Great Expectations

7/23/2008 – Emily Schulten

You could find Derrick Standifer on the field playing football for Carver High School. But you might also catch a glimpse of him taking notes in an English class at Georgia State University. That’s because at 17, Standifer is doing it all as both a high school junior and a college student in the Carver Early College High School program.

The fact that Standifer is voluntarily taking on more work than the average teenagers is only part of what makes his story interesting. He'll also be the first person in his family to graduate from high school.

"I've got a lot of pressure on me, but I feel like I can do anything," Standifer says. "I'm a hard-working person now."

Carver Early College High School was the first of its kind when it opened in 2005 and is, in fact, one of five schools under the Carver High School umbrella. As a part of the program, students who are typically underrepresented on college campuses receive extra support and the opportunity to graduate from high school with two years of college credit. The program's underlying philosophy is that some students, like Standifer, might be better served by an early college program than by a traditional high school.

"Derrick entered our program in his sophomore year because his middle school counselor became convinced that early college would best help him meet his life goals," explains Marcene Thornton, principal of Carver’s Early College High School. "Though students usually enter the program at grade nine, Derrick's sincerity, determination and clear commitment to academic excellence convinced us that he is the type of student for whom this program is intended."

Several factors go into determining who will be admitted to Early College High School, including a student's Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) scores, written responses to mathematics and short-answer questions, cumulative grade-point average, teacher recommendations and a panel interview.

"The Early College High School seeks to change the face of American colleges by preparing first-generation college-goers for success in college," Thornton says. "Our successes include enrolling 20 10th graders in Georgia State University last spring, enrolling our entire junior class for the Georgia State fall semester, documenting an improved academic focus on the parts of several students, developing instructional partnerships with Georgia State staff, and changing family educational histories by entering first-generation college-goers onto the college scene."

For Standifer, the Early College High School offered a distinct change of pace - and an all-new set of challenges - from the traditional high school he had attended before.

"When Derrick arrived here, he had become accustomed to being among the top two or three students in his class," Thornton recalls. "He discovered greater rigor in our program than he had experienced in former settings, and he discovered that he had to work harder to maintain a high class rank."

But increased academic competition didn't scare Standifer off; it only inspired him to work harder – and he's confident his efforts will pay off.

"It's good to see what college is like before we are actually college students so that we can get accustomed to it," he says. "When I graduate, it's going to be a lot easier to make that transition."

A Day in the Life
Being a student in Early College High School keeps Standifer busier than most of his peers, and his schedule is even more complicated because he attends classes and activities in several locations. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, he takes economics, study skills, American literature, chemistry and world history at Carver. But on Tuesday and Thursday, he moves from his economics class at Carver to Georgia State's downtown campus, where he's taking African-American studies, college algebra and English 1102.

"Early College is hard work; it's like a job," says Standifer. "I have lasses at Carver and at Georgia State, but I also have to find time to study for them. It can be challenging sometimes, but the school balances your schedule depending on how much they think you can handle."

Students are assigned to a cohort that determines the number of college-level courses they can take. Decisions are made by the students' guidance counselors and principals and based on past academic performance as well as their level of independence when it comes to learning.

"Derrick and the others in his cohort are independent learners who have accustomed themselves to the rigors of school work," Thornton says. "They are all students who willingly accept academic challenges and work diligently to master course content and high marks."

Combining the pressures of high school and college adds a bit more stress to Standifer's life. But maintaining focus is the best way to achieve his goals and stay ahead, he says.

"You have to be on-point with everything you do in Early College, " Standifer says. "When there is a little leeway, a person can slack off sometimes. But you learn in the first class in college that you cannot slack off in the slightest degree."

Personal Growth
Early College High School aims to transform high-need high school students into successful college graduates by giving them two very important things: a head start and motivation. To that end, students in the program are immersed in a high-energy environment that also includes adults who want to learn, says Gwen Benson, associate dean of school and community partnerships for the College of Education.

For Standifer, the experience has already paid off.

"When Derrick began Early College, he also started working with the Dean's research team as part of a team of students conducting federally sponsored research in the Los Angeles Unified School District," Benson recalls. "At that time, he was a nervous high school kid. Now he has this confidence; he has become a young man. He has goals and knows he can achieve them."

Participating in Early College High School has presented Standifer with other unique opportunities for growth and accomplishment. Last year he was chosen to take part in the Early College's "Trailblazing 20," a select group of students who take a college class at Georgia State during their sophomore year in high school. He has also faced his fears on an Outward Bound camping trip and spent time in Panama and Costa Rica, where he was able to visit rural schools and gain newfound appreciation for the educational opportunities he has in the United States.

He's also had the opportunity to meet influential people.

"I met Nikki Giovanni when she came to our school and told us about the book she was writing about Rosa Parks," says Standifer. "She was the coolest woman I have ever met."

Standifer's volunteer work with Atlanta New Century Schools has also helped him decide on a future career path: He wants to be an educator.

"I tutor students who need extra help, and every time that I go to the school, they are glad to see me," Standifer says. "I want to be a teacher because I love school. My long-term goal is to be a high school principal."

When he earns his high school diploma next year, Standifer will be a part of the "Legacy Class," the first Early College class to graduate from the new schools of Carver High School. He says it's nice to hear his parents brag to their friends, but the most important pride comes from within.

"I am proud but very nervous - and I'm still growing up," Standifer says. "I have so many people pushing me to do good things; it would be a waste to let them down."

Along the way, Standifer has had a great support system, and he says that Early College High School has been more than just a great educational opportunity.

"Early College High School is like a family," he says. "Once, I was going to be late for one of my writing tests, and so I called my counselor and told her. My principal came and picked me up from my house so that I would not be late. Sometimes, a teacher you don't even know will help you with assignments."

"Of course school is stressful," he says. "But Early College High School makes it a lot easier."

This article was published in the Summer 2008 issue of Milestones Magazine, a publication of the College of Education.