High schools in 8 states try early graduation

Eight states are implementing a radical new program in high schools for next year that will allow students to graduate early and enter into two-year community colleges, if they pass the right tests. We speak to a top education official and a high school teacher involved in the program to find out how the program will work.

The eight states are Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Kentucky. Terry Holliday is Kentucky’s Education Commissioner and he is currently trying to recruit up to twenty high schools in his state to start the program. He believes it will keep students interested in their education and prevent them from dropping out.

Lauren Carbonell is a High School Teacher at Quinebaug Valley Middle College High School in Danielson, Conn. Her school already allows students to take community college classes, and she says, “for a lot of kids it has worked. They feel they’ve been pushed and they’re getting a lot out of it.”