Chicago to roll out high school-college hybrid

[annasdad]

<p>[As</a> many as five new high-school, community-college hybrids coming to Chicago next fall - chicagotribune.com](<a href=“http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/ct-met-cps-vocational-school-1013-20111013,0,1262261.story]As”>http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/ct-met-cps-vocational-school-1013-20111013,0,1262261.story)</p>

<p>

A new type of school will enter Chicago’s crowded public education system next fall, a kind of high school-community college hybrid that, if successful, could one day become a model for preparing students for professional careers without a university diploma. … The schools are a departure from traditional vocational high schools because incoming freshmen could be enrolled for up to six years and leave school with an associate’s degree and specialized training. Graduates also will be given preference for entry-level jobs at IBM. …[An IBM spokesman] said these new schools will help fill [a] niche by partnering students with mentors from IBM and other businesses, by creating a path to college beginning in the ninth grade, and by challenging students with college-level work and specialized, hands-on training. … While math and science will form the backbone of study at these schools, other core subjects such as literacy and English comprehension will also play important roles, Willner said.

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[vlines]

<p>Good for them. I hope they do it right!</p>

[pugmadkate]

<p>It sounds great but I don’t think it should take six years. I really like the tie in with IBM. </p>

<p>Our city has one high school sponsored by the Gates Foundation that has a goal of having low-income kids graduate at the end of their four high school years with an associates degree as well. The last I heard only a small percentage were reaching that goal but the number is going up each year.</p>

[ucbalumnus]

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@pugmadkate

It sounds great but I don’t think it should take six years.

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<p>Six years would be the usual time from high school entering freshman to completing an associates degree.</p>

<p>However, this arrangement may help some students who may want to take some community college courses while still in what would normally be their high school years. In typical high schools, this could involve commuting, scheduling, and credit issues.</p>

[poetgrl]

<p>I have to say, I think this is an excellent idea. I have felt, for a while that we are lacking a kind of middle ground of training in this country, and this is a good start for the chicago kids…</p>

<p>Rahm Emanual is going to be very good for education in the city and has already made more progress in months than anyone imagined possible.</p>

[Vladenschlutte]

<p>This exists in Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti (takes 3 years starting from after either freshman or sophomore year of high school) but a lot of the kids go to a university after anyway. It works for them because it’s free and they go in with a ton of credits.</p>

[glido]

<p>This makes a lot of sense. Four-year colleges are getting too expensive. Getting an Associates degree and getting a job makes a lot of economic sense for a lot of people right now.</p>