Ohio Dominican University and The Graham School Launch The Charles School
February 16, 2007
COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio Dominican University is joining with The Graham School to launch an experiential Early College High School that will significantly improve college success for young people in Central Ohio.
The Charles School at Ohio Dominican University, a new public charter high school, will open this fall on the ODU campus at 1216 Sunbury Road. The school is part of a nationwide network of Early College High Schools initiated through funds from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other supporting organizations. The Charles School is open to all Ohio students entering the 9th grade. A target population of the school will be students who have a desire to go to college and would be the first in their family to do so.
Students will have the opportunity to graduate with a high school diploma and up to 62 hours of college credit and/or an associate’s degree, at no cost to the student. The Charles School curriculum is enriched by extensive technology and online support in all aspects of teaching and learning.
The Charles School is being developed by The Graham School, a charter school serving grades 9-12. The Graham School, now in its seventh year, has more than 100 community partners where students work and are mentored on a weekly basis. Its success caught the attention of the state, which enabled it through legislation and planning grants to begin a second school. The first class of 100 students will begin studies on the ODU campus in Fall 2007, and The Charles School will add one grade each year over the next five years, with an anticipated cap enrollment of 400.
“The Charles School is the result of a partnership between Ohio Dominican University and The Graham School, to creatively address the needs of first-generation, college-bound high school students. It reflects our university’s legacy of innovative public education programs and community outreach,” said Ohio Dominican University President Jack Calareso.
In addition to college course work beginning in the junior year, The Charles School will be the first early college high school in the nation to bring a focus on experiential education, a central part of the Graham School’s curriculum. The experiential program places students in community service learning work, guided by teachers and other adult mentors. The Charles School, like The Graham School, has a goal for its students to become self-directed learners and connected more deeply to the community. The experiential program focuses directly on that mission, joining together classroom and community-based learning.
“Our aim is to make high school as meaningful as possible for students…to engage them in work that truly matters to them,” said Eileen Meers, dean of students and founder of The Graham School. “The experiential program allows students the chance to create a good portion of their own learning environment. Through the experiential program, The Charles School will help students make connections between their demanding academic studies and both their inner personal lives and encounters with the wider community.”
Experiential partners throughout the community will provide off-school sites and opportunities for Charles School students, and families will be an integral part of the school community.
The Delaware Union Educational Service Center serves as the Ohio Department of Education’s affiliated sponsor to both The Graham School and The Charles School. The Charles School has submitted an application for affiliation with the Middle College National Consortium, headquartered in New York City, and is awaiting word on acceptance. Middle College would serve as the intermediary to Jobs for the Future, the Gates-funded organization spearheading this national effort.
The Charles School will sponsor three Open Houses providing more details about the program, and an opportunity to begin the application process. The Open Houses will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on the following dates/locations:
Monday, February 26
Community Room, Alumni Hall
Ohio Dominican University
1216 Sunbury Road
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Wednesday, March 28
The Graham School
3950 Indianola Ave.
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Monday, April 30
Community Room, Alumni Hall
Ohio Dominican University
1216 Sunbury Road
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Enrollment/registration information may also be obtained from The Graham School. For additional information, contact The Charles School at Ohio Dominican University at (614) 251-7667 or visit the website, www.thecharlesschool.org.
- Currently there are more than 130 Early College High Schools throughout the country. That number is expected to rise to 240 by 2011.
- There are currently six other Early College High Schools in Ohio, including the Africentric High School of Columbus Public Schools.
- These schools make college readiness possible for a wide spectrum of students who might not have considered college affordable or attainable.
- Existing Early College High Schools demonstrate high attendance rates, excellent promotion rates and success in college-level courses.
- Diverse student bodies are the norm.
- Many Early College High School students are eligible for free and reduced lunch.
- Teachers, administrators, parents and school partners have a joint commitment to students.
- Qualified Early College High Schools are part of a national consortium of Early College High Schools that receive support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other sources, as a way to provide accelerated learning to highly motivated students who go on to achieve demonstrated success in college.
