Headlines From The Nation's Press

Each week we open the show with some of the most glaring and reoccurring stories chronicling the ugliness surrounding youth sports organized by adults; issues pertaining to our children's health and education. These headlines clap like thunder across the country signaling a warning to parents, coaches, administrators, lawmakers, and community stakeholders that widespread change is imperative.

My good friend, and frequent guest on the show, Professor Doug Abrams of the College of Law at the University of Missouri, will add you to his daily mailing list of these stories. Simply email Doug and ask him to add your name to the list.

The Main(e) Event

The Professors Return! Mark Kostin, David Ruff, and Mary Hastings from the Great Maine Schools Project/Southern Maine Partnership will be back with guests from Wells and Lewiston talking about improving academic achievement and improving the number of kids going to college.

They will be joined by Milt Tinguis, Principal at Wells High School, Steve Newton, Guidance Counselor and York County Community College, recent graduates Chris Carney and Eric Burke, and Samantha Casey a senior.

From Lewiston High, we'll be joined by Joan Marci, Program Coordinator, senior Cortney Reynolds and Jacob Teich a recent graduate now enrolled at CMCC.

Early college is the practice of enrolling high school students in college courses during their junior and senior years. Early college students usually earn both high school and college credit for completing a college course, which is why early college is also referred to as dual enrollment. Over the past decade, early college programs have emerged as an effective strategy for improving the academic achievement, college-going rates, and eventual post-secondary attainment of high school students. 

There are many early college models that high schools can explore, including on-campus immersion programs, college courses being taught at a high school, distance-learning options, open-enrollment Advanced Placement courses, and hybrid programs that blend more than one approach, such as the University of Maine’s Academ-e program. On-campus college immersion programs, which are coupled with student support services at the participating college, seem to offer the greatest potential for increasing student aspirations. In these programs, high school students simply attend college courses as though they are regular college students. Experiencing college first hand can rekindle a student’s interest in learning, and it can provide an incentive for struggling students to improve their high schools grades. Still, high schools should consider all available forms of early college, since on-campus immersion may not be an option for every school, particularly geographically isolated rural high schools that may not be located near a college campus.  

Although many early college opportunities across the county are only made available to higher-achieving students, research has shown that providing college experiences to students (1) who may not be considering college as an option, (2) who may be the first in their family to attend college, (3) who are struggling academically and socially in high school, or (4) who might face significant financial barriers to college can dramatically improve the academic achievement and aspirations of these students. Early college programs can also change perceptions about which kinds of students are “college material,” since many early college students who struggle academically in high school often succeed in their college classes.

The Coaches Corner

Remember: 1) These are just kids. 2) Make no mistake! It's about them having fun. It's not your game, so be sure you don't take it away from them. 3) First and foremost, you are a teacher and a role model. The most important lessons you teach will NOT be about learning a game.

Regis' Rant

Kudos to Massabesic High School for suspending 13 athletes who violated the school's substance abuse policy. Seven football players, five field hockey players, and one female soccer player were suspended for four games. In addition to the suspensions, each student athlete must receive counseling, write papers explaining how they would avoid a similar situation in the future, and perform ten hours of community service.

Most schools have athlete contracts signed by the athletes and their parents, but without enforcement, such policies are often ignored when parents, coaches, and administrators turn their heads, especially when the incidents involve key players.

My hat goes off to the administrators and coaches at Massabesic for making this a learning experience for their community and other schools and communities around the state.

The Parent Trap

Next week's blog on http://www.mainetoday.com/kidsfamily/ will be my thoughts about the Parent Trap. I hope you will visit and add your comments.

We invite our listeners to call in and share their views.

Listeners can take part in the show by calling:

207-775-2217 or 1-866-811-9505.

or email me during the show at:

Regis@thecenterforkidsfirst.org