College comes to high school

As college finals approached, Leah Pope studied more than ever for philosophy. Hallie Lappin pored over her notes for criminal justice, and Andrew Lloyd reviewed the semester’s work in speech class.

All are high school students.

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They have had early experiences of college life, taking full-on college courses as high school seniors in Montgomery County to get a glimpse of what lies ahead: fewer scheduled hours of class, more independent work and less hand-holding from instructors.

They reflect a growing interest in many areas of the country to go beyond work that is college-level and try college itself.

At their school, Gaithersburg High, that’s easier to do than at most places, with eight courses taught this spring by professors in the same classrooms where students take high school English and algebra. More than a third of the class of 2012 has taken at least one college course. “It’s a boost of confidence when they say, ‘Oh, I can do this,’ ” said Principal Christine Handy-Collins.

Early college opportunities are often overshadowed by the immense popularity of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, which teach college-level material and can lead to college credit when students test well on exams. But college courses in high school are on the rise in many states, said Adam Lowe of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships.

Experts say one goal is to blur the lines between high school and higher education, with research showing that senior year, in particular, can be a dead zone of sorts for students who are done with most requirements but not yet onto the next challenge. Taking college courses ahead of time can keep them engaged.

“It means that kids can move at their own speed, and there’s no reason they should have to go in lock step if they can go faster,” said Chester E. Finn Jr., president of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, an education think tank.

In an unusual approach, many of Montgomery’s public high schools offer college courses, taught on site by faculty from Montgomery College and, to a lesser extent, the University of Maryland. Credits count only on college transcripts, not toward high school graduation.

Students who are the first in their family to go to college, and perhaps uncertain about their prospects in higher education, also get a chance to try it out in the supportive environs of high school, proponents say.

The economics can be appealing, too. Through a special grant program, half of Gaithersburg High’s college students pay no tuition. For those who do pay — about $440 for a three-credit course — community colleges’ rates are lower than typical costs at four-year institutions.

Through AP testing and the college program at Gaithersburg, Austin Duff accumulated 25 credit hours before heading to the University of Maryland Baltimore County a year ago.

“He walked in five hours short of sophomore status,” said his mother, Deanna Duff. Now he will complete his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science in four years, she said, which means a lower overall bill and fewer college loans.