Twelve high schools statewide have been selected to participate in the Early College High School Program, a coordinated initiative designed to allow more high school students to earn six or more college credits before they graduate from high school. Over the next three years, Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education, with the support of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation and GEAR UP Hawaii, will invest more than $1.2 million of resources to fund tuition and expenses and provide technical assistance to selected high schools working in partnership with University of Hawaii campuses, to provide high school based early college courses. The Early College High School Program is part of a cohesive effort to bring an early college high school model successful in other states, where students have the option of earning both an associate’s degree and a high school diploma by their high school graduation, to Hawaii. The purpose of these grants is to develop best practices for early college high schools such that more students graduate with college credits and better preparation for their future degree/career. The program could serve up to 3,200 students statewide.
The selected schools include:
Hawaii Island: Hilo High School, Kealakehe High School, Kohala High School, and Waiakea High School
Kauai: Kapaa High School and Kauai High School
Molokai: Moloka‘i High School
Oahu: Farrington High School, Kailua High School, Kaimuki High School, Waianae High School, and Waipahu High School
Nine of the ten University of Hawai‘i campuses are involved in supporting early college classes at the selected high schools, including: Hawaii Community College, Honolulu Community College, Kapiolani Community College, Kauai Community College, Leeward Community College, the University of Hawaii at Hilo, the University of Hawaii Maui College, the University of Hawaii – West Oahu, and Windward Community College.
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