Schools

Oakland Early College Graduates First Full Class

Students say the high school/college hybrid program changes lives.

For Matthew Franklin, Oakland Early College (OEC) meant redemption.

The West Bloomfield resident was one of more than 40 students who graduated from OEC Friday night at campus' Smith Theatre in Farmington Hills. He said he "got off track" in his sophomore year of high school, and was looking at moving even farther from his dreams when he learned about  the high school/college program.

"Immediately after being accepted in the program, things began looking up for me," he said. "I began to put the pieces of my life back together."

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By the end of his first year, Franklin got his grade point average back on track. Following graduation, he'll fulfill a lifelong dream: He has been accepted as a student at the University of Michigan.

Pontiac resident Ariel Gardner didn't like being separated from classmates she had known since kindergarten, to attend a school where she didn't know anyone. Her mother encouraged her to give the school a chance.

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"Looking back, I didn't want to stay," she said during Thursday's graduation ceremony, "but now, I don't want to leave."

Head of school Gary Weisserman knows how Gardner feels – although he eagerly took on the challenge of leading OEC three years ago. At the end of this school year, he leaves to take a position as chief academic ffficer of Hillel Community Day School in North Miami Beach, FL. , Jennifer Newman will leave her post as assistant principal of Abbott to become head of school next fall.

While excited about the new challenge, Weisserman said he is sad to leave the school, which operates as a partnership between and Oakland Community College. Students attend classes at OCC Orchard Ridge. Their high school curriculum is taught by West Bloomfield teachers, but they can also earn up to 60 college credits.

Many of Thursday night's graduates will also attend OCC's graduation ceremony at the Palace of Auburn Hills June 10, having earned their associate degrees. Others aren't stopping there. The list of colleges OEC graduates will attend include Oakland University, Arizona State University, University of Michigan, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Madonna University and Texas Southern University.

They will pursue a variety of degree programs, from nursing and radiological technician to broadcasting and environmental science. At least one student will move on to military service.

"In nearly two decades of public education, you are the most remarkable young people I've ever known," Weisserman told students. "You came to us for a variety of reasons ... what you leave with us is something much greater, and that's hope."

OCC Orchard Ridge President Jacqueline Shadko was equally impressed. She also pointed out the students had demonstrated the "seamless, continuous education" Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder advocated when he rolled together funding for K-12 and post-secondary education.

"We've done that, Mr. Snyder," she said. "So what do you want us to do next?"

OEC students come from all around the county, Weisserman said. Most are "five-year" students who take a 13th year seminar and create a capstone project prior to graduation. Two honored projects this year were a student's documentary about her personal journey and the introduction of prezi.com as a presentation tool for the school.

Weisserman believes the school is the best in the county, and said the school's test scores, graduation rates and college success rates over the past three years back that up. In report documentation on the school's website, the school has achieved 92 percent or above pass rates in all three years, with 98 percent of summer 2010 students earning passing grades.

Average course GPAs have also risen steadily, from 2.6 in the fall of 2008, to 2.85 in the fall of 2010. Summer grades climb even higher.

"Watching the growth from point A to point B is nothing short of remarkable," Weisserman said.

For more information, visit oaklandearlycollege.org.


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