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The Early College philosophy is to promote a college-going culture at the high school campus for students, especially for those who are not necessarily on a college pathway. Early College does not compete with AP courses for students, but rather provides courses applicable to a wider body of students and to increase college-going for diverse populations.

High School Support Teacher (the Success Coach)

A Success Coach helps students succeed in the college course and are expected to:

  • Check to make sure students are on task and getting their work completed on time. Success Coaches should monitor students during instruction, help to redirect students as necessary, provide classroom management support, etc. (*Please request for the instructor to add you to their course in Laulima as an assistant so that you can see assignments/deadlines, grades/progress, etc.)
  • Communicate with the instructor to arrange for grade/progress reports as necessary or as required at your high school.
  • Provide feedback to the instructor on specific student concerns/updates on their progress.
  • Communicate with parents, as appropriate. *WCC instructors/counselors/faculty cannot disclose student information/records to parents/guardians unless a FERPA release form is submitted.
  • Develop students’ college going skills and encourage them to get through a college course (i.e. note-taking, organization, inquiry, reading/writing strategies, collaboration, etc.) Develop inquiry skills, teaching them how to ask questions of their instructors and seek information.
  • Facilitate for students who have absences, especially those which may be planned ahead/unavoidable. Some of HS students participate in other extracurricular activities that they must attend (i.e. sports, performances, student gov’t, etc.). Students must communicate with the WCC instructor in a timely manner and still be able to keep up with their class work and assignments. The Success Coach facilitates and reminds students to do so.
  • Serve as the first point of resolution with the WCC instructor if a student issue should arise.
  • Refer students to the WCC Early College Counselor as necessary. Notify WCC Early College Counselor, as soon as possible, of any progress concerns, enrollment changes (i.e. transfer to another school, released from school, moved out of state, no longer enrolled in the early college course for any other reason, etc.)
  • Serve as the primary conduit of communication for high school administration.
  • Communicate with the WCC instructor to plan field trips in advance and coordinate necessary forms, buses/transportation, food, etc. as applicable. Notify your high school administrator as necessary. 
  • Coordinate with the WCC instructor for what technology support will be needed and available at your campus (i.e. LCD projector, computers, WiFi, access to YouTube, etc.)
  • Plan “non-graded” lessons/activities ONLY on days when the WCC instructor is NOT present, such as: 
    • Study Hall- Time for students to work on their college coursework.
    • Progress checks with students- What concepts are you having problems with? Where are you on assignments? What do you need to complete assignments?
    • Application checks – How do you see it playing out in the world today?
    • Enrichment activities to help develop college-going skills, content-related activities, etc. 

Success Coaches are NOT Expected To:

  • Grade instructor’s assignments and/or give extra graded assignments- ONLY the WCC instructor should be giving AND grading assignments for the course.
  • Be the content expert or plan lessons for the course. Success Coaches should do their best to guide students through the instructor’s lesson/curriculum. When in doubt, always check with the instructor before assuming directions or an answer for a student. Success Coaches serve as an extra resource in the classroom. It is not the Success Coach’s fault if a student fails the course– ultimately the student must fulfill their responsibilities to succeed. The Success Coach promotes but does not guarantee success.

WCC Instructor

 The WCC Instructor role is similar to their role at WCC and is expected to:

  • Provide the same class content/outcomes as a class at WCC.
  • Provide a course syllabus to students, HS Support Coach, WCC admin, and HS admin.
  • Notify the Early College Coordinator for materials, supplies and other resources you will need prior to the start of the semester.
  • Be responsible for ALL official grades for the course. 
    • If a HS requires regular grade/progress reporting that is more frequent than just at the end of the semester, the WCC instructor shall provide the HS Success Coach with students’ grade updates based on work completed at that point. 
  • Set up Laulima for the course (WCC’s grading system)
    • Students will have access to Laulima to check their grades (parents do NOT have access)
    • Please add the HS Success Coach to your course in Laulima- WCC instructors will decide the level of access that the Success Coach has in Laulima OR instructors can print a copy of grades on a regular basis for the HS Success Coach to review.
  • Communicate ONLY with students regarding their coursework and other student information/records. HS students are treated as regular college students with regards to privacy of information (FERPA.) 
    • HS administration, HS counselors, and HS Support Coach have a legitimate role in student records which allows for access to information. Please share student information/records with them as necessary. 
    •  If the student has designated a parent/guardian and signed a release of information for FERPA, the parent/guardian can contact Admissions & Records office with the security password to request their student’s information.
  • Provide students with information for additional resources available to them as WCC college students  (i.e. WCC campus Writing Lab, Testing Center for final exams, tutoring, etc.)
  • Understand that some students participate in extracurricular activities i.e. sports, theater, student gov’t, that they must attend. Students are expected to communicate with you in a timely manner and to keep up with classwork and assignments.
  • Communicate information for planning field trips well in advance to the HS Support Coach and coordinate UH specific field trip forms with the WCC Early College Coordinator.
  • Serve as the first point of resolution with the HS Support Coach if minor student concerns should arise.
  • Refer students to the WCC Early College Counselor, as necessary. Notify WCC Early College Counselor, as soon as possible, of any progress concerns, enrollment changes (i.e. transfer to another school, released from school, moved out of state, no longer enrolled in the early college course for any other reason, etc.)
  • Notify the WCC Early College Coordinator (Kehau Iwashita) for all other concerns i.e. personnel, work conditions/climate, structure of the course, or other major student concerns.
  • Follow the necessary visitor check-in procedures at each high school i.e. ID, parking pass, etc. 
  • Provide a back up lesson plan/project for the Support Coach in the case of an absence. If unable to attend a class, please notify ALL of the following parties:
    • WCC Academic Affairs
    • HS Support Coach
    • WCC Early College Coordinator

WCC Early College Counselor

The WCC Early College Counselor helps students succeed in the college course and are expected to:

  • Serve as the main liaison with the high school to coordinate/plan for new and returning student application process.
    • Collect, submit, and follow up with necessary application forms- online system application, dual credit form, health clearance form, and additional required forms as necessary (residency declaration, special request forms, etc.)
    • Communicate regularly with the high school- provide status updates to high school liaisons throughout the application process.
  • Academic/Student Support 
    • Assist students to set-up their MyUH account- introduce students to commonly used MyUH service tools (STAR, Laulima, UH email, MySuccess, etc.)
    • Registration guidance- guide students through steps to register for their approved course(s.)
    • Track academic progress throughout the course via Laulima and MySuccess service tools and through direct communication with the WCC instructor and/or HS Success Coach/HS Counselor.
    • Provide students with information for WCC events/resources available to them as college students.
    • Meet with students as needed for academic advising- degree/certificate program requirements, transfer requirements, etc.
    • Provide information and preparation for placement tests required for courses- ENG 100, MATH 100, etc.
    • Guide students to drop a course/submit special requests, as necessary.
  • Program planning- coordinate/plan regular meetings with high schools to plan early college courses, degree/certificate pathways to be offered.
  • Communicate regularly with WCC Instructors and HS Success Coaches throughout the semester to check on student progress, additional supports
  • Data collection- collect necessary data for our grant-funded projects (i.e. first-generation students, low-income/free-reduced lunch students, etc.)
  • Instruction- a counselor may also be designated as an instructor for an early college course being offered (i.e. IS 103.)

WCC Student

  • Follow up and submit with application paperwork and any additional admission requirements by the application deadline. 
  • Attend mandatory early college orientations as scheduled at your high school  (parent/guardian may also be required to attend.)
  • Class attendance- attend all classes on time as scheduled to make sure you receive the necessary instruction, updates, and extra support during the dedicated class time. *Make sure to clarify with your instructor/success coach for college course attendance during fall and spring break intercessions.
  • Log into your Laulima and UH email account daily to keep current with announcements, assignments, deadlines, exams, updates, grades, etc.
  • Complete your coursework in a timely manner. Prioritize your workload and ask for help/support, as necessary.
  • Communicate regularly and directly with the WCC instructor for clarification of expectations/assignments/deadlines, academic progress throughout the semester, and to notify them of any special/unforeseen circumstances that could affect your attendance in class and overall success in the course.
  • Communicate regularly with the HS Success Coach for additional support, as necessary.
  • Communicate with your HS Counselor and/or your WCC Counselor as soon as possible if you have any questions regarding your class schedule, concerns about attendance or success in the college course, concerns about your instructor/success coach, class climate, tutoring/resources available on campus, special/unforeseen circumstances that could affect your attendance and overall success in the course.
    • You can schedule appointments with your assigned WCC Counselor via MySuccess or by contacting them directly via email or phone.
  • Communicate with parent/guardian if they are requesting academic progress reports. *WCC instructors/counselors/faculty cannot disclose student information/records to parents/guardians unless a FERPA release form is submitted. If a student designates a parent/guardian and signs the release of information for FERPA, the designated parent/guardian can contact Admissions & Records office with the security password to request the student’s information.