A blend of high school, college in North Carolina

CURRITUCK, N.C.

James McClain wants to be a nurse, but he worries about the burden of college costs on his family.

So when he learned that a new high school in Currituck would offer two years of college credits, he applied immediately.

Last week, the 16-year-old sophomore cracked jokes during a g eneral psychology class worth three credits from College of The Albemarle.

Adjunct Professor Tammy Kelley said she teaches it the same way as her other sections, including using the college textbook.

To attend J.P. Knapp Early College High School, in a former elementary school building on Caratoke Highway, James and the other 136 students gave up sports teams, band and technology electives.

"It may not benefit us now, but it'll benefit us later," James said.

North Carolina has 70 Learn and Earn schools like Knapp that blend high school and college at no cost to students or school districts. Such schools, which operate in 24 states and the District of Columbia, are aimed at first-generation college students and other groups underrepresented in higher education, such as minorities and the poor.

"This is not just for the brightest kids," said Paul O'Briant, who is running the school until the summer. "The goal is to have a population that mirrors the other high school," and to support students who might not otherwise attend college. A few weeks ago, O'Briant replaced the principal, who abruptly resigned for personal reasons.

In Virginia, college-bound students can earn credits without going to a separate school. The Early College Scholars program is open to students pursuing advanced diplomas, taking advanced high school classes and maintaining at least a B average.

The Knapp program in North Carolina opened in 2008, like an early college high school focused on agriscience and biotechnology in Bertie County, and has not yet produced graduates. But on a state and national level, the idea has been successful.

Early college high schools in North Carolina have dropout rates one-fifth the size of other high schools. About 60 percent of the schools outperform other high schools on state exams, according to a February report from Jobs for the Future, a Boston-based organization that sponsors early college high schools and work force programs.

North Carolina pays the cost of college credits for any student still enrolled in high school and accepts certain college courses for high school credit.

This semester, Knapp is offering five college classes, four online. The psychology class involves both online sessions and in-person meetings. Students said they don't find the college work more difficult.

Last week, a few stood before their classmates to describe behavior modification experiments they performed on family members or friends.

James, the eldest child, tried to get his 13-year-old brother to come outside instead of playing video games.

"The first day, I said; 'How about we go outside and play?' At first he said no, but I kept asking." That time the pair played with Airsoft guns for 30 minutes.

On the next attempt, coaxing his brother outside took little effort. "He stayed outside about two hours," James said.

James said he decided to become a nurse because he had a heart transplant as a toddler. But with five kids at home and his mom working on a college degree, the idea of getting college credits in high school appealed to him.

"My family's not the richest kind of people," he said. "I'll have two years of college credits for free."

Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com