CASSOPOLIS – Following the approval of implementing a New Tech curriculum for the upcoming school year, Cassopolis Public Schools already has a new program in place for the 2019 – 2020 school year.

Nearly two and a half weeks ago, Michigan’s Department of Education approved a new Early Middle College program where Cassopolis high school juniors and seniors will be able to earn an Associate’s degree, work certificate or up to 60 credit hours transferable to a four-year university in three years through Southwestern Michigan College or Lake Michigan College.

On June 21, Cassopolis Public Schools hosted an informational meeting in the Ross Beatty Jr.-Sr. High School auditorium to explain the dual-enrollment program and answer parent questions. The meeting was led by Karen Blaha, the Cassopolis curriculum coordinator and K-12 instructional coach.

“What’s nice is we are now providing our students just another level of opportunity,” Blaha said. “We already have the dual enrollment, and if there’s students out there who say, ‘Hey, I want to do the whole college experience. I want to walk away from high school with an associate’s degree.’ We’ve now been approved to do that.”

Like dual enrollment programs, college courses will be able to count as both high school and college credits, and tuition and fees will still be covered by the school district.

The difference with the Early Middle College program will be the fifth year of high school. Every student within the program will have to take a fifth year of high school where they stay on LMC or SMC’s campus and finish their required coursework for their degree or certificate. The students will still walk at graduation with their class after their fourth year at Ross Beatty Jr.-Sr. High School, but the students will technically finish up their high school career when they finish the remaining college coursework the following year.

“[A fifth year is part of ]the traditional model that is executed at most middle college programs, including ours in Berrien County and in Allegan County [and Van Buren County],” said Doug Schaffer, Lake Michigan College Vice President for Enrollment and Community Partnerships. “During the fifth year they are taking all of their courses at the college and they only have one class typically remaining to complete their high school graduation requirements. Most of the time, that last class is taken for dual credit, which is both high school credit and college credit.”

Students will have support systems around them to help them achieve success in the new college environment. SMC provides free tutoring, access to the writing center, early academic warnings, specialty advisors on both campuses and Educational Talent Services. LMC also offers similar services, except they also provide one-on-one check ins to see how students are doing in classes and attendance tracking. Ross Beatty Jr.-Sr. High School will also offer its own support system.

If a student fails a college class, Blaha said the Department of Education encourages the district to still pay for the class, but in certain cases, Cassopolis School District has the power to make the student cover the cost.

“We don’t encourage that because most of the students who are doing Early Middle College are doing [it] so that college funds pay for them. So, that’s not something we’d say hard and fast is something you’re absolutely paying for,” she said. “But we certainly hope with all the supports in place that it would not get to that.”

Fifth year Early Middle College students will not be eligible to participate in intercollegiate sports.

“That’s not a Lake Michigan College rule, that’s a National Junior College Athletic Association rule at this time,” Schaffer said.

However, he said that in his opinion, if the Early Middle College program continues to grow across the country like it has been, then he could see the rule being changed in the foreseeable future.

“We’re excited about the partnership with Cassopolis Public Schools,” he said. “We are very encouraged by the growth of the Middle College program.”

Blaha said there will be additional  meetings for parents and students to learn more about the Early Middle College program. She encourages people to come out to the next meeting tentatively scheduled for August of this year.