please complete and submit the interest form found at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/MCPS-EC2020. The Deadline to submit an interest form to the EC program is November 26, 2018. Seats are limited. If
there is more interest by eligible students than seats available, a lottery may be held. To learn more about the
EC program visit: https://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/partnerships/dual-enrollment.aspx.

I'm not really understanding why this program seems appealing. Maybe it makes sense if a bright student has nothing challenging left to take at their high school? But that seems unlikely in grade 10. And on the other hand if a student hasn't taken all their high school offers and is planning on getting at least a bachelors, why would they trade their program at a good high school (e.g Wootton in this example) for classes at MC ? Their actual claim is that they will do high school and 2 years of college at the same time ?!? Obviously there is a trade-off somewhere, certainly in terms of inconvenience/confusion, and maybe in terms of content/peers at MC versus at a good high school.

I am the OP. I am just so confused to why the schools do not know about this. At lease Wootton is in the dark about this and was not informed that this was even happening.

[Anonymous]

My DS also got this letter in 10th grade. I think it's going out to most of the kids. I only know a few who have done it.

[Anonymous]

My DS also got this letter in 10th grade. I think it's going out to most of the kids. I only know a few who have done it.

[Anonymous]

Northwood's program includes busing, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Northwood's program includes busing, right?

In the Northwood program, the classes in 10th and 11th grade are taught at Northwood. The 12th grade classes are at MC, with no bus.
The Northwood program is spread over four years, and includes many AP classes. The first MC class is second semester 10th grade.

[Anonymous]

The letter in the original post above says this about busing:

"MCPS will provide transportation from various centralized locations to Richard Montgomery High School and then to
the Rockville College Campus."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The letter in the original post above says this about busing:

"MCPS will provide transportation from various centralized locations to Richard Montgomery High School and then to
the Rockville College Campus."

I would like to see that schedule and then they have to still get home..