Ever notice how students on college campuses seem to get younger and younger every year?
Well, at Butte College, it's no illusion. There, on the pastoral campus near Chico, as many as 90 high school students are attending college classes as part of College Connection, a transitional program that gives students a taste of higher education.
Started 10 years ago through a partnership between Butte College and Paradise Unified School District, the program reaches out to high school students in nearby Chico, Oroville, Durham, Orland, Biggs and Gridley.
Mike Rocklein (back right) and some of the high school students he counsels on the Butte College campus: (clockwise from top left) Jamon Tennant, Deborah Ingoglia, Aaron Green, Joel Singer, Raina Call, Miriah Becker, Emily Alton and Matt Armstrong.
"Mainly we wanted to design a program to get kids hooked into college," says Mike Rocklein, a Paradise High School counselor who has directed the program since 1990 and has overseen its successful growth over the years.
When College Connection began a decade ago, Rocklein had only heard of two similar programs at community colleges - in West Los Angeles and at De Anza College in Cupertino. Today, there are almost a dozen programs on various college campuses for high school students. Several new programs are scheduled to be implemented in the coming school year. But the Butte program may well prove to be a model for others.
The Butte College program appeals not only to high-achieving students who are planning to attend the university, but also students who aren't doing well academically and have become bored with the high school scene. The program also draws from the pool of students in the middle, who often miss out on special programs.
"At the time when we started the program, I was looking for 'middle students.' There are many smart, bright kids who get turned off in high school," says Rocklein.
Rocklein points out that "Second to None," the report in which the California Department of Education sets forth a vision of the new high school, describes the senior year as a transition year for high school students, and one in which they should be exploring their options.
Students take from nine to 12 college units per semester - or almost two-thirds of their college freshman year. At the same time, they are also completing some of their remaining high school courses. That way, both the high school and college districts receive funding for the program.
Rocklein, who works on the community college campus, serves as advisor to 30 students in the program. His colleague, Carol Mitchell, advises 33 students from Chico Unified and Orland Unified while Julie Decker has as many from the smaller districts of Oroville, Biggs and Gridley.
Along with Mitchell and Decker, Rocklein teaches college survival skills during the first period of the day. Students learn time management, organizational skills, career planning and study skill strategies.
He sees himself as providing an anchor for the students. "How many programs actually send a counselor or teacher to be with students for a whole day?" he asks. "From my perspective, this program allows quality time. You're a teacher, a counselor, a mentor and a coach. Many times, I'm their biggest cheerleader."
"I loved College Connection," says Miriah Becker, a Butte College graduate who was in the program two years ago. "I loved not being in high school and I loved the responsibility. It allowed you to push yourself."
Becker blossomed in the program. Last year, she was elected student body vice president, a position she claims she would never have tried for had it not been for College Connection.
Other students are happy to get out of the sometimes socially suffocating atmosphere of high school. "In college, no one cares who you are," says Rayhan Khan, a student from Gridley High School. "High school has the in-crowd and the out-crowd. In college, no one is in or out."
After 10 years, the program is still sought after by students in the area. The program has become well-accepted among the local high schools where students vie for the limited slots. Students must go through an admissions process that includes completing an essay, undergoing an interview, asking teachers for recommendations, and providing a letter of support from parents.
There are no typical College Connection students. While many see it as a way to get an early start on their college credits, others view it as a second chance to succeed. In fact, the high school grade point averages for College Connection students range from 1.39 to 4.0.
"I wasn't doing too well in high school. I showed up, but I was bored and I didn't study that hard," says Matt Armstrong, who has completed the program. "When I was put into this environment, it really began to challenge me."
The atmosphere can indeed be challenging. "A lot of the students don't realize they still have to do their high school work in addition to working on college credits," says Decker, noting that many of the remaining high school courses are done in independent study.
For some students, the program can be a real wake-up call during the first semester, and they find themselves scrambling during the second semester to catch up on their studies and grades.
"For some, College Connection is the best thing that could have happened. They can spread their wings and fly," Decker says. "Others dive-bomb and crash." Fortunately, she says, most of the students redeem themselves before the end of the program.
At a time when the high school experience is being re-examined, it's a sure bet that more programs like College Connection will be created to meet the divergent needs of students.
"It's not a program for everyone," Rocklein says, "But it is providing another option for our high school students."
Dale Martin
