A case study of Middle College High School, 1972--2003: An effort to improve the persistence of at risk students in high school and to facilitate their access to college (New York).

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

LaGuardia Community College was asked by the City University of New York Chancellor to provide a plan to increase high school retention, improve graduate rates at the secondary level, and attract adolescents to higher education. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of the response, Middle College High School, and the reasons for its success in retaining students who have been defined by New York City middle schools as potential dropouts while maintaining high graduation rates of around 90 percent and college-going rates of over 95 percent. The study incorporates the perspectives of students, faculty and administrators on the issues they confront as well as the process through which Middle College improves opportunities for completing high school and attending college. Additionally, this study proposes adaptations to a theoretical model of the Institutional Adaptation to Student Retention and provides lessons from the Middle College experience can benefit institutions wishing to address education gaps through linkages between the sectors. Administrators and researchers who are looking for ways of improving retention and achievement of at-risk students should find it useful.
Technological advancements have made postsecondary education a virtual prerequisite to economic success. It is not only in the interest of employers that the population receives the type of education that will allow them to succeed economically. Higher education institutions also depend on all students to persist through the educational pipeline if they are to keep their doors open. The Middle College model demonstrates that a well-designed and collaboratively supported program can effectively help students and shows the commitment of a higher education institution to partnering with the school system. Large urban communities can benefit from lessons learned as this model can be used to serve an even larger number of students. Middle College, a school-college collaborative program, brings together the New York City's Department of Education with the City University of New York. Given the disparity between the governance structures of these two institutions, the success of the Middle College program highlights its uniqueness and is one of the most promising approaches to keeping students in school and helping them succeed.