Skip To Main Content

Early College Academy

Group of ECA students and staff 2026

 

Early College Academy (ECA)

The Jennings School District established the Early College Academy (ECA) in collaboration with St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley.

This partnership allows current Jennings High School students to obtain an associate degree and fulfill their Missouri graduation requirements. Applications are available online and at the high school.

During enrollment in ECA, students still have access to their full-time Jennings High School counselor and their college advisor. They will also have access to the STLCC-Florissant Valley Student Resource Center, library, computer labs, student clubs, and campus activities. Students will follow the STLCC academic calendar and are required to be in attendance at all classes.

Jennings School District Early College Academy

  • Students who are interested in getting an early start on their college classes while still in high school have a few options. Jennings Early College Options enables students to earn credit toward their high school diplomas while taking college classes at St. Louis Community College (Florissant Valley). Students can choose one of the following:     

  • Students earn both high school and college credits while attending classes at the STLCC campus during their junior and/or senior years. Students taking part will attend FLO Valley fulltime. Courses can be used to complete an associate degree at STLCC after high school graduation or eligible courses (CORE 42 Program ) can be transferred to any public Missouri four-year college or university.

Earn an associate degree while in high school

  •      Earn both high school credit and college credit while attending classes full-time at St. Louis Community College (Florissant Valley) during their junior and senior years and earn an associate degree. Eligible classes (CORE 42 Program ) are also transferable to any public Missouri four-year college or university.

APPLY

  1. Meet with Dr. Debbie Jones Fowler, JSD Early College & Secondary Programs Administrator, to discuss the program and whether it aligns with and supports your post-secondary graduation plans.

  2. Apply to STLCC online in early February. For more information on how to apply to STLCC, please visit https://stlcc.edu/admissions/apply-to-stlcc/.

  3. Take STLCC’s Accuplacer to assess college readiness. Students will be able to sign up to take the Accuplacer at STLCC. For more on testing, please visit https://stlcc.edu/admissions/testing-centers/
  4. Download the Jennings School District ECA Application. Fill out the form and collect all necessary signatures. Turn the form into Dr. Jones Fowler (jonesfowlerd@jenningsk12.us or leave the form to the secretaries in the main office.
  5. Once accepted, complete and sign this agreement form prior to participation

IMPORTANT

Students must be accepted to STLCC and the Jennings Early College Academy to be dually enrolled and earn credit at both educational institutions. Additionally, feedback will be sent to each applicant’s teachers and counselor to gather information about the student’s potential for success in the Early College Options Program. A staff committee will review all Applications and feedback forms.

Timeline and Deadlines

  • Student Informational Meetings in January
  • Parent Meeting in March
  • Complete STLCC’s application in March
  • Applications due by last week in March (Jennings School District's ECA Application)
  • Acceptance to the program announced in April
  • STLCC Course enrollment with STLCC in April
  • STLCC ORIENTATION in July-August

Choose to attend classes on the JHS campus. These are the additional options to ear college credit in high school:

DUAL credit courses- Courses taken on a high school campus using a college-level curriculum tied to a specific university. Students take classes and earn college credit with their high school teacher, who is also an approved instructor for the college or university. Individual universities determine if they accept the credit(s).

*Note about the CORE 42: The Missouri Department of Higher Education (MDHE) has identified a common set of general courses called the CORE 42. These courses are guaranteed to transfer to any Missouri public college or university to satisfy general education requirements. Core 42 offers several courses across five knowledge areas: Communications (Oral & Written), Humanities and Fine Arts, Mathematical Sciences, Natural Sciences, and Social & Behavioral Sciences.