Durfee Early College program reports enrollment growth, broader higher-education partnerships

Durfee High School’s Early College program has expanded since a pilot in 2022 and now enrolls a growing share of 10th–12th graders while delivering college credits during the school day, Fall River Public Schools staff told the district Instructional Subcommittee on Feb. 5.

Emma Jacinto, the district’s early college coordinator and counselor, said the program currently runs 22 college-level classes delivered through partnerships with UMass Dartmouth, Bristol Community College and Bridgewater State University and is staffed by four dedicated district employees plus classroom teachers who receive stipends to co-teach or support the courses. “All classes are taken during the normal school day,” Jacinto said, which staff said helps remove barriers for students with family or extracurricular obligations.

The program targets students underrepresented in higher education — including multilingual learners, first-generation college students and economically disadvantaged students — and pairs credit-bearing coursework with mandatory supports such as advising, tutoring and an early-college seminar. Jacinto said the model…