It’s never too early to start preparing for college, and the Hart District provides students who want to get a jump on their college careers two innovative programs that allow students to start earning transferable college credit at the same time they are completing a high school diploma.
Academy of the Canyons, located on the main campus of College of the Canyons, recruits students during their sophomore year in high school to become part of this exciting program for 11th and 12th graders.  In addition to taking four high school classes a day — English, social studies, advisement, and an elective — students enroll in six to 11 college units per semester, completing a minimum of 24 college credits before high school graduation.
Students earn dual credit for the college courses, recorded on both their college and high school transcripts.  Students may choose the college courses they wish to take depending upon their personal goals of completing units to enhance their high school transcripts, completing units toward transfer to a four-year university, or completing units toward an Associate of Arts degree or certification program.

With only 200 students, Academy of the Canyons provides a personalized learning community that encourages students to get to know each other and their teachers better than they might on a traditional campus, and truly focus on preparing for post-high school goals.

The newest school in the Hart District, Early College High School, is located on College of the Canyons’ Canyon Country campus.  Like Academy of the Canyons, it also allows students to earn dual credit for college classes that they take while they are still in high school.  Class sizes are small and students receive strong support to help them be successful at both high school and college level classes.

Opening in August 2007 with its first class of 85 ninth graders, Early College will eventually serve approximately 300 students in grades 9 to 12.  Reaching out to “at promise,” capable eighth graders who may face obstacles to graduating from college, this four-year option allows students to earn enough college credits during high school to qualify for an associate’s degree or two years of undergraduate college credit at the same time as a high school diploma.

Current eighth grade students from the Hart District can be considered for Early College by filling out an interest form and contacting their junior high counselors.  Parent information nights will be held at each junior high school.  Academy of the Canyons and Early College High School are now accepting applications for the Fall 2008 semester.

For more information about both schools, please visit www.hartdistrict.org .