As new go into effect in Indiana, more students will likely take college and career courses to prepare for life after high school. But making sure students can access these classes — and succeed in them — takes some patience and creativity.

When Sheridan High School teacher Jill Cali noticed her students struggling with the longer deadlines and open-ended questions typical of college assignments, she began to teach them how to break tasks into more manageable steps. Soon, her students were reaping the benefits.

Other roadblocks to students’ success in college courses, especially in rural communities like Sheridan, a town of 3,000 people in northwest Hamilton County, include accessing these credits and paying for them.

Cali said being part of the , sponsored by the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning at the University of Indianapolis, allows her students to earn college credits for free. The network also serves as a source of support, allowing her to exchange ideas with teachers at other schools.

“The struggles that students typically have in early college courses are some of the same things that prevent many students from being confident that they will find success in college,” Cali told Chalkbeat. “When students believe they don’t have the ability to be successful in completing college-level work, their first instinct is to shy away from it.”

Read on to learn more about how Cali approaches her early college classes.

This interview has been lightly edited for length.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I decided to become a teacher during my sophomore year of college when I realized that I was not meant to be an accountant! I had always loved working with kids and had a natural talent in Spanish, so becoming a [Spanish] teacher seemed like a good fit. The longer I teach, the more sure I am that this was the right path for me. I was made to be a teacher.

What was the process like to become a dual-credit instructor?

Our superintendent suggested I pursue a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction so I would be able to teach the dual-credit Education Professions courses. During our conversation, he convinced me that the degree program would be flexible enough to work with my busy single parenting and teaching schedule and that I would see the return on my investment very quickly. He was right.

The following week, at the age of 42, I enrolled in a program to complete my master’s degree online, working at my own pace. I finished in six months, after working tirelessly to make sure that I only had to pay for one term.

In order to be approved as a dual-credit instructor, I had to coordinate with my high school’s higher education partner, Ivy Tech Community College. This involved submitting my [college and grad school] transcripts, along with a proposed syllabus for each of the courses I planned to teach. The process was honestly pretty quick and painless.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

In my Principles of Teaching class, the introduction to teaching course, I teach about differentiation and making accommodations for students with special needs. My very favorite lesson to teach is the one in which I give students various tasks, but each has a different limitation. Their reactions, creative thinking, and “aha moments” are the reason it is my favorite lesson. During that lesson, my students realize that some of the most basic tasks can be entirely impossible with just one small limitation. Their internalization of how frustrating learning can be for some of our students really helps us to move forward with the unit of study in a productive manner.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

Throughout my childhood and into adulthood, I was a student who strived for excellence in every subject. Realizing that I finally understood a concept I had been trying to grasp or persevering through a tough problem to find an answer always gave me immense satisfaction. I loved the “light bulb moments” as a student, but I enjoy them even more now that I am the teacher. A natural lifelong learner myself, it has always been my goal to inspire my students to be inquisitive and curious investigators of anything that interests them.

How is your early college classroom different from a standard high school classroom?

At a glance, my classroom looks a bit more like a college classroom than many high school classrooms. I was fortunate enough to be able to use grant money to furnish the room with flexible seating options. What you can’t see is that my early college students work with elementary students, getting experience in the field. The flexible seating allows them to move seamlessly between working independently and cooperating and creating with their peers.

How do you help students adjust to those expectations?

Students in early college learn that when something feels overwhelming or difficult, they have the tools to tackle it on their own. This doesn’t mean that they can’t ask for help or guidance. It means that before asking for help, students should make sure they have exhausted all options for figuring it out on their own.

I send a letter to each student and one home to their caregivers prior to the start of school in the fall, explaining what dual-credit means and what the expectations will look like in my early college class. This ensures that there is no confusion about what will be expected of early college students and also opens the lines of communication with students and families.

Having taught these courses for a few years, I’ve found that students struggle with a course that has larger assignments and more time between deadlines. The first thing I do to support them in addressing this is to show them how they can break larger assignments and projects into smaller tasks on their own. Many students are used to having teachers do this for them. I show them how they can establish their own, smaller deadlines based on what they know about their personal schedule, how fast they tend to work, and the support they think they might need.

Students also find it challenging to write nearly everything for their dual-credit courses using a formal tone with proper grammar and spelling. In addition, students tend to have trouble answering multi-part questions … particularly when they are higher-level thinking questions. I spend a full class period — more, if needed — showing them and having them practice how to appropriately respond to the types of writing prompts and questions they will typically see in their early college courses.

Another area where students tend to struggle is with attendance and deadlines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools insisted that students be shown grace in both of those areas. Unfortunately, this instilled in them the idea that as long as they completed all graded assignments, it didn’t matter whether they participated in class or how late assignments were submitted. Though their learning is always my primary focus, much of what my students learn builds on itself. In addition, much of the learning takes place through class discussions.

What are some barriers your students face to postsecondary opportunities, and how does the Rural Early College Network help you help them overcome those?

The greatest barrier to postsecondary opportunities for students in my school is the financial barrier. The dual-credit courses we offer are all free to our students, so when they successfully complete those courses, the number of semesters that will be required for them to complete their degree can be reduced. This translates to money saved for the student and makes their postsecondary options more affordable and attainable.

Rural Early College Network schools meet throughout the school year to share ideas and support each other in building programs that provide our students with the tools they need to be successful in our classrooms, in college, and beyond.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I have ever received with regard to teaching is, “Student behavior and choices are almost never personal attacks against the teacher.” It was the great reminder that my teenage students’ brains are not fully developed. When they make poor choices or when they act out, it nearly never has anything to do with how they feel about me or anything even relating to me. Letting that go and remembering to see their behaviors as something completely separate from me has really made it much easier to create consequences when appropriate, support my students when needed, and establish a welcoming environment in which every student starts fresh every day.

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at .

She was guided to enroll in early college classes. 

Early college or dual enrollment courses are growing in popularity. According to , the number of students taking early college classes nearly doubled between 2011 and 2021. And for students in my home state, enrolling in these courses that they will start college immediately after graduating from high school and then persist for a second year.  

However, this opportunity is not unfolding equally. A recent showed that in Massachusetts, 64% of students taking dual enrollment classes are white, while just 10% are Black and 14% are Hispanic. Eighty percent are from high- or middle-income neighborhoods, while just 20% are from high-poverty areas.

How can schools close those gaps and allow more students to benefit? By embracing the idea that with the right support, everyone can succeed in them.

There are many essential elements to setting up a successful early college program.

First, make all students sign up. When these programs are limited to just some students, it creates a deficit mindset that others aren’t college material. In the early college program started in 2022 at my high school, all students are required to try at least one college class, some as early as ninth grade. This sends the message that all students can reach their full potential in a college environment. 

Second, have committed higher education partners whose professors are open to teaching high school students. At my school, all early college classes are headed by professors. Some come to Veritas to teach their courses, while for other classes, students travel to local colleges.

Third, make sure the classes will earn students college credit. These courses must have the necessary rigor so students will earn credits that will travel with them no matter when or where they choose to use them. Right now, 41% of juniors at my school are on track to graduate in 2026 with both a high school diploma and an associate degree, which will give them an invaluable head start academically. And 80% of them have earned credits that will be accepted at any community college, state college or state university in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This will save them both time and money. 

Fourth, provide extra support. Besides the professor, there should be an additional teacher in the class who understands the material and can show the students how to manage their time and ask for help when they need it. This extra guidance should happen both during the class and in companion classes held on off days, when the professor isn’t present. Such help students learn essential study skills and raise their awareness of the support that will be available to them when they reach college. Since are often reluctant to take the initiative to engage with faculty members, working with these extra teachers can increase their comfort level, setting them up for success. 

Beyond awarding credits, early college classes change the way students view themselves. Most of our early college courses have a 100% pass rate, and the students say their confidence has increased because they know they can handle challenging material. They also report having increased awareness of the value of a college degree, opening up the possibilities to pursue new fields of study and careers.

Students have said early college classes have made them less scared about the prospect of going to college. They are comfortable calling their teacher “professor” and they know what a syllabus is. The classes have helped them build habits of success like time management and self-advocacy. Upperclassmen taking courses at the community college now know how to navigate a campus and are better able to picture themselves attending college full time. They have access to college-level labs and equipment that are more sophisticated than a typical high school can afford; have experienced the benefits of visiting a professor during office hours; and are versed in how to leverage administrative resources if they need extra accommodations.

They also learn from their mistakes. For example, a few students were surprised by how much a final paper impacted their grade in their Principles of Marketing course. They revised their work and won’t make that error again.

The students’ success validated the high expectations set for them and proved that the support offered paid off, giving each one a strong educational pathway, wherever it may lead.   The five most powerful words any student can utter are, “I am a college student.” That ninth grader is now in 11^th grade. Since starting her first Early College class 18 months ago, she has not started one fight, has near-perfect attendance and has passed all her high school and early college classes. Helping her and other students ​​reach her potential will set them up for a brighter future.

This summer, Washington’s high schoolers will be able to get an even earlier start on college courses.

That’s because of a bill led by Sen. Brad Hawkins, R-Wenatchee, which expands the state’s popular . Running Start has allowed Washington’s high school juniors and seniors to earn college credit tuition-free since the early 1990s.

Under Hawkins’ measure, incoming 11th graders will be allowed to take college courses and earn up to 10 credits over the summer. The legislation sailed through both legislative chambers and Gov. Jay Inslee signed it into law in late March.

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“I’ve been calling my bill a ‘Walking Start to Running Start’ because it will ease students into their college experience, minimize their debt, and get them a bit closer to earning their degrees,” Hawkins said in March.

The bill goes into effect in June, in time for this year’s cohort of 10th grade graduates to enroll, Hawkins said in an email to the Standard. Hawkins’ local community college, Wenatchee Valley College, is currently working on enrollment forms and other information related to implementing the new law.

Faimous Harrison, Wenatchee Valley College’s president, said the program helps students transition into college in a less intimidating environment and gives them a jump on figuring out a career path.

“When we talk about the value of a degree, one of the concerns is there are so many people who get all the financial debt from going to school and then they can’t find jobs or they’re not interested in that field,” Harrison said.

“Running Start also creates opportunities for early exploration. It also offers opportunities to meet with different people, learn about different fields,” Harrison said.

School districts must also provide information about Running Start summer enrollment opportunities to students and their families under the new law. Students can take part-time or full-time classes and some earn associate’s degrees by the time they graduate high school.

Tuition is covered by the student’s home school district and largely paid for through state funding, although Running Start students may be on the hook for textbooks, transportation and other fees that come with college classes.

The new law is also an expansion of summer Running Start courses, which became available to 11th and 12th graders in 2021 through a state-run . That program showed “promising results:” Participating colleges reported an average completion rate of 90% and an 87% summer-to-fall Running Start retention rate.

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