Something pretty special is happening at Eastern Hancock High School.Over the last several years, we’ve talked a lot about creating more choices for Eastern Hancock students. We’ve created opportunities for students to spend more of their school day learning in workplaces and in the community. We’ve built new pathways for students whose next step might be a career, technical training, the military, a two-year program, or something else entirely.
And we’re proud of that work.
While we’ve been building all of those new choices, we haven’t taken opportunities away from students who plan to attend a four-year university. In fact, we’ve been building more opportunities for them, too.
More of our students are getting the opportunity to earn college credit without leaving the EH campus - learning face-to-face, during their regular school day, from Eastern Hancock teachers they already know.
That didn't happen by accident.
It happened because our teachers were willing to put in the work to make it possible. But, they couldn’t do it alone. It took a team. While our teachers were working hard to earn credentials, our guidance department and school leadership did the planning, coordination and behind-the-scenes work necessary to build these opportunities into our students’ schedules and make the pathway work.
Building on a Strong Foundation
For years, Eastern Hancock students have benefited from our partnership with New Castle Early College, which provided an important pathway for EH students to participate in the Indiana College Core.
That partnership opened doors for our students, but many of the courses depended on online learning or off-site access. While the opportunity existed, the structure could limit how many students could realistically participate.
So, while we were creating more choices in other parts of the high school experience, we began looking at how we could make the four-year college pathway even stronger and more accessible at Eastern Hancock. Part of the answer was bringing more of those opportunities home.
And that's where our teachers stepped in.
Our Teachers Did the Work to Bring These Classes Home
Offering a college-level course at EH isn't as simple as adding another class to the schedule.
Teachers must meet college-level credentialing requirements. Depending on the course and partner college requirements, that can mean earning a master's degree in their discipline or completing a master's degree plus 18 graduate hours in the discipline.
Our teachers have invested their own time, taken graduate-level courses and put in significant additional work so our students can have these opportunities on their own campus.
Today, that investment can be seen across our curriculum.
Mr. Stonerock and Mrs. Ebert are helping provide opportunities in English and communication. Miss Moorman, Mr. Pfaff and Mr. Galyan are helping build the pathway through Spanish, U.S. History and AP Physics. Miss Jennings provides advanced mathematics opportunities, while Mrs. Johnson and Miss Burris join in providing science options through Chemistry and Animal Science.
These teachers didn't just agree to teach another class.
They helped build the capacity of our school.
Because of their investment, more opportunities that once depended on online or off-site access can now happen face-to-face, during the school day, right here at Eastern Hancock.
Growth That Creates Future Success
We're grateful for the partnership with New Castle Early College that helped provide this pathway for our students. Now, we're proud to see our own teachers continue building upon that foundation and expanding what we can offer right here at Eastern Hancock.
It's a great example of our EH Promises of Growth and future Success working together.
Our teachers pursued their own growth.
Their growth increased what our school can offer.
And what our school can offer creates new possibilities for our students.
That's an investment that won't benefit just one graduating class. Our teachers are building something that can create opportunities for Eastern Hancock students for years to come.
Why This Matters
This is really part of a much bigger story at Eastern Hancock.
When we talk about creating more personalized experiences for students, we don’t mean choosing one pathway over another.
We want the student who is ready to spend part of the week learning in a workplace to have that opportunity.
We want the student who is excited about a technical career to have a strong pathway toward it.
And, we want the student planning to attend a four-year university to leave Eastern Hancock as prepared — and as far ahead — as possible.
As we’ve added new choices for students, we haven’t taken away from that traditional college pathway. We’ve strengthened it.
Our teachers have pursued additional credentials, brought more college-level courses onto our campus and made those opportunities more accessible to more students.
Their growth has increased what our school can offer.
And ultimately, that is what all of this work is about: not deciding what success should look like for our students, but creating more opportunities for each of them to pursue what comes next.
A great opportunity only makes a difference if students can realistically take advantage of it.
And as we've removed some of those barriers, more students have chosen the opportunity.
That's why this work matters.
We're not simply helping students earn college credits. We're creating more choices for what comes next.
More opportunities. More students. Fewer barriers.