South Bend Community Schools

Early College High School – Planning Phase

Riley High School announces plans for Early College High School program

South Bend Community School Corporation announces receiving a National Governors Association grant to plan their Riley Early College High School. Watch as the Riley principal and partners from IU, Ivy Tech, SBCS, and the city of South Bend talk about how this new program will improve graduation and college-going rates.

In February of 2007, at the request of the South Bend Community School Corporation, the P–16 Center began partnering with James Whitcomb Riley High School. The P–16 Center assisted the school corporation in applying for an Early College High School Planning Grant from the National Governors Association and currently serves on school-community planning teams. Riley High School plans to implement the new program in fall 2009.

Early College High School blends high school and college into one, academically rigorous program. While in high school, students take college courses that can lead to up to two years of college credit or an associate’s degree. With a strong focus on students who are underrepresented in higher education, the goal of this model is to increase college enrollment, help students transition smoothly into college, and reduce remediation.

As the P-16 Center continues to help Riley High School connect with regional stakeholders in higher education, business and industry, non-profits, and local government, the Center will also coordinate professional development by IU faculty in areas such as cognitive science, teaching English Language Learners, career exploration/planning, and differentiated instruction.

Services for Students

To complement the college access portion of Early College High School, IU offers summer camp and scholarship opportunities to encourage students to experience college. Several summer camps, like Informatics Summer Camp, waive the admission fees for Pathways students to make the experience more accessible for everyone.

Students from Riley High School can also apply for the IU Pathways Scholarship for Future Teachers, a $2,000 renewable scholarship that is intended to encourage Pathways students to pursue careers in education.