Early College High School hosts graduation for inaugural class

One hundred students walked onto the Early College High School (ECHS) campus in 2017, daring to successfully complete a program new to the district. That first year, 20 students left before the tenth day of school, and over the years others moved away from Charleston. Four years later, 71 remain. All of those students graduated with a high school diploma and nearly half with an associate’s degree.

The school is a small, personalized learning program for students enrolled in Charleston County School District (CCSD). ECHS is a partnership between CCSD and Trident Technical College (TTC). Early College High School serves students who have the academic potential, desire, and determination to be successful in high school and beyond.

Located on TTC’s Palmer Campus in downtown Charleston, priority is given to those who would be first-generation college students, (but all students are invited to apply).

Students from all over the district make up this diversified program. They must master the art of balancing their time between high school work, college work and extra-curricular activities.

This first graduating class has a lot to brag about:

• 100% on-time graduation rate
• 29 associate’s degrees (41%)
• 3,149 transferable college credits earned