Deborah Wilds of the Gates Foundation with Chancellor Matthew Goldstein and schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein.

The City University and the New York City Department of Education will use a $6.5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to create ten “early college” high schools to encourage students to prepare for college—and to begin earning credits toward their undergraduate degrees while attending and finishing high school.

The early college schools will have several goals. They will reach out to help under-served and under-prepared students realize that they can go to and graduate from college. They also will cut down the time—and money—required for a high school diploma and two years of college credit or an associate degree.

In announcing the grant and program, it was noted that a recent study by the Manhattan Institute found that only about 70 percent of public high school students graduate, and that fewer than a third leave high school prepared to do college-level work. Statistics for minority students are bleaker: half of African-American and Hispanic students graduate, and less than 20 percent are ready for college.

“Once we provide these students with the opportunities and provide them with the motivations, they will rise to the challenge,” said Deborah Wilds of the Gates Foundation “They have to be given this support.”

Eight of the schools will be new. Two will be created by transforming existing schools. Each will enroll no more than 500 students. The first two schools—one a transformed existing school, one entirely new—will open in the Fall of 2004. Four more, including one redesigned school, are to open in 2005, and the final four will open in 2006.

“We must give all students in our city access to the quality education necessary for success in today’s unforgiving economy,” said University Chancellor Matthew Goldstein. Students in the schools, he said, “will be given the kind of experiences that will allow colleges outside the city system to give credit for the courses.”

CUNY and the Department of Education already collaborate on similar programs to help high school students prepare to enter and succeed in college. Indeed, Chancellor Goldstein said, “The City University right now has a considerable amount of experience in dealing with high schools right now.”

In fact, CUNY is already home to three early college high schools. Project EXCEL was launched at Middle College High School and International High School at LaGuardia Commu-nity College in Septem-ber of 2002. Hunter and Brooklyn Colleges opened early college high schools this Fall. The “College Now” program offers college credit courses to more than 40,000 students in high schools and CUNY campuses throughout the five boroughs.

The new Gates-funded initiative differs in focusing on creating special, small schools whose students can earn college credit and thereby shorten the process—and cost—of securing a degree.

“Early college high schools are a key part of our long-term education reform strategy in New York City,” said Joel I. Klein, Chancellor of the city school system. “This represents a terrific opportunity….We’re excited. We obviously have a lot of work to do to implement this program, but we look forward to that as well.”