Early College Program Student Handbook

Early College Program Student Handbook (PDF)

THE EARLY COLLEGE PROGRAM

The Dorchester School District Two Early College Program (ECP) is a unique educational experience that offers students the opportunity to acquire college credits while in high school at no cost. ECP is a dual credit initiative between Dorchester School District Two and Trident Technical College (TTC). Through the program, students will be able to complete their high school diploma while concurrently completing credits toward a college credential (associate degree). Students who are selected to enroll in the Early College Program need to understand that they are part of a rigorous, adult, collegiate environment.

The Early College Program goals

Challenge students daily and help students commit to academic excellence
Help students with the opportunity to earn high school credit and college credit concurrently with the overall goal of earning an associate degree upon high school graduation
Serve first generation college students and other identified at-risk student populations

ECP Support Personnel

The Early College Program is implemented at each high school with guidance from district level staff. Each school has dedicated administrators, school counselors, and teacher assistants (TA).

Ashley Ridge High School

843-695-4900

Contact Information for Ashley Ridge High School ECP Staff
Role	Name	Email	Phone Extension
Administrator	Anthony Bonacci	abonacci@dorchester2.k12.sc.us	52014
Counselor	Milan Williams	miwilliams@dorchester2.k12.sc.us	52028
Counselor	Meredith Cohen	mcohen@dorchester2.k12.sc.us	52038
TA	Anita Jackson	anitjackson@dorchester2.k12.sc.us

Fort Dorchester High School

843-760-4450

Contact Information for Fort Dorchester High School ECP Staff
Role	Name	Email	Phone Extension
Administrator	Tawanna Jamison	tjamison@dorchester2.k12.sc.us	50013
Counselor	Kristen Broecker	kbroecker@dorchester2.k12.sc.us	50027
Counselor	Isaiah York	isayork@dorchester2.k12.sc.us	50030
TA	Keri Bragg	kbragg@dorchester2.k12.sc.us

Summerville High School

843-873-6460

Contact Information for Summerville High School ECP Staff
Role	Name	Email	Phone Extension
Administrator	Callie Neal	cneal@dorchester2.k12.sc.us	51012
Counselor	Michael Keim	mkeim@dorchester2.k12.sc.us	51026
TA	Will Chitty	wchitty@dorchester2.k12.sc.us

District Office

843-873-2901

Contact Information for Early College Program District Office Staff
Role	Name	Email	Phone Extension
Director of Secondary Schools	Maurice Cannon	macannon@dorchester2.k12.sc.us	60049
Asst. Director of Secondary Schools	Kristi Selander	kselander@dorchester2.k12.sc.us	60052

ECP Calendar 2025-2026

Consult the Trident Tech website for the full list of dates and deadlines, consult their website directly.

July 2025

July 7 Summer 2 term begins-all ECP students report to assigned locations

August 2025

Last Day of Summer 2 courses-August 5
First Day of school for Dorchester Two-August 6
Counselors/admin conduct probation meetings following Summer course grades

September 2025

TAs conference with students and check progress

October 2025

TAs conference with students and check progress
High schools host ECP Information Night for current 9th grade students/families-TBA

November 2025

TAs conference with students and check progress
Applications open for incoming cohort (current 9th graders) from Nov 1-Nov 30

December 2025

TAs conference with students and check progress
Last day of Fall TTC classes – December 5
Seniors must complete the online graduation application with TTC
ECP Applicant interviews and Accuplacer testing (reading and writing)
Accuplacer (math) for upperclassmen

January 2026

Counselors/admin conduct probation meetings following Fall course grades
Start of Spring semester DD2-January 6
Start of Spring semester TTC-January 12
ECP applicant interviews and Accuplacer testing
Graduating seniors attend mandatory Graduation meeting at TTC

February 2026

TAs conference with students and check progress

March 2026

TAs conference with students and check progress
ECP acceptance/denial letters sent to applicants

April 2026

TAs conference with students and check progress
New Cohort: mandatory Information Night at TTC -TBA
New Cohort: update IGPs with counselors
Last day of TTC Spring classes-April 24

May 2026

TTC Graduation-May 2, 2026
Last day DD2-May 28, 2026
Counselors/admin conduct probation meetings following Spring course grades
Course requests and book order to DO/TTC for summer and fall classes-Admin

June 2026

Communicate with students about summer class details-Admin and Counselors

July 2026

July 6 Summer 2 term begins-all ECP students report to assigned locations

August 2026

August 4 Summer 2 term ends

Important Trident Technical College Term Dates 2025-2026

Term dates are VERY important in Early College. Most ECP classes take place during the full or half terms of summer, fall, and spring. However, some students may be scheduled for other terms during senior year or if students wish to take an extra course on their own. The TTC calendar does not align directly with the DD2 calendar.

Students have 5 days in a full term and 3 days in a half term to drop a class without penalty to their high school GPA/transcript.
Classes dropped outside of this window will be marked with a WF (withdraw fail) and a grade of 50 will be averaged into the high school GPA.
Additionally, students who drop a class and do not register for a replacement may be charged for the cost of the class.
Students who enroll late in a class should consult their school counselor about approved drop dates.
Students must complete the appropriate withdraw form with the school counselor before dropping a DD2 or TTC class.
Students/parents may NOT change classes in the TTC portal. All course changes must be made through the DD2 school counselor. Courses added without counselor approval are at risk not being counted for high school credit or not being paid for by ECP.
TTC’s policy for drop/add/withdrawal of courses impacts the TTC GPA differently than the impact on a student’s high school GPA. Consult the school counselor with any questions.

Consult the Trident Tech website for the full list of dates and deadlines, consult their website directly.

TTC Term 2025-2026 School Year	TTC Term Start Date	Last Day to Withdraw Without Penalty for High School GPA Withdrawal after this date will result in WF (50) in the high school GPA*	TTC Term End Date
Fall Full	August 18	August 22	December 5
Fall 1	August 18	August 20	October 6
Fall 2	October 15	October 17	December 5
Spring Full	January 12	January 16	April 24
Spring 1	January 12	January 14	March 2
Spring 2	March 9	March 11	April 24
Summer 2	July 6	July 8	August 4

The Early College Application Process

Prospective Students

Students who are currently first-time freshmen in Dorchester Two high schools may apply to the ECP.

Applicants are recommended to have successfully completed or be in the process of completing eight Carnegie units toward a SC Diploma, including:

English 1
1 Science course
1 Social Studies course
Geometry with Statistics or Algebra 1
- Students are encouraged to have completed Geometry with Stats, Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 with Probability by the end of 10th grade to be ready for TTC MAT 110 in 11th grade
Spanish 1
- Spanish 1 and 2 should be completed before ECP students take TTC Spanish 101 in 11th grade

**Students may need to take two DD2 math courses noted above and/or two DD2 Spanish courses in one school year in order to be ready for TTC math and Spanish classes.

All high schools will hold an Early College Information Night for interested students and parents in October during freshman year. The Power Point presentation will be provided.

Application Process

Online Application (November)

The ECP online application will open to Dorchester School District Two high school students following the informational meeting. A link to access the application will be placed on the district and individual school websites. Students and parent/guardian must complete the application together, using the student’s district laptop and Microsoft account. The application window is typically held during the month of November. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline.
Accuplacer Testing (November-January)

Applicants will be scheduled to take the TTC Accuplacer college placement test in reading and writing. Students must earn a score of 237 on each test to begin taking college level dual credit classes. These minimum scores are required for acceptance into Dorchester School District Two’s Early College Program. If admitted to the ECP, students will later be required to meet qualifying scores to take TTC math courses. Failure to meet qualifications may result in removal from the ECP. Students may take the Accuplacer 3 times within a 12 month period.
Student Interview (November-January)

Applicants will be scheduled to participate in an interview with two school representatives of the ECP, usually an Assistant Principal and a school counselor. A parent/guardian is invited to attend the interview. District interview questions and rubric will be used for this portion of the application process.
Teacher Recommendations (November-January)

Applicants need teacher recommendations as part of the application process. The recommendation form is electronic and will be available to administrators and counselors to share with teachers in their buildings.
Decision Notification (March-April)

Applicants are accepted based on meeting minimum entry requirements of both Dorchester School District Two and Trident Technical College, as well as on the merit of their application and interviews. Applicants will not be discriminated against based on disability, race, creed, color, gender, national origin, religion, or need for special education services. Approximately 90 (30 per high school) high school freshmen are accepted into the ECP each year. Students/parents will be notified of student acceptance, alternate list, or denial to the program via Parent Square, email, and/or mail.

Denied students are encouraged to meet with school counselors to discuss AP and Dual Enrollment course options that may align with their goals.

Alternate students will be notified if a position in the ECP becomes available. They are also encouraged to meet with school counselors to discuss AP and Dual Enrollment course options that may align with their goals.

Accepted students must complete the following actions listed in the Accepted Students Checklist.

Accepted Students Checklist

Return signed Agreement

Students who are accepted must return their signed ECP Expectations Agreement to their school ECP counselor by the date stated in the acceptance letter.
Complete the TTC Application

New ECP students must complete the online TTC Dual Enrollment Application and be admitted into Trident Technical College before the ECP Orientation meeting at TTC (described below).
Attend the mandatory ECP meeting at TTC

The student and at least one parent/guardian are required to attend the mandatory ECP orientation meeting together, which will be held at Trident Technical College in April. ALL students who wish to be a part of the Dorchester School District Two Early College Program must attend this orientation or risk losing their place in the program.
Attend a New IGP

ECP counselors will conduct special IGPs in April with new ECP students/parents to update course enrollment for 10th grade. Students will be enrolled in two summer courses during TTC’s Summer 2 term to begin the ECP. Students may need to take two Spanish and/or math classes in 10th grade in order to be ready for TTC math and Spanish classes.
Plan for summer courses (see SUMMER COURSE EXPECTATIONS)

Please note that the required course, IDS 109, is considered to be an orientation course by the SC Uniform Grading Policy and is weighted at the CP level in students’ high school GPA. The course does NOT count as a college level course in the high school GPA.

SUMMER COURSE EXPECTATIONS

SUMMER COURSE EXPECTATIONS

All ECP students take two courses during Trident Tech’s Summer 2 session (approximately July 5- August 10). These prescribed, required courses are held at students’ home high school campus for rising 10th and 11th grade students. Rising seniors typically attend class at the TTC Dorchester Road campus. Daily in-person attendance is mandatory Monday through Thursday from approximately 8:00am until 3:00pm.

**Camps, vacations, etc. should not be scheduled by families during these class dates. Failure to have daily attendance in summer classes could result in termination from the ECP.

Rising 10th and 11th grade students may NOT leave the school campus during summer classes and should bring lunch/snacks/drinks as needed. Students must provide their own transportation to and from class. Daily schedule includes morning class, study break/lunch, and afternoon class. Rising seniors may have food options nearby.

Please note that if there is a staffing limitation for TTC, it is possible that summer classes could take place at an off-campus location or online.

Tools for Success

Communicating with DD2 and TTC

Students will have access to both DD2 and TTC emails and should use appropriate measures to communicate with professors, counselors, and administrators. Students will access TTC assignments and information via D2L, Trident’s online learning system. Students will also have access to ECP information via the High School ECP Schoology page. Information may also be shared via Parent Square and Student Square.

Textbooks

Class Expectations

All school rules for Dorchester Two and individual high schools apply as well as TTC rules. Students are expected to conduct themselves as adult learners with high expectations for behavior and academic performance. School personnel will supervise students when TTC professors are not on campus. Students are encouraged to self-advocate with professors during the course regarding questions and concerns.

Complaints about TTC professors should be made directly to the TTC established reporting process.

Progress Monitoring and Tutoring

Academic and Behavior Requirements

Dorchester Two and Trident Technical College have an expectation that ECP students will be good citizens in the dual credit classes taught by college faculty and in the high school classes. TTC maintains FERPA student privacy guidelines and treats ECP students as adults. Parents do not have access to student accounts for grades, assignments, and financial obligations. This is very different from parent access to student information in Dorchester Two schools, and it is an adjustment for many parents.

Students who have not demonstrated good citizenship as evidence by truancy, disciplinary infractions, or TTC GPAs lower than 3.0 may be found ineligible to participate in the ECP.

Academic Progress and Scholarships

Early College students are expected to maintain a 3.0 on Trident Tech’s GPA scale. This directly impacts a student’s ability to keep state scholarships after the first year of college.

High school seniors: students qualify for Life/Palmetto Fellows Scholarships based on high school GPA and national test scores. College courses taken in high school are NOT included in the qualification.
College students: must maintain a 3.0 college GPA to retain Life/Palmetto Fellows scholarships after the first year of college. ALL college courses are factored into the GPA, including courses taken during high school.

ECP classes are counted in both the college GPA and the high school GPA. Academic probation polices are in place to help protect students’ college GPA. Students may earn SC lottery scholarships their first year after high school based on their high school GPA. However, renewal is based on the college GPA. Students retaking courses are subject to the TTC retake policy and other colleges’ retake policies.

Academic Probation

Academic Status	Description	Interventions
Good Standing	Student has minimum 3.0 TTC GPA at the end of each TTC term (Summer, Fall, Spring)	Progress monitoring
Probation Level 1	Student TTC GPA drops below 3.0 at term. Student may continue in ECP with parent permission as long as GPA does not drop further.	Academic Success Plan
Probation Level 2	Student TTC GPA drops at term after being placed on Probation Level 1. Student may continue in ECP with parent permission as long as GPA does not drop further. If GPA drops again, student will be dismissed from ECP.	Academic Success Plan

Behavior Probation

If a student violates the conduct expectations of the ECP they will be placed on behavior probation. A meeting must be held with the student and parents/guardians for all to discuss and sign the behavior probation contract. If the student fails to meet the expectations of the behavior probation contract, they can be removed from the ECP. Students placed at the RISE Academy Alternative School following an expulsion hearing may also be removed from the Early College Program, depending upon Trident Tech’s decision regarding in-person attendance. If the student is removed from a TTC course, a WF will be issued to the high school transcript.

ECP students will be placed on behavior probation if they violate the DD2 or TTC behavior policies and expectations. This includes but is not limited to:

Conduct that is injurious to others (for example: fighting or touching)
Conduct that poses a threat to the health and safety of persons or property
Conduct that disrupts or interferes with student’s education or that of others (for example: insubordination, disrespect, and any other forms of inappropriate behavior)
Conduct that includes possession or use of contraband or illegal materials (for example: vapes, weapons, drugs/alcohol)
Conduct that involves inappropriate use of electronic devices-personal and/or district owned
Conduct that leads to recommendation for expulsion from DD2 schools

Documentation for Probation and Withdrawals

Early College Program Courses

ECP classes are set in a structured format for all students for the first two years. After that, students take classes based on their AS or AA diploma pathway. Students should not take AP or additional TTC courses that would cause a disruption in the prescribed pathway.

Course Progression

Early College Program – Sample Course Progression

Year 1

End of 9th Grade / Summer before 10th Grade

Summer Courses

Course Code	Course Title
IDS 109	DE 1st Year Experience (College Prep (CP) weighting)
MUS 105	Music Appreciation

10th Grade School Year

Course Code	Course Title
PSC 201	American Government
HIS 102	Western Civilization 1689 to Present
PSY 201	Psychology
SPC 205	Public Speaking

Year 2

End of 10th Grade / Summer before 11th Grade

Summer Courses

Course Code	Course Title
ECO 210	Macroeconomics
MAT 120*	Probability & Statistics

11th Grade School Year

Course Code	Course Title
ENG 101	English Composition I
SPA 101	Elementary Spanish I
ENG 102	English Composition II
MAT 110*	College Algebra

Year 3

End of 11th Grade / Summer before 12th Grade

Summer Courses

Course Code	Course Title
ENG 205	English Literature I
HIS 101 (AA) or MAT 111 (AS)	Western Civilization to 1689 (for AA) or College Trigonometry* (for AS)

12th Grade School Year

Term	Course Load	Notes
Semester 1 (S1)	2–3 classes at Trident Technical College (TTC)	Toward AA/AS completion
Semester 2 (S2)	2–3 classes at Trident Technical College (TTC)	Remaining degree courses

Key Notes

AA = Associate of Arts
AS = Associate of Science

Math Course Qualification

*MAT 120, MAT 110, and ECO 210 are required courses for all ECP students. MAT 110 is required for students pursuing an associate in science degree. Students must demonstrate the required math competencies to enroll in these courses as defined by TTC.

All ECP students will take the Accuplacer assessment to attempt to qualify for math placement. Students may take the Accuplacer 3 times within a 12-month period. Study materials are available to students free online through Edmentum test prep. If minimum scores are not met, students may attempt to qualify using three additional options: 1). TTC’s alternate assessment in D2L, 2). the high school transcript, or 3). PSAT/PreACT score. Failure to meet minimum math competencies will result in dismissal from the ECP.

Some students may be encouraged to complete DD2 math courses of Geometry with Statistics, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2 with Probability by the end of 10th grade so they are ready for MAT 110 the start of 11th grade. This may require students to take two DD2 math courses in one school year. Failure to meet minimum math competencies will result in dismissal from the ECP.

Math Qualification Options-Score Rubric

Students must meet ONE of the qualifications in the column for each course.

Math Qualification Options	MAT 120 *Required for all ECP students	MAT 110 ECO 210 *Required for all ECP students	MAT 111 *Required for Associate of Science students
Accuplacer Score (Taken max 3 times in 12-month period)	277 Arithmetic & 200 Quantitative Reasoning	277 Arithmetic & 241 Quantitative Reasoning & 277 Advanced Algebra Function	Prerequisite is MAT 110
D2L Alternate Assessment Score (Taken once)	50	100	Prerequisite is MAT 110
High School Transcript	3.0 GPA and And 80+ Algebra 1 & Geometry	3.0 GPA And 80+ Algebra 1, Geometry, & Algebra 2	Prerequisite is MAT 110
PreACT/PSAT Score	17+ Pre-ACT Math or 511+ PSAT Math	24+ Pre-ACT Math or 521+ PSAT Math	Prerequisite is MAT 110

Early College Graduation

Students must meet all TTC graduation requirements to be eligible to receive a diploma and participate in TTC graduation in May of their senior year. Seniors must complete the TTC graduation application using the TTC Self Service by the published deadline (usually December or January of senior year-check TTC website and communications). Seniors wishing to participate in the TTC graduation must attend graduation meetings as required by TTC. TTC graduates are permitted to wear their black cap at the DD2 school graduation ceremony and are listed in the graduation program

FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS AND GPA PENALTIES

FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS AND GPA PENALTIES

The ECP will pay once for the minimum number of credits required to obtain either the Associate of Art or the Associate of Science degree through Trident Technical College. Students are expected to complete two TTC courses per term (Summer, Fall, Spring) until senior year, when additional courses are required.

Extra courses are taken at the student's expense; fees will be placed in PowerSchool as a financial obligation.

If a student drops a course and does not add one in its place during the same term, the student may be charged for the increased price of the remaining course. Reminder that TTC and DD2 drop/add periods are very different. Classes dropped after 5 days will result in a WF 50 for the student’s high school GPA.
- Example: When students take two courses, the approximate cost is $600 per course. However, when students take only one course, the approximate cost is $1000 for the course. Therefore, if students drop a course without adding another one to take its place, the cost of the remaining course is much higher. A financial obligation of $400 would be placed on the student’s PowerSchool account in this situation.
- Withdrawal from TTC courses after the approved drop date will result in a WF being issued to the student’s high school transcript. A grade of 50 will be factored into the high school GPA.
If a student wishes to retake a course due to failure or to improve their GPA, the student/parent will complete the Additional Course Form from the high school counselor and submit it to the school for approval. Additional courses are taken at the student’s expense, and an obligation will be placed in on the student’s PowerSchool account according to the TTC invoice. Payments for extra courses are made to the high school’s financial secretary. Student/parent should discuss impact on the student’s GPA for TTC and DD2 before retaking a course.
If a student changes their diploma pathway and additional courses are required, they will be financially responsible for any additional courses.
Students who decide to graduate early will be removed from the ECP. They will be financially responsible for any TTC courses they take. Additionally, graduating early may impact a student’s scholarship eligibility. Students/parents should discuss this in detail with their school counselor before making final decisions.

Forms

Notice of Financial Obligation (PDF)

Behavior Probation Documentation (PDF)

Academic Success Plan (PDF)

Academic Probation Form (PDF)

ECP Withdrawal-Removal Form (PDF)