Reaching higher: secondary interventions: Middle College High School students take on a dual identity--college students by morning and high school students by afternoon.

There are many different types of students, but the type that can frustrate educators the most are those with potential who, for one reason or another, simply aren't reaching it. They are the students who can and should, but just won't or don't.

One way to intervene and get these students on the right track before they give up on school completely is the Middle College High School concept. The idea is not new, but it has proven to be very effective, even for districts like ours that are implementing it for the first time.

Basically, qualifying students take classes at the local community college for half of the day and honors-level high school classes tier the other half. These students then have the opportunity to earn both a high school diploma and an associate's degree at the same time.

In the case of San Bernardino City Unified School District, second-year high school students with high standardized test scores and low grade point averages are invited to apply for the program. Interested students and their parents are encouraged to attend an informational meeting about the program, and selected applicants are interviewed by Middle College High School and San Bernardino Valley (Community) College staff to ensure they are committed to the program.

The program

Once accepted into the program, students take on a dual identity college students by morning and high school students by afternoon. During the first half of their academic day, the students take general education college classes ranging front physical education to psychology.

Like any other college student, MCHS students must take the assessment test, register themselves for the classes they want, and go to the bookstore to get their books. That's because they are college students.

A major component of the program is to expose these students, often the ones who never considered college an option, to the entire college experience. Hopefully, we spark their interest in higher education and give them the means to go after it by equipping them now with the skills they need for success.

The second half of the day is when students receive those necessary skills. MCHS students attend selected high school classes taught by district teachers. Usually, those classes are required courses tier high school graduation that cannot be fulfilled through the available college courses, or are subjects in which students require more individualized instruction.

The classes are taught in a block schedule format with each class meeting only two to three days a week, similar to the students' college schedules, to allow for maximum uninterrupted instructional time. The small student-to-teacher ratio in all MCHS classes allows the teachers to focus on individual student progress and needs.

This is especially true during AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), which all MCHS students are required to take. Less a class than a block of time set aside for students to receive both academic and non-academic support, AVID is a vital part of San Bernardino Unified's MCHS program.

The AVID program started in 1980 with the purpose of reaching out to "students in the middle." The outreach program places students on the academic path to a postsecondary education and helps students develop the study skills and maturity necessary to succeed both during and beyond high school. Tutoring, mentoring and individual guidance are the keys to AVID.

During these classes, students receive assistance and tutoring in various subjects for both their high school and college classes. The teachers also act as mentors, providing students with someone to speak with about their concerns and to help them find solutions.

AVID teachers are on a first-name basis with students, and this close contact helps develop trust and a focus on making sure students don't fall through the cracks. This applies to both the students' high school and college courses. AVID instructors review and discuss with students their grades in their high school classes and the progress students feel they are making in their college courses. By making students aware of their academic progress, students are more apt to take responsibility.

The AVID block is also used to hold assemblies and field trips. Students listen to motivational speakers and learn about issues affecting young adults, ranging from time management to sexual harassment. There is also a concerted effort to encourage students to use college-provided student services such as health services, the career center and the writing center.

The results

Although the idea is simple, the effects are impressive. The medium grade point average for MCHS students before entering the program was 2.48. The second semester average for high school classes was a 3.46 GPA. Additionally, four MCHS students were invited to join Valley College's honors program.

Before Middle College, these second-year high school students had an average of 55 high school units, meaning they had just made the cut-off for promotion to 10th grade. However, by the end of the first year of MCHS, the average had risen to 126 high school units, which included the conversion of college credits to high school units. Also, all 70 MCHS students who completed the program passed the English/language arts portion of the California High School Exit Exam, and all but four passed the math portion.

MCHS students also tend to have better attendance than they had in high school and better attendance than at our alternative or comprehensive high schools. Our alternative high schools average 85.2 percent attendance. Comprehensive high schools in our district average 92 percent. Middle College students averaged 96.6 percent attendance in the first semester and 95.2 percent in the second semester.

There were, unfortunately, exceptions to this success. Four of the original 74 MCHS students were asked to leave the program before the year was out, and three others requested to leave the program, going on to test out of high school with the California High School Proficiency Exam. There were a few others that left for various reasons, and we took on additional students at the semester to fill those slots. While most students' grades improved, there were a few who continued to do poorly in both their high school and college courses.

The stories of students who did not complete the program are offset by the many success stories of students who have embraced the college experience, not only for themselves but also for their entire families. Some of our students take college courses at night along with parents and siblings whom they have motivated to continue their education.

Despite the fact that not every student achieved as well as we would have liked, San Bernardino City Unified considers the Middle College High School program a success for the students and the community. We are proud to have already started the next group of sophomores on the path to academic achievement through Middle College High School.

What sets MCHS apart

Much of the academic success is the result of the more mature and positive attitude toward education that our MCHS students develop. It isn't just that we are giving them more responsibility by asking them to complete more academically challenging assignments. What sets Middle College High School apart from other programs that offer college courses on the high school campus is the interaction between the high school students, staff members and college students. Our Middle College students are not just taking college-level courses; they are actual, enrolled college students.

By integrating college into their daily schedule, and in fact making the college courses their primary classes, we are altering the academic atmosphere. By selecting their own college courses, and even standing in line for their textbooks, the students must take responsibility for their own education and their own success or failure. Even though MCHS provides an extensive support system, the students respond to the expectations of personal accountability and responsibility present in a college setting.

We believe that part of the reason they are so willing, and often eager, to finally accept that responsibility is that in exchange they gain a higher degree of control over their academic career and themselves. They also gain a level of respect not usually afforded them in high school. They can participate in serious class discussions and know that others will listen to and respect their opinions, even if they don't agree with them.

The right tools

We believe that Middle College High School proves that students provided with the right tools empower themselves to become responsible and successful citizens.

Corina Borsuk is a public relations technician and Bette Vest is the Middle College High School coordinator in the San Bernardino City Unified School District.