Southbridge expands Early College offerings with Quinsigamond Community College partnership

At the May 12 Southbridge School Committee meeting, representatives from Quinsigamond Community College described steady growth of the district's Early College program and said the state-designated initiative is giving Southbridge High students access to college-level coursework free of charge.

"Designated programs are funded by the state and offer all students access to college-level coursework and college credits free of charge," said Veronica Guay, executive director of high school dual enrollment programs and partnerships for Quinsigamond Community College (QCC). Guay and her colleagues outlined how the program operates on the Southbridge campus after a state designation award in March 2024.

The program keeps college lectures delivered by QCC faculty while scheduling a support teacher during the same two blocks each week to help students with course materials and time-management, Guay said. That wraparound support is meant to address nonacademic barriers—email access, Blackboard, study skills—that can impede students in true college settings.

Why it matters: The model both reduces barriers to postsecondary credit and targets students underrepresented in higher education. Staff emphasized that credits are aligned with MassCore and the state's transfer expectations so successful course work can carry forward to public colleges in Massachusetts.

Jeff House, director of secondary education, presented enrollment and outcomes data: this year Southbridge offered seven semester-length college courses on the high school campus. "This year we'll have 53 seniors who will graduate having earned at least some college credit," House said, and seven seniors will graduate with 12 or more college credits. The committee heard a projection that next year the partnership will offer 10 classes; given the program's current average class sizes (about 15 students), that could add roughly 45 students receiving college credit opportunities.

Presenters said some growth limits are logistical. The QCC space on the high school campus constrains QCC-led classes to four per semester; expanding beyond that depends on approving Southbridge high school teachers as dual-enrollment instructors. The presenters noted that two Southbridge teachers were recently approved to teach QCC English, and another teacher has been approved to teach business courses next year.

The committee also heard classroom-level testimony. The meeting included a written statement from Professor Priscilla Jamash describing stronger student engagement and higher course success rates: "Students consistently ask questions, strive for high achievement, and collaborate with peers," the statement read. Presenters said several students from the program have applied to QCC and that the district aims for many students to earn at least 12 credits before graduation.

Committee members asked practical questions. Member Stephanie Rivers asked whether homeschooled students could participate; presenters said current early-college practice across the Commonwealth limits homeless- or homeschooled-student participation and that any policy change would go beyond the district to state-level guidelines. On whether the district could offer an RN pathway begun in high school, presenters said students can pursue healthcare "tracks" with prerequisites, but running full lab-based courses or a nursing program in the high school is constrained by instructional-hour and lab requirements.

The presenters emphasized guidance-office involvement for student selection. Placement into English 101 is the primary readiness indicator, and QCC policy avoids enrolling freshmen; recommended entry is spring of sophomore year for students the guidance team determines are ready.

Next steps: the committee thanked QCC representatives for the presentation and noted an Early College celebration scheduled for May 18 at Polar Park. Presenters said continued growth depends on keeping QCC faculty engaged on campus and increasing the number of approved high school instructors for dual-enrollment courses.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A at May 12 Southbridge School Committee meeting; statements by Veronica Guay (QCC), Kathleen Katarat (Early College Southbridge director) and Jeff House (director of secondary education).