The Early College High School (ECHS) was formed in 2005 when the Canton City Schools District (CCSD), Stark State College (SSC), the Canton Professional Educators Association (CPEA), and the Stark Education Partnership (SEP) came to together to make the establishment.  The startup was provided by Bill Gates and the KnowledgeWorks Foundation.  The goals of Early College are to welcome students of racial and ethnic minorities, low-income families, first generation college attendees, and/or English language learners to higher education.  The vision of Early College is that every student of the Canton City Schools will achieve at high levels and graduate from high school prepared to enter the work force or college.

 

ECHS is one of only sixteen Early College High Schools in Ohio and a little over two hundred across the nation.  For Early College High School, the majority of the college coursework is taught by Stark State professors.  ECHS students are held to very strict criteria of attendance, academics, and behavior.  College tuition and textbooks are paid for by Canton City Schools, so the ECHS program is offered at no cost to students.  Each student is given the opportunity to complete college courses and earn college credit that in turn awards them an Associate's Degree from Stark State College.  The two degrees that can be chosen from are Associate's of Arts and Associate's of Science.  Along with graduating with their Associate's Degree, ECHS students also graduate with a diploma from McKinley Senior High School.