NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Following the completion of the first full year of the Drury-MCLA Early College Program, more than 120 Drury High School students earned over 700 college credits, a value of $317,000, while still attending high school.

 

North Adams Public Schools (NAPS) will continue their partnership in the Early College initiative with Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) into the 2024-2025 school year.

 

This academic collaboration, formally approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2023, granted Early College designation to Drury High School. The initiative aims to provide equitable access to higher education for high school students at no cost.

 

Drury High School offers a "wall-to-wall" Early College Program that supports students in their Early College coursework through the provision of essential wraparound services such as textbooks, transportation, tutoring, and a range of additional non-academic supports. 

 

Students who participated in the Early College Program during the 2023-2024 school year were awarded college credits for courses taken on both the Drury and MCLA campuses, with 97.6 percent of participating students fully completing college-level coursework. All 700+ college credits students earned through this program are transferable throughout any of the Massachusetts state colleges or universities and represent significant financial savings and a head start on their post-secondary education and career paths.

 

Dr. Tim Callahan, Assistant Superintendent for the North Adams Public Schools, indicated the value of this program for the community.

 

"With the number of free college credits earned by our hard-working students, families in North Adams have collectively saved over $317,000 in college tuition and fees this year through the Early College program, and that makes a college degree more accessible for our young learners after they complete high school."

 

"We are deeply dedicated to the success of our students through the partnership between Drury High School and MCLA," said Kate Cyr, Drury's Early College Coordinator. "This program, provided at no cost to Drury students or their families, ensures that every student has the opportunity to succeed without barriers that come with accessing higher education."

 

The 2024-2025 Drury-MCLA Early College Program looks to expand college course offerings to more students in grades 9-12 with eight college courses hosted on the Drury campus and 10 additional courses at the MCLA campus.