Benefits of High Schoolers Attending College Grows at Trinity, Fairfield

The start of the school year marked the start of plans for an expanded Early College program at the Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy (HMTCA), thanks to a new 10-year partnership agreement between Hartford Public Schools and Trinity College.

The new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), approved by the Hartford Board of Education, outlines plans to expand programming for public high school students on the Trinity campus, increase partner engagement through a new advisory committee, and provide professional development for staff to strengthen their cultural competency.

The partnership began in 2011, as Hartford Public Schools and Trinity worked together to expand an existing middle school (then named Hartford Magnet Middle School) into a high school which would serve as an Early College program. Today, HMTCA is an inter-district magnet school that enrolls a diverse student body from Hartford and its surrounding towns.

Opportunities for HMTCA students on the Trinity campus include a 9th-grade Writing Academy, a 10th-grade Science Academy, senior English courses held in Trinity classrooms, and the chance to enroll in Trinity courses during senior year, as well as other activities such as academic lectures and films.

Led by Trinity College Director of Urban Education Initiatives Robert Cotto, Jr., faculty in Trinity’s Center for Hartford Engagement and Research (CHER) conducted an extensive evaluation of the partnership last spring, resulting in a 25-page report and recommendations.

“The Trinity faculty talked about how engaged the HMTCA students are in their classes, bringing fresh perspectives to conversations and building deep, long-lasting connections and relationships,” Cotto said. “The HMTCA students who have taken classes at Trinity said they feel more prepared for college and feel much more comfortable on a college campus.”

As one “HMTCA student who did not enroll in a Trinity course wrote, “Being able to walk to a college campus and participate in the classes has opened me up to a world that I didn't know that I would be already prepared for.”

The report noted that “In addition to the familiarity with campus and time management skills, HMTCA students and alumni reported increased perceptions of being prepared for college-level work. This perception was most visible with regard to students that have taken a Trinity College course. In addition to perceptions of better preparation, HMTCA students that completed Trinity courses obtained college course credit.”

The surveys and focus groups of participants from Trinity and HMTCA led to some changes in the new agreement, including establishment of an advisory committee to foster stronger connections and help steer the partnership. The committee will include a Trinity student, an HMTCA student, faculty from both institutions, and at least one HMTCA parent.

In addition to the current mandatory summer academies for the 9th- and 10th-grade students taught by faculty from HMTCA and Trinity, programming for students in grades 10 and 11 will be developed by the advisory committee. The partners will also promote educational equity by encouraging multicultural and multilingual education for students and faculty.

The report indicated that “Trinity professors who taught classes with HMTCA students indicated that they required students to complete the same work as Trinity College students. As students at Trinity College, these HMTCA students were required to complete all tests, quizzes, essays, as well as learn how to use online learning platforms.”

Julie Goldstein, the new principal at HMTCA, said, “I believe that high-quality, intentionally integrated public education that places equal importance on the academic and personal development is vital to the success of students in college, career, and life. HMTCA matches my ideal with its singular status in Connecticut as an Early College arts and sciences-themed magnet school that is also a community school.”

At the other end of the state, Fairfield University offers a full range of intensive courses designed to give high school students an authentic college experience while earning credits that can be applied toward high school or college. Courses are recommended for students who are entering or are currently in their sophomore, junior, or senior year of high school.

To ensure that high school students have the necessary and relevant classroom experience to enroll and be successful in a college course, students need a minimum 3.2 GPA and are required to submit an unofficial high school transcript for review by the Office of Part-Time and Continuing Studies prior to registering for a class.

Enrollment periods include traditional 15-week fall and spring semesters, as well as winter and summer sessions, which offer a variety of accelerated courses available in one, two, four, or five-week formats. High school students are permitted to take one course per semester.

For students interested in a full residential and academic college experience, Fairfield University also offers a 2-week residential Summer Scholars Program.  Courses in 2019 included Biology, Economics and Psychology.  Applications for 2020 will be accepted beginning in January.

Editor’s Note: Portions of this article first appeared on the website of Trinity College.