2024 Annual Meeting and Early College Panel

July 24, 2024

The 2024 Annual Meeting of Franklin Cummings Tech held on June 20  brought together the Board of Trustees, staff, students, and advocates and supporters of the college’s Early College Program. The meeting highlighted the Advanced Standing Associates Program (ASAP), an Early College initiative through which high school seniors can graduate high school with a full year of college credits towards an associate degree.

Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler, PhD, Darlene Marcano, Head of School, Dearborn STEM Academy, and Marjorie Ringrose, PhD, Director of Education, Smith Family Foundation, joined Board Chair Turahn Dorsey for a panel discussion on how Early College is transforming higher education in Massachusetts and the crucial role of partnerships in making it happen.

Watch a recording of the full discussion:

Secretary Tutwiler explained the importance of Early College, “We’re seeing students who are engaged in Early College programming matriculate to two- and four-year colleges at a rate of 76%, compared to 55% of their counterparts. And they’re not just matriculating, they’re persisting.”

This model of higher education requires high schools and colleges to work together for the students’ success. Darlene Marcano emphasized, “It’s up to us to make sure that whatever partnerships we have, that they match up, and we’ve actually found that with Franklin Cummings Tech.”

These partnerships provide critical support for students transitioning between high school and college coursework. Marjorie Ringrose commented on the support she’s seen from the College, “There’s never a ‘No’ that comes from Franklin Cummings Tech… that’s one of the conditions that we need sitting in our higher ed institutions.”

Lara Tavares, Director of Early College and Community Connection at Franklin Cummings Tech, and a panel of students who have taken advantage of ASAP also spoke to the benefits of the program. Javon Graham, Biomedical Technology ’23, Shai Alfred, HVAC&R Technology and Building Automation ’25, and Elier Soto, Electrical Engineering ’27, shared their personal experiences transitioning from high school to college classrooms. The college provides wrap-around support services to ensure Early College students have the resources and support they need to be successful in college. The students attributed part of their success to the support they received from the college’s faculty and staff.

Franklin Cummings Tech will expand its Early College programming through a new initiative with Dearborn STEM Academy. Starting in the fall of 2025, 25 eleventh grade students at Dearborn will be enrolled in full-time coursework at Franklin Cummings Tech. After two years of coursework, the students will graduate high school with an associate degree and work experience in the Automotive, Computer Information Technology, Engineering, or Opticianry fields.

Lowering obstacles to higher education requires creative solutions and great partnerships. If you are interested in supporting out Early College initiatives at Franklin Cummings Tech please contact Lara Tavares at ltavares@franklincummings.edu.