ECE Course Update

Newtown High School has implemented many new Early College Experience classes designed to give students an opportunity to get a head start on college level education.  

Newtown High School is offering around 20 ECE courses from University of Connecticut, Western Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, and Sacred Heart University.  

“Twenty ECE opportunities for students this year. It's been a lot of work, but it's so worth it for the kids because you can now go into college with college credit while in high school,” NHS Director of Guidance Bret Nichols said. 

In the first semester of the 2025-26 school year there are 345 students enrolled in UConn, 71 at Southern, 91 at Eastern, and 115 at WestConn. 

“I think it's very much worth it. You get college credit, and you're saving a lot of money before you even enter college. The workload isn't that bad, you just have to stay on top of everything,” NHS senior Leticia DeOliveira said.  

The World Language Department has had experience with ECE courses for many years while offering six different courses. These include Advanced Placement French V, Advanced Placement Italian IV, Advanced Placement Latin IV/UCONN-ECE, Advanced Placement Spanish V/UCONN-ECE, Classical Mythology UCONN-ECE, and Composition And Reading For Speakers Of Spanish/UCONN-ECE. 

“I think that ECE courses are fantastic. I think with today's economy and all the expectations on students, it provides an opportunity to earn college credit for required courses,” NHS World Language Department chair Elizabeth Ward said. 

The ECE eEnglish courses include UCONN Composition through Current Issues, UCONN Modernism and Mythology, UCONN Public Speaking, UCONN Sports Literature,  UCONN World Literature, and UCONN Writing Center Theory and Practice.

The popularity of ECE courses in Foreign Language led to the growth of those in the English Department.

High schools apply for specific classes to be accepted as ECE. For example, NHS English teacher Marc Kenney applied for the Public Speaking course last winter to be accepted as an ECE course in UConn’s Communications Department. 

Each high school teacher also applies for individual certification through the university and ultimately attends an orientation program designed to update each school’s program. UConn’s program was held last May for this year’s courses. Kenney attended with NHS English teacher Rick Lye, who already teaches the ECE offered Writing Center: Theory and Practice, and teachers in various other departments- such as P.E. Department Chair Matt Childs and History teacher Dave Foss.

In Kenney’s case, an undergraduate degree in Communications and Journalism qualified him to teach the course, entitled COMM 1100: Principles of Public Speaking. Upon approval, the course remains in the NHS English Department as a senior English Elective, but adds the option for students to also register through UConn for college credit.

Administration has encountered slight challenges during the process of introducing these new courses. These challenges include difficulties with the registration process for different colleges. 

“Each college has their own separate process. So that in itself has been a challenge, to make sure that that's been followed appropriately. But through it all, you know we’ve had tons of students apply successfully for these credits across the board. I'm super happy for all of them,” Nichols said.