Part 1: Early College Initiative at CUNY

Program Goals

Early College schools and their partners ensure that all students by the end of Grade 12:

• meet all NYCPS high school graduation requirements.

• meet CUNY proficiency benchmarks in reading/writing and mathematics.

• have the opportunity to earn college credit in high school.

• maintain good academic standing at their partner college.

• demonstrate a ‘college identity’ that includes college preparation indicators related to self-advocacy and independence.

• have a postsecondary plan to enroll in college or secure a skilled job placement within six months of graduation.

• participate in at least one career mentoring program by the end of Grade 12 (Early College & Career schools only).

• have a portfolio/Individual Development Plan (IDP) and engage in at least one paid internship by the end of Grade 12 (Early College & Career schools only).

Most students should have the opportunity to earn at least 15 college credits (the equivalent of one semester of college credits before the end of Grade 12). Students maintain at least a 2.0 overall GPA, with a target goal of 3.0 overall GPA, and minimize the number of official withdrawals (“W”s) or grades of “D and F” in college courses as these can impact financial aid in the future.

Multiple School Models

EC supports 26 public schools in New York City that blend a rigorous college-prep curriculum with the opportunity to earn up to two years of college credit while in high school – at no cost to students and their families.These innovative schools make a college education more accessible, affordable, and attractive to New York City students by offering academic programs that merge middle school, high school, and college.

Schools developed by EC are deliberately unscreened, meaning there is no academic bar for admissions, but early college schools developed prior to joining EC may have screens for admission. EC schools are designed so that underrepresented populations including students of color, first generation college goers, low-income, and English Language Learners can access college and attain success through degree completion. Below is a chart representing the various models of EC schools.

6-12 EC Schools	Students strengthen their academic skills in middle school, then take two years’ worth of a transferable liberal arts core, building momentum towards a BA.	Up to 60	Either two years of general education credit, or a Liberal Arts AA from a community college	6
9-12 EC Schools	Students earn college credit towards an undergraduate degree.	Up to 60	n/a	2
9-13 EC Schools	Students pursue a liberal arts oriented curriculum and are able to earn an associates degree	Up to 60	Varies	2
9-14 EC College & Career Schools	Students earn a CTE high school diploma, an Associate’s degree, and gain relevant industry work experience.	Up to 60	AAS or AS degrees in STEM fields	9
9-12 Affinity Schools	Strengthen and deepen college going culture.	Up to 12	Credits through College Now	7

CUNY Early College Network Schools: 2018-2019

1974	Middle College National Consortium	Middle College High School at LaGuardia Community College	9-13
1985	Middle College National Consortium	International High School at LaGuardia Community College	9-13
1986	Middle College National Consortium	Brooklyn College Academy at Brooklyn College	9-12 (Screened)
2003	Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation	Science, Technology and Research (STAR) Early College High School at Brooklyn College	6-12
2003	Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation	Manhattan Hunter Science High School at Hunter College	9-12 (Screened)
ECSS in 2004	CUNY ECI	Hostos-Lincoln Academy of Science at Hostos Community College	6-12
2005	CUNY ECI	The Queens School of Inquiry at Queens College	6-12
2005	CUNY ECI	City College Academy of the Arts at City College	6-12
2006	CUNY ECI	York Early College Academy at York College	6-12
2006	CUNY ECI	Kingsborough Early College Secondary School at Kingsborough Community College	6-12
2008 as 9-13/ 9-14 in 2017	CUNY ECI	City Polytechnic High School of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology at NYC College of Technology	9-14
2011	ECI/DOE/IBM	Pathways in Technology Early College HS/P-TECH with NYC College of Technology	9-14
2013	ECI/DOE Industry partners: Con Edison/National Grid	Energy Tech High School at LaGuardia Community College	9-14
2013	ECI/DOE Industry partner: Montefiore Hospital	HERO High School at Hostos Community College	9-14
2014	ECI/DOE Industry partner: New York Presbyterian Hospital	Inwood Early College for Health & Information Technology at Bronx Community College	9-14
2014	ECI/DOE Industry partner: 4A’s	Manhattan Early College School for Advertising at BMCC	9-14
2014	ECI/DOE Industry partner: SAP	Business Technology Early College High School/BTECH at Queensborough Community College	9-14
ECHS 2019	ECI/DOE Industry partner: TBD	Academy for Careers in Television & Film at TBD	9-14
ECHS 2020	ECI/DOE Industry partner: TBD	Port Richmond High School at TBD	9-14

NYCPS Admissions

EC schools follow the NYCPS admissions process for middle and high school and are listed in the high school directory. 6-12 model schools predominantly follow an “open admissions” model at the middle school level. 9-14 Early College High Schools follow the “educational option” admissions process set up by the NYCPS.

Middle School Admissions Process for Grades 6-12 Early College Schools

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/middle-school

High School Admissions Process for Grades 9-14 Early College & Career Schools

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/high-school/nyc-high-school-admissions-guide

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College Course Taking through EC

College Course Selection

Early college students may qualify to take a specific scope & sequence of college classes specifically designed for their school program, generally starting in the 10th grade.

The college courses that students can select:

• Are often offered as dual credit, meaning they can count towards high school graduation requirements, high school electives, and college degree completion

• Are offered within a scope & sequence unique to the school that maps across all of the grade levels

• Follow a mostly pre-programmed set of courses with only a few elective choices because the scope & sequence must combine high school and college coursework within a set amount of time and/or because students are fulfilling specific degree requirements

• Require that students qualify by meeting CUNY proficiency benchmarks early in the course-taking experience (see College Course Eligibility section below)

College Course Taking Schedule

College courses are primarily:

• Offered within the school day

• Taught by professors (or high school teachers who are adjuncts for the college).

• Taught on the high school campus for Grades 9-11.

• Taught on the college campus for Grades 12-14.

• Taught for the same amount of time that they are taught on the college campus. For example, a typical 3-credit course is taught in two 90 minute sections per week.

Early colleges must address the challenge of scheduling high school courses around college courses, taking into account the differences in course length and duration over the semester. Students must fulfill NYCPS requirements and have sufficient time to transition between classes. High Schools must account for differences in seat-time requirements and provide students with sufficient time between classes if travel between campuses is involved. The NYCPS has different “seat time” requirements based on the number of credits assigned for a course, these credits help determine the number of instructional hours a student must complete per week. If a college course does not meet the required minimum, high schools must program the students for the difference. See: https://infohub.nyced.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/AcPolicy-HighSchoolAcademicPolicyGuide

Cohort Model

EC promotes college course taking in a cohort structure. A cohort is defined as a group of students, typically in the same year of high school, taking the same college courses. The cohort might be split among multiple course sections, but all students move through the scope & sequence as designed.

The majority of classes offered to EC students are in these “cohort sections” which are course sections created by EC Liaisons specifically for EC students. While the academic department at the college has final say on how professors are assigned, as the cohort sections are created by the liaison, it allows a degree of flexibility and input for faculty selection. Any course where there are seven or more students to be enrolled should be set up as a cohort section.

This cohort structure is cost effective as funding pays for a professor’s time to teach the class, and it costs less per student to open up a cohort section of a course than it would to pay-per-credit/tuition for each student taking the course individually. The cost savings allow EC to offer a greater number of course sections and support diverse academic programs. Additionally, the cohort structure facilitates scheduling students in groups for academic support. These supports can be developed by the school and college, and may involve outside community-based organizations.

Some academic supports that are facilitated through a cohort structure are:

• Group recitation by a high school teacher

• One-on-one tutoring by high school or college staff

• Skill-based grouping

• Group check-ins with high school and college support staff

• Peer tutoring organized by high school and college support staff

Blended Cohorts

If a school creates a cohort section with fewer than the “capacity/full enrollment” for the course (a minimum of seven early college students), the rest of the seats in that course may be offered to matriculated college students. This is called a “blended cohort”. Some courses may be intentionally designed as blended courses to provide the added benefit of having early college students take courses alongside matriculated students at the partner campus. Liaisons may also negotiate with departments to trade open seats when permitted in order to minimize the use of waivers.

Waiver Courses

In some cases, an individual student or small group of students must take a college course not offered as a cohort. When there are not enough early college students to create a cohort, then these students may enroll in the college course as “waiver” students. In this case, the cost per student is the direct cost per credit. EC limits the amount of waiver funding for all partnerships as it reduces funding for cohort classes across all of the schools. Waivers should be used only as a well-deliberated exception to the scope & sequence.

Getting into College Classes

Demonstrating Proficiency

Most college courses require students to demonstrate college proficiency in order to enroll. CUNY Pathways courses generally require CUNY proficiency.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the NYCPS announced that June and August 2020, and January 2021 Regents were to be canceled. In subsequent years, and until academic year 2022-23, many students were able to graduate with the Regents requirement waived. EC asked each partnership to work with their Math and English departments to develop campus-specific college-course eligibility metrics. By developing these metrics, academic departments at each college may dictate eligibility for EC students to take courses through their department during the period in which Regent scores are unavailable. Most of our campuses have now returned to using the Regent scores to mark proficiency.

Placement and Eligibility

After the student demonstrates proficiency, as set forward by the standards below, the department at the college may require the student to complete additional testing or meet other requirements to determine placement within a sequence of credit-bearing courses. Students meeting eligibility requirements allows them to begin college course-taking, but placement determines which course(s) they will be taking.

College Course Eligibility

Described below are the baseline proficiency standards required by CUNY and CUNY EC for students to be eligible to take courses within certain subject areas.

Each college may have additional course eligibility requirements above-and-beyond the minimum set in this document. Early College Liaisons should understand these requirements for the academic departments on their campus.

CUNY reading and writing proficiency may be demonstrated through:

• A score of 75 or higher on the New York State English Language Regents exam, or

• A score of 480 or higher on the Verbal/Critical Reading section of the SAT exam, or

• A score of 20 or higher on the English portion of the ACT exam

CUNY math proficiency may be demonstrated through:

• A score of 70 or higher on the Algebra Common Core or Geometry Common Core Regents Exams, or a score of 65 or higher in Algebra 2,or

• A score of 80 or higher in Integrated Algebra or Geometry or Algebra 2/Trigonometry AND successful completion of Algebra 2/Trigonometry or higher level course, or

• A score of 530 or higher on the SAT Math Section, or

• A score of 21 or higher on the Mathematics section of the ACT exam, or

• A CUNY Proficiency Index score based on a combination of high school grades and standardized test scores.

Before enrolling in college courses, early college students must fulfill all prerequisites, unless a prerequisite is waived by the department chair at the college.

High School Course Alignment

If the high school offers a subject specific course that precedes a college course within the scope & sequence, students required to take the high school course must successfully complete it before being able to take the college course (for example: high school Chemistry before college Chem 101).

Students who fail a high school course that precedes a college course in the same discipline are ineligible to take that college level course until they successfully pass the high school course. After successfully completing the high school course, they may enroll in the college course the next time it is offered in the scope & sequence as a cohort course section.

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Testing and Placement

Math Testing and Eligibility

EC encourages college and school partners to develop standards of college math readiness beyond the minimums expressed here particularly for students with study paths which are math intensive or those related to STEM degrees.

Each college may require students to take department-approved placement exams for college math placement purposes or that a student meet specific criteria/requirements the department has set for EC students. Students must successfully earn a qualifying Regents score (70 on Common Core Algebra or Geometry) or SAT or ACT qualifying score (as outlined above) and have successfully completed high school Algebra and Geometry, before completing this style of placement exam.

When students do not meet proficiency through Regents scores, or through the proficiency criteria, the school must provide an academic intervention to remediate math and testing skills, either through additional support at the high school or by enrolling students in CUNY Math Start starting the summer following 10th grade. Students in this case should also be programmed to retake the next available Algebra Regents exam.

The school-college partners should provide all students with testing preparation for any departmental math placement exams in order to maximize student performance and resulting placement. School-college partners should also consider programs such as CUNY Start to address the need for students to meet math proficiency. *See more information about Math Start in the “CUNY Start” Section below.* http://www2.cuny.edu/academics/academic-programs/model-programs/cuny-college-transition-programs/cuny-start/about-cuny-start/

English Testing and Eligibility

If a student has passed their high school English class but has not met reading/writing proficiency through the Regents administration by their senior year, they may apply to CUNY colleges and will be assessed with the CUNY Proficiency index to determine if remediation is needed.

• Community colleges may allow students to begin a college English course sequence without fully demonstrating proficiency through co-requisite credit-bearing courses that both remediate reading/writing needs but also provide a foundation for the entry-level college English courses.

• When students do not meet proficiency through the Regents or SAT, the school must provide an academic intervention of some kind to remediate reading/writing skills. Students in this case should also be encouraged to retake the ELA Regents exam.

• School-college partners should consider programs such as CUNY Start to address the need for students to meet reading/writing proficiency. http://www2.cuny.edu/academics/academic-programs/model-programs/cuny-college-transition-programs/cuny-start/about-cuny-start/

CUNY Proficiency Index

Students can demonstrate that they meet the university’s proficiency requirements in English and Math based on their SAT, ACT, or NY State Regents test scores. However, starting in the spring semester of 2019, in addition to using Regents and SAT scores to determine student proficiency, CUNY began using a newly developed Proficiency Index Score.

Because the CUNY Proficiency Index is calculated as part of the admissions process, this method of demonstrating proficiency may only be available to students completing a CUNY application during senior year.

The proficiency index scores are used to determine whether the student is eligible to begin in college level English and math or if remedial intervention is necessary.

This new index will use the following factors to determine whether a student has a greater than 65% likelihood of passing a credit bearing course:

• High School GPA

• Regents Scores

• SAT Scores

This index relies on the first three years of high school data in order to make a recommendation. The proficiency index is available when a student applies to matriculate at CUNY. The proficiency index uses information that is already part of the application for freshman admissions: student’s overall high school GPA at the time of application, SAT scores, and Regents scores. If an applicant has both SAT scores and Regents scores, the formula will use both scores, but if they have only Regents or only SAT, it will use whichever is available. The formula places more weight on high school grades than test scores, but higher test scores can help offset lower grades and vice versa.

Registration

Students should only be registered for college courses offered in the approved scope & sequence unless an exception has been granted.

The scope & sequence document adopted by the school should be approved by the steering committee for their partnership, or at minimum a college leader (i.e. Provost or Chief Academic Officer), before EC Liaisons register students.

The Early College Liaison, in collaboration with the administrative team at the high school and the college department chairs, develops the section lists of students for the courses. Registration for classes may be done by the Liaison, the registrar at the college, or by the students themselves, depending on the arrangements that the program makes with the college.

Each college course may have a different cap on the number of students, determined by the individual department in which the course is offered. This cap may differ from the NYCPS limit on class size, leading to either newer or more college course sections.

CUNYfirst and EMPLID’s

Students taking college classes must be given an EMPLID so that they can be registered in CUNYfirst. Liaisons should ensure (where applicable) that students’ EMPLID’s are connected to their Social Security numbers so that their college transcripts will follow them once they leave the program.

Course Codes: Dual Credit and College Credit

All college courses taken by early college students must be recorded in the NYCPS Student Transcript and Academic Reporting System (“STARS”) using the standardized NYCPS course codes. Where college courses are being offered for NYCPS high school course credit, courses must also be coded in STARS indicating that they are also college courses (i.e. adding a U to the code for University).

Data Collection and Recordkeeping

Early college and college staff agree to collaboratively collect and report data on college course taking and experiences in the CUNY EC database. College course registration must be entered in CUNY student information systems, using appropriate program codes. Data sharing and collection must be in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and respective regulations of the DOE and CUNY.

Existing NYCPS Policy

It is always good practice to become familiar with existing policy. Here is a sample of pre-existing policy from the NYCPS that pertains to college course taking:

NYCPS Awarding High School Credit for College Courses, Fall 2024

NYCPS Off-site Course Policy, Sept. 2018 (latest version)

NYCPS Five- and Six-Year Program Guidance, Feb 2019 (latest version)

Developing Policy for Your EC Partnership

In addition to the High School Academic Policy referenced above, there are also college-specific policies to which early college students must adhere. Students should engage in and experience college in ways that do not irreparably damage their academic records. EC Liaisons and high school partners should work together to help students avoid facing the following academic consequences due to a low GPA or failing or repeating classes:

Short Term

• Placement on academic probation delaying progress towards a degree

• Possible inability to complete the degree pathway offered by the EC program

Long Term

• Inability to transfer or enroll at a CUNY college

• If enrolling at partner college they may start already on academic probation

• Difficulty receiving financial aid post-program (because of too many failed or dropped classes or incorrect ratio of credits attempted to credits earned)

In order to ensure students’ optimal transition from their early college status to becoming a fully matriculated college student, liaisons and partners should consider implementing additional structures and support, such as: Checking every student’s transcript at the end of each semester to make sure they are in good academic standing (semester and cumulative GPA); Verifying requests for grade updates/changes; Ensuring that the ratio of credits attempted to credits earned remains above 85%; Verifying that students are eligible/approved for grade replacement; and Verifying that students meet the minimum GPA criteria to apply for their major/become candidates for graduation.

CUNY Academic Policy

Details on what each college defines as good academic standing, the process for getting on and off academic probation, and the policy for dismissal from the college is available on each college’s website in the college catalog and bulletin. Individual college policies supersede general CUNY policies described above.

Bronx Community College	http://www.bcc.cuny.edu/academics/academic-rules-regulations/
Brooklyn College	http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/about/administration/provost/faculty/graduate/policies.php
City College	https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/sites/default/files/CSOM-SDBEPStudentHandbookOct2017.pdf
College of Staten Island
Borough of Manhattan Community College	https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/registrar/policies-and-procedures/
Hostos Community College	http://www.hostos.cuny.edu/Administrative-Offices/Office-of-the-Registrar/Academic-Info
Hunter College	http://catalog.hunter.cuny.edu/content.php?catoid=28&navoid=5862
Kingsborough Community College	http://www.kbcc.cuny.edu/hb/Documents/Handbook.pdf
City Tech	http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/counseling/docs/importantPoints.pdf
LaGuardia Community College	https://www.laguardia.edu/uploadedFiles/Main_Site/Content/Academics/Catalog/PDFs/AcademicRequirementsAndPolicies.pdf
Queensborough Community College	http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/academics/docs/2019-20_College_Catalog.pdf
Queens College	https://www.qc.cuny.edu/academics/supportprograms/advising/academic-and-grading-policies/Pages/Default.aspx
York College	https://www.york.cuny.edu/academics/policies

After reviewing an individual college’s policy, early college schools should develop the following additional policies:

Criteria for Re-Enrollment/Continuing in College Classes: Successful Outcome: If a student has a grade of C or higher, they can continue to take college courses. Unsuccessful Outcome:If a student has a final course grade of D or F, or they have been withdrawn from a course after the official withdrawal period, they may be asked to sit out college course-taking for a semester. While some colleges and majors may accept D as a passing grade, for EC purposes, a GPA of 2.0 or above must be maintained, which necessitates a grade of C or better in a course. Course Withdrawal: Students should only be withdrawn from a course if their grade is irretrievable (student is expected to receive an D or an F). Liaisons should track the various withdrawal deadlines during the semester and connect with professors regarding students' performance. Students should be closely monitored early on in their college courses and provided with academic advising and support. If a student is unable to complete the course, they may withdraw, return to a high school course, and take the college course at another time with a different cohort. Returning to College Course taking: Students who have been withdrawn from a course should wait a semester before re-enrolling in college classes. During that semester, the high school should provide individual counseling and academic support to the student so that the return to college course taking results in a stronger performance. Schools should anticipate what it will mean for a student’s proposed completion of the program if they take a term off to get back on track. When students return to college course taking, they should be programmed into existing cohort sections. This will likely mean that the student is taking the college courses with younger students. Note: A student who is withdrawn from a college course in a semester may retake the course at a later time only if it does not jeopardize his/her high school coursework for graduation.

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Understanding Costs

Students enrolled in early college high schools are not charged for tuition, books, or fees related to the partnering college courses. CUNY and NYCPS have agreed to share the cost of early college expenses. These expenses include, but are not limited to, the following:

• College course tuition

• College course instructor salaries

• College course textbooks

• Staff time to support and administer the partnership between the school and the college

• Collaborative planning and professional development for EC and college faculty

• Administration of the data systems to track enrollment and outcomes in college courses, generate college transcripts for students, and share college course data with appropriate NYCPS offices

• Student support services at the associated college

Additionally, students participating in the EC program are granted access to college facilities and services such as tutoring centers, libraries and library services, and where negotiated, access to the gym and other student centers. Individual campuses may regulate access to their facilities in unique ways.

Budget Process

Each high school and college partnership is responsible for submitting a budget proposal to the Early College each year. As part of the annual budget review process, scope & sequence updates need to be provided.

The elements of the EC budget consist of the following:

• liaison salary

• college courses (cohort sections and waivers)

• administrative support (when applicable)

• textbooks

• partner collaboration

• office supplies

TIMELINE

EC budgets are funded through tax-levy money, and the funded budget amounts are made available at each CUNY college according to the following timeline:

August	Fiscal Year (FY) Budget Allocations/Awards Distributed Liaisons review awards and adjust programs accordingly.
November	Mid-Year Tax-Levy Budget Review Documents and Guidelines Distributed Liaisons review FY budget and make adjustments to Spring program. Liaisons meet with School and College Partnership leadership team to discuss program finalize changes to the proposed Spring program.
January	Mid-Year Tax-Levy Budget Review Documents Due Liaisons adjust projected expenditures for Spring Semester. Liaisons reconcile budget to match FY approved budgets.
Jan-Feb	Mid-Year Tax-Levy Budget Discussions EC contacts liaisons to discuss budget and program adjustments.
February	Mid-Year Budget Adjustments Made Funds are transferred between colleges/campuses.
March	Fiscal Year Tax-Levy Budget Proposal Documents and Guidelines Distributed Liaisons meet with the High School and College leadership team to discuss the next year’s planned program and create a budget proposal. Liaisons receive both FY and Summer proposal documents during this period.
April	Summer Budget Proposal Documents Due Liaisons submit Summer Budget Proposal Documents. EC contacts liaisons to discuss Summer budget requests and allocations.
May	Fiscal Year Tax-Levy Budget Proposal Documents Due Liaisons submit budget proposal documents including: Scope & Sequence, Budget Narratives, Courses Offered, Textbook Lists, and Cost Estimates. EC contacts liaisons to discuss proposals and determines budget allocations.
June-July	EC Proposes Budget Allocations through CUNY Central Office Budget Process and Determines Final FY Awards If adjustments are required, EC may contact liaisons to adjust proposals. Funding awards are distributed centrally during the Summer term and timing may vary based on Central Office factors.

Generally, Summer Budget Proposals are due in April, while Fiscal Year Proposals are due in May. In July or August, a budget award letter is sent from the Central Office at CUNY to each college president and details the amount of funds approved for that fiscal year. Subsequent to the award letter, funding becomes available at each partner college. Midyear reporting is due in January, which presents the opportunity to compare scheduled vs. spent funds and make adjustments.

Academic year funding is typically awarded after the fiscal year has commenced. The award letter for a fiscal year may arrive weeks after the start of the fiscal year. EC will usually provide liaisons approval confirmation for their summer programming before the official letter from the Central Office arrives. Partnerships can begin programming and purchasing commitments for the summer term before receiving the formal budget approval letter from the Central Office. Before the formal award letter is sent, EC may share a budget target for a partnership’s FY funding if a program is asked to adjust their proposal, but official allocations can only be confirmed once the official award letter is sent from Central. If requested, EC may provide liaisons with a pre-award memo, if needed by the campus budget office or outside vendors that can be used to show that funding is projected to cover specifically approved costs.

EC Budget Reporting and Recordkeeping

Liaisons are responsible for maintaining ledgers that track expenditures relative to funding for budget lines. Liaisons are required to reconcile budget items against invoices or other documents produced by offices at the college. Keeping meticulous records of registrations in waiver and cohort courses is important. Liaisons can compare the numbers with those of the campus budget offices for cost tracking purposes.

EC Liaisons should review their cost projections in advance of submitting their mid-year reconciliations and budget proposal documents and request budget information from their college budget office regarding Fall expenses and faculty salaries to confirm their calculations and projections for actual costs.

STUDENT INFORMATION

Liaisons should maintain accurate student records, which include biographical, demographic, unique identifiers (CUNYFirst IDs also known as EMPLIDs), Social Security Numbers, health/vaccination/immunization status, and grades. Most of this information needs to be gathered from the high school. This information should be used to register the students into CUNYFirst in order to enroll them in courses.

EC guideline is that liaisons have incoming 9th grade students and their families complete a college course onboarding packet in anticipation of college course enrollment in coming years. FERPA (Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act) guidelines apply when handling student information. FERPA protects both the College and student information for students over 18 years of age, for students under the age of 18 parents have the legal right to receive their student records and may request those from the program. Liaisons should ensure that permission has been granted to share and collect student information through the appropriate consent forms. Liaisons should maintain secure electronic files with student information that track all data and account for which pieces of information are present and missing from a student’s file. Each student’s CUNYfirst ID and OSIS number should be the centerpiece of their data file. Each ID can be used to get more information from either CUNY or NYCPS data systems. In addition, liaisons should also create and maintain a separate electronic filing system for course taking that includes grades and withdrawals. Keeping some anecdotal information is also a good practice. EC requires that liaisons be able to provide quick access to information for verification, reporting, inquiry, and analysis.

STUDENT REGISTRATION STATUS

Each EC student should be registered as "non-matriculated" with the EC student marker in CUNY First. If the college has more than one early college high school partner, there will need to be a subgroup that differentiates the schools. These student groups not only help to differentiate EC students, but they also ensure that students are not erroneously billed for courses.

NYCPS Policy for Student Recordkeeping

In addition to EC Policy, each school must comply with NYCPS Policy regarding college course taking as follows:

Schools may offer advanced-level courses that bear credit toward a high school diploma and also bear higher education credit through arrangements with higher education institutions. NYCPS students may participate in college-preparatory and college-level courses in a number of ways, including at a NYCPS high school or on a college campus, during the school day, or after school hours. While courses may be taught by a college professor, all courses should be inputted into the DOE STARS system by a NYCPS teacher or administrator who records the final high school grade and confers high school credits, if applicable. When establishing partnerships with higher education institutions and designing college-prep or college-level experiences, schools must keep in the mind the following policies regardless of when, where, or by whom the course is taught: All students in grades 7–12 must be programmed for 180 minutes per week per unit of study/course, exclusive of lunch and inclusive of time spent in actual instructional or supervised study activities. Schools must record student attendance and know of students’ locations at all times. Students must be programmed in STARS and receive a final grade in all classes at the end of a term, so that students’ progress toward completing course and exam requirements are captured. STARS course codes capture important information about what is taught in a course and how that content is delivered. Schools must use the standardized High School Course Code Directory when programming students in STARS. Courses that are reflected on the transcript should have clear, meaningful titles. For questions about course coding and programming in STARS, contact your academic policy and systems lead. Grades and Records Earning Credits Students may earn credit for college-level courses completed in partnership with a college or university while enrolled at the NYCPS in the following ways: College credits only: Colleges may award credit for college-level courses taken during high school, depending on the policy of the college offering the course and/or the policy of the college or university where a student enrolls after high school. Students should check with the colleges they are applying to regarding their credit transfer policies. High school credits only: Principals may award high school credit for a college-level course if: the course aligns to NYSED commencement-level learning standards, as outlined in the course syllabus; the work completed is of comparable scope and rigor to that which would have been completed at their high school; and the student passes the course, in accordance with the high school’s grading policy. Dual credit: Students may be able to receive dual credit (both high school credit and college credit) for completing a college course if the course meets the requirements for bearing both high school and college credit. Principals may award high school credit at their discretion for student-initiated work completed independently at other educational institutions, including college courses. The high school credit values of college courses often do not correspond to the credit values used by colleges. The decision to award credit (and the number of credits to award) shall be based on whether the course aligns with commencement-level learning standards and is of comparable scope and rigor to that which would have been done in the high school. DOE staff may consult the NYCPS Transfer Credit guidance document and Transcript Update Form for information on how to add college courses to a student’s transcript in STARS. Schools must maintain evidence of what is taught in any course, including college-prep and college-level courses taught in partnership with the NYCPS. This documentation should include the standards to which the course aligns, which teacher is instructing the course, and when the course is offered. Schools may document course content in a variety of formats, including syllabi, curriculum maps, scope & sequence guides, lesson plans, and course directories. The Course Review Form is an optional tool that schools may use to evaluate new and existing courses for alignment to standards and the policies outlined in this document. If students are attending college-prep or college-level courses off-site, schools should also use the Off-Site Coursework Agreement Form to establish student and parent expectations for off-site coursework. The form should be saved in the student’s cumulative folder. Schools should work with their DOE Field Support Centers to inquire about these forms. Seat Time and Course Duration Seat time varies between high school and college courses. NYCPS seat time for a high school course is 54 hours per semester. College courses range but a three credit course is generally 46 hours of seat time. One three credit college course can be dual credited with one high school course, despite the difference in seat time. Colleges determine their course schedules and course durations. Sometimes, a college-prep or college-level course may provide students with the opportunity for fewer than 54 hours. In this case, it is acceptable for the high school to award high school credit for the college course so long as the course meets the requirements outlined above. Students on track for graduation often reach their senior year needing only a few required courses or already having met minimum diploma requirements. Regardless, schools should schedule all students in their first four years of high school for 5.5 hours of instructional or supervised study activities. Schools may use a variety of options to support students in pursuing more rigorous diploma options and strengthening their college and career readiness, including: Extended core courses (e.g. a fourth year of math or science), Advanced Placement (AP)® courses, International Baccalaureate courses, college-preparatory courses, or elective courses Off-site internships, overseen by a teacher or administrator in the school, which align with learning standards Courses at a college in partnership with the high school, as described in this document Seminars or independent studies where students can research a topic of interest to them Advisory activities to support students in planning for college and careers Attendance for Off-site Courses Schools adopting learning models that include off-site components during the school day must: Establish protocols for teachers to document student attendance during off-site and/or virtual coursework Record student attendance in ATS. When a student is present at an off-site location, schools enter reason code 72 in ATS in CIND for daily or AM or PM attendance, or in PACH for period attendance, as appropriate Document the school’s protocols for tracking and documenting student attendance at off-site and/or virtual locations in the school’s Attendance Plan (as part of the Consolidated Plan) Number of Credits Earned High school credit values typically do not correspond to the credit values used by colleges. For example, some colleges award three college credits for a semester course whereas a NYCPS high school typically awards one credit for a semester course. NYCPS high schools should carefully determine the equivalent high school credit value based on the scope and rigor of the college course content. Schools may not award additional credit for increasing the rigor of a course. However, schools can choose to weigh more rigorous courses, such as college courses, more heavily in a student’s GPA. See the Grading Policy Toolkit and the High School Academic Policy Guide for more information. Dual Credit & High School Requirements Students may use college-prep and college-level courses that bear high school credit to fulfill graduation requirements. While some students may take college-prep or college-level courses in place of a high school course requirement, participation in college-prep and college-level courses to fulfill core graduation requirements must always be voluntary. Students may not receive credit for content that has been previously learned. Ultimately, if the content of the college course is duplicative and students are receiving the exact same content twice, students may not receive credit twice. If the content of the college course is different, students may receive additional credit for the college course. The content and standards must always be clearly documented and evidenced in syllabi. High School Transcript and College-Course Grades College-prep and college-level course grades are determined according to the policies of the college overseeing the course. Grading expectations should be documented prior to the commencement of a course and communicated clearly to students, families, and staff. This may include establishing expectations around how and when course grades are communicated to families, recognizing that colleges generally communicate grades only to students. In determining how a college course grade will be reflected on students’ high school transcripts, high schools may establish policies at the school, department, grade, and/or course level. For example, schools may wish to define how grades awarded by colleges are translated into final high school course grades and weighted in students’ GPAs. Schools also should have clearly defined procedures to ensure that students’ final course grades are entered in STARS in a timely manner and no later than four weeks after the end of the marking period. Teacher of Record Colleges follow specific policies and procedures for appointing college course instructors, including the appointment of high school teachers to instruct college courses (for example, adjunct instructors). Recognizing this, schools may develop a variety of models for instructing college courses in partnership with colleges. For example, a school may develop a partnership in which a subject-certified NYCPS teacher appointed by the college provides instruction and feedback in collaboration with a professor at the college. In addition, many college professors also hold the Transitional G Certificate for New York State. There are many ways for high schools to design partnerships with colleges; schools may contact their academic policy and systems lead or HR director at their Field Support Center for additional assistance. The teacher providing instruction must be the teacher listed for that course in STARS. To ensure records accurately reflect who teaches these courses, schools should manually enter names of college teachers when they are not in Galaxy. A teacher or school staff who provides non-instructional support (i.e. supervising students attending a college-level course on a college campus), should be added as “Teacher 2” in the course’s “Section Properties.” In all cases, the teacher of record in STARS should be the teacher providing instruction and awarding the final grade.

The award of grades and credit for college courses must conform with existing academic credit policies at the partner college. All college courses that are determined to also bear high school credit must be recorded in STARS using standardized NYCPS high school course codes and credit values.

Students shall have access to both high school and college transcripts that indicate course and exam outcomes. NYCPS high schools provide STARS transcripts which display all high school courses (including college courses offered for high school credit, with high school credit values). College partners can provide college transcripts which display all college courses.

CUNY Degree Requirements

If an early college school offers a degree, as is the case for all 9-14 P-TECH schools and any 6-12/9-13 school that is partnered with a community college, students’ coursework follows the degree pathway and credit requirements. An Associate’s degree is typically 60 college credits.

All other early college schools offer a range of college credits that will lead to degree completion after students leave the program.

Degrees are selected and set out in the scope & sequence through the school’s Steering Committee, a collaborative body that includes leadership from the school, NYCPS, EC, the college, and in some cases, the industry partner. The Steering Committee typically meets twice a year to review school data, discuss collaborative plans, and update the scope & sequence as needed.

Similarly to matriculated students, EC students also have to apply for community college graduation or have their Liaison apply for graduation on their behalf in order for their degrees to be conferred. They also have to become matriculated students in order to receive their degree.

To prepare students for community college graduation and matriculation a few things seem to be standard practice at community college campuses partnered with EC Schools:

• The Liaison keeps track of when a student is potentially scheduled to graduate from the community college, including at the schools currently partnered with ASAP for grades 13 and 14, where tracking is done in conjunction with ASAP advisors.

• To get students flipped to matriculated, the Liaison often gives a graduation list to the admissions, registrar and/or provost offices and in some cases Department Chairs may need to be involved. A recommendation is to notify college offices the semester before expected graduation to provide the various offices with ample time to complete all the steps required (there is a marked difference between: 1, 5 vs. 50 students graduating) and it gives more time to troubleshoot potential issues.

Why it’s important for Liaisons to help prepare students for community college graduation, matriculation and troubleshoot issues: EC students are non matriculated/non-degree seeking students while they are connected to their high school but in order for them to graduate with their community college degree the Liaison needs to help with a number of steps to ensure they are matriculated and the college confers degree. And all graduation processes may not be the same for EC students as matriculated students. For instance, since EC students are not registered in CUNYfirst as matriculated students, at some campuses they cannot just simply apply for graduation online as most students can.

In addition there may be lag time from when a student’s degree is conferred that a student/family/school and other four-year colleges the student may transfer to may need to be aware of. This EC chart here (filled out by Liaisons in September 2020) outlines the many steps involved in college degree application and matriculation at different community colleges and the estimated degree conferral dates.

CUNY Pathways

Pathways

CUNY Pathways courses are general education courses that can be fulfilled by each college’s selected coursework. Pathways course credits transfer university-wide. Courses marked as Pathways can be used to fulfill specific core area requirements towards a degree. Importantly, while the credits will be accepted by all CUNY colleges, and some SUNY colleges, the courses may not directly replace a comparable course if required by a major or academic department. For example: Chem 101 may be a similar course as Chem 1 at a different campus, they will both confer credit in the core science bucket, but if Chem 1 is a specific prerequisite for a sequence at that campus, the academic department may still ask a student to take that course unless they are granted an exception.

Scope & sequences for each program should prioritize Pathways courses for several reasons: They can be dual credited with high school core course content.They transfer across the CUNY system. They generally require college proficiency, ensuring that students have demonstrated readiness and are eligible to begin credit-bearing sequences of courses. They allow students to complete their general education credits ahead of schedule, providing momentum towards degree completion.

Each scope & sequence should provide at least 20 college course credits between 10th and 12th grades, with priority being given to CUNY Pathway courses with the goal of having students earn 15 credits on average by the end of grade 12.

Academic Standards, Policies, and Procedures

Grading Policy

• Every college course should have a clear grading policy that is outlined in the course syllabus and approved by the appropriate department at the partner college. It is the responsibility of the college course instructor to inform students of the policy and keep accurate records of every student’s performance in the course.

• College instructors, Early College Liaisons, and school leaders should work together to develop or adopt existing monitoring systems as well as administer early assessments of student learning in college courses in order to support students in improving academic standing.

Grade Point Average

• The grade point average (GPA) is an ongoing measure of student performance in college courses and is calculated by the Registrar’s Office upon completion of each semester. The following grades are included in the GPA computation: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, F, WU, and FIN. P grades are not included.

• A cumulative GPA is an average of the grades a student has earned throughout their tenure in a given college or program and is recorded on their official college transcript.

• A semester GPA is an average of the grades a student has earned in a single semester.

Good Academic Standing and Grades Required for Graduation and Transfer to Other Colleges

Given the importance of maintaining a satisfactory GPA to graduate with a college degree, each college within the City University of New York has established standards required for students to remain in Good Academic Standing. Students in Early College schools must comply with these requirements. Generally, students maintain Good Academic Standing by meeting the standards for an acceptable GPA as shown in the chart below which describes the Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress standards for recipients of financial aid:

0-12.5	1.50
13-24	1.75
25 or more	2.00

It is important for early college students to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0, which is the equivalent of a “C” average, no matter how many college courses they have taken.

• Colleges within the City University of New York have determined that a minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for graduation.

• A cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 is a requirement for transfer to four-year (baccalaureate degree) programs within CUNY.

• Students with a cumulative GPA below 2.0 may not be eligible for entrance to some associate degree programs, such as Nursing or ASAP.

Academic Probation

Each college within the City University of New York has established policies for academic probation. Students are placed on academic probation when their cumulative GPA has fallen below the requirements established for good academic standing (see above).

Early College students placed on academic probation must demonstrate improved academic achievement (as defined by their partner college) at the end of the probationary semester.

• At most colleges, students on academic probation who achieve the required minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 by the end of the semester will be considered in good academic standing and no longer on probation.

• At most colleges, students on academic probation who do not meet the required minimum cumulative GPA but who achieve a GPA of at least 2.0 for the semester will be placed on Continued Academic Probation for one semester.

• At most colleges, students who don’t qualify for Continued Academic Probation are dismissed from the college. However, college-school partners should weigh the options of suspension from college courses or Continued Academic Probation given the fact that students will leave the program at their high school program, which could be year 12 for grades 6-12 and 9-12 schools, grade 13 for grades 9-13 schools, or grade 14 for 9-14 schools.

• During a semester suspension, a student should be engaged in some type of academic support program in order to prepare for readmission to college courses. Academic skills in addition to ‘college readiness’ skills should be considered in determining an appropriate support program. EC has a “College Success Program Curriculum & Resource Guide” on the EC website to assist school-college partners in developing a probationary program. See: http://earlycollege.cuny.edu/resources/resources-for-high-school-staff/

Readmission to College Courses

• Early college students who have been suspended from college courses due to lack of satisfactory academic progress may request to resume their college studies after one semester. Requests should be submitted to the Liaison and approved prior to the start of the semester in which a student wants to re-enter college courses.

• In their request, students should demonstrate that they have made sufficient academic progress through other means (i.e. performance in high school courses, independent study, internships, etc.). Students should also explain how they plan to improve their performance in the college program.

Repeating Courses

CUNY policy allows students to repeat courses and thereby attempt to improve their cumulative GPA.

• If a student earns a failing grade (F or its equivalent) in a course, the student may repeat the course in an attempt to pass. If the student earns a grade of C or better, the initial failing grade will not be counted in the student’s GPA. Although the initial failing grade will continue to appear on the student’s transcript, only the new grade will be counted in the student’s GPA.

• A maximum of 16 credits of failing grades may be replaced in this manner. This 16-credit limit applies to all courses taken by a student for the duration of the student’s undergraduate enrollment in CUNY institutions.

EC encourages schools and college partners to develop an internal protocol to advise students who need to repeat courses. Students should be made aware of the 16 course limit and understand that this limit applies to their entire CUNY undergraduate career, including courses taken during high school. This limit is important for many reasons, since once a student is no longer able to replace grades, any grade earned will affect academic standing and may have financial aid implications.

Listing of Academic Programs

Business Technology Early College High School (B-TECH)	Queensborough Community College	Computer Information Systems A.A.S. Internet and Information Technology A.A.S.	9-14
Brooklyn College Academy	Brooklyn College	credits towards a Liberal Arts B.A.	9-12
City College Academy of the Arts	The City College of New York	credits towards a Liberal Arts B.A.	6-12
City Polytechnic High School of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology	New York City College of Technology	A.A.S in Construction Management Technolgy A.A.S. in Civil Engineering A.A.S in Architectural Technology	9-14
Energy Tech High School	LaGuardia Community College	Engineering A.S.	9-14
HERO High School	Hostos Community College, CUNY	A.A.S. in Nursing; A.A.S. in Community Health	9-14
Hostos-Lincoln Academy of Science	Hostos Community College, CUNY	Up to 60 credits towards a Liberal Arts A.A.	6-12
International High School at LaGuardia Community College	LaGuardia Community College	Up to 60 credits towards A.A. and A.A.S. degrees	9-13
Inwood Early College for Health & Information Technologies	Bronx Community College	A.S. in Liberal Arts/Biology Concentration; A.A.S. in Cybersecurity	9-14
Kingsborough Early College Secondary School	Kingsborough Community College	Liberal Arts A.A.	6-12
Manhattan Hunter Science High School	Hunter College	Credits towards a Liberal Arts B.A.	9-12
The Manhattan Early College School for Advertising (MECA)	Borough of Manhattan Community College	A.S. in Digital Marketing A.S. in Media Arts and Technology A.S. in Multimedia Programming and Design, Video Arts and Technology, or Animation and Motion Graphics	9-14
Middle College High School at LaGuardia Community College	LaGuardia Community College	Up to 60 credits towards A.A. and A.A.S. degrees	9-13
Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH)	NYC College of Technology	A.A.S. in Computer Systems Technology A.A.S. in Electromechanical Engineering Technology	9-14
Queens School of Inquiry	Queens College	60 credits towards a Liberal Arts B.A.	6-12
Science, Technology and Research Early College High School	Brooklyn College	Credits towards a Liberal Arts B.A.	6-12
York Early College Academy	York College	60 credits towards a Liberal Arts A.A.	6-12

Student Support Services within NYCPS and CUNY

CUNY Supports

Early college schools may arrange to access various additional CUNY programs that prepare students for college proficiency, including the following:

CUNY Start

CUNY Start

CUNY Start is a developmental education intervention to help students make a successful transition to college by reducing or eliminating remedial needs prior to enrollment. CUNY Start provides intensive preparation in academic reading/writing, math, and “college success” advisement for students entering CUNY with significant remedial needs. The goal of the program is to help students prepare for college-level coursework and to meet CUNY’s proficiency standards prior to starting credit-bearing courses.

Program Highlights:

• Through a special arrangement, EC campus budgets can cover the cost ($75 pp) of classes, and each EC Liaison coordinates student access

• Reduces or eliminates need for remedial instruction

• Provides dedicated teachers and expert advisors to support long-term college success

• Offers up to two opportunities to meet CUNY’s academic proficiency standards

• Removes the barrier of remediation and allows EC students to take advantage of the college courses that require proficiency and are offered at no-cost to students while connected to their high school

Participating Colleges:

CUNY Start operates on the following CUNY Campuses:

• Borough of Manhattan Community College

• Bronx Community College

• College of Staten Island

• Guttman Community College

• Hostos Community College

• Kingsborough Community College

• LaGuardia Community College

• Medgar Evers College

• New York City College of Technology

• Queensborough Community College

To contact any of these programs please visit: CUNY Start Campuses

Program Schedule:

CUNY Start is offered during one full semester in the Fall or Spring and offered as both a full-time and part-time program (varying by campus):

• Full-time schedule: 25 hours/week; students attend both academic math and reading/writing

• Part-time schedule: 12 hours/week; students attend either academic math or reading/writing

• All students attend a weekly college success seminar

CUNY Math Start

CUNY Tutor Corps

Debating US History

CUNY Explorers

NYCPS Support Programs

CA4A

College Access for All (CA4A)

A number of early college schools participate in and receive funding from College Access for All (CA4A), including all of the P-TECH 9-14 schools. Each school chooses a project to focus on and determines how they will allocate resources.

Second Tab

Campus Services and Facilities

Early college students are entitled to access all of the facilities and resources of their partnering college, including the library, Writing Centers, cafeteria, tutoring, professor office hours, gym, etc. Colleges allow and encourage ECS staff and students to access college facilities at no personal cost.

EC students receive college ID cards, and because they are still NYCPS students, they also receive a NYCPS Metrocard and are entitled to school lunch, special education supports, mandated counseling supports, and any other service provided by the NYCPS.

ECS staff may, from time-to-time and upon notice to the school, visit classes that DOE students are attending.