Woburn Memorial High School Expands Early College Offerings in Partnership with UMass Lowell

WOBURN — Superintendent Matthew Crowley is pleased to share that Woburn Memorial High School has been awarded the Early College program designation through its partnership with the University of Massachusetts Lowell, as confirmed by the Early College Joint Committee (ECJC) and the Board of Higher Education. 

This is the fourth year Woburn Memorial High School has participated in the early college offering program with UMass Lowell. Through the program, students have the opportunity to enroll in a wide range of college-level classes, including Pre-Calculus, Statistics, Writing and Literature, Sociology, Life Science, Earth Science, Entrepreneurship, and Photography.

These courses will be offered during the regular school day at no cost to students and taught in collaboration between UMass Lowell faculty and Woburn educators. This model ensures that students experience authentic college-level instruction while remaining supported within their high school environment.

Early College courses fulfill both high school graduation requirements and earn transferable college credit. This structure allows students to make meaningful progress toward a degree while still in high school, reducing both the time and the financial cost of completing a college degree. 

Courses will be delivered in flexible formats, including in-person and hybrid options, to enhance accessibility while helping students build the skills, independence, and academic habits expected in postsecondary education.

This expansion reflects Woburn’s continued commitment to increasing equitable access to higher education and strengthening college- and career-readiness opportunities for all our students.

This expansion strengthens WMHS’s growing Early College pathway and expands access to college-level learning for high school students.

The designation process is a year-long review and approval sequence beginning with a letter of intent and pre-planning in collaboration with the University, which also includes a two-part path to full designation of an Early College Pathway. First, Schools then submit an evaluation of program readiness through a needs assessment, five-year longitudinal data analysis, recruitment planning, and communication strategies.

Once that is approved, schools move on to step two, which includes a fully developed program framework, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining governance structures, budget responsibilities, and a detailed scope and sequence.

Following Part B approval, schools participate in an interview with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education before final review and designation by the ECJC.

“By expanding this program, we are able to offer our high school students an opportunity to take college-level courses from an esteemed university that will allow students to achieve college credits which will be transferable to other colleges. This program helps us support our students in a unique way to help further their education,” said Superintendent Crowley. ” I would also like to recognize STEM Coordinator Kimberly Gustenhoven, who was instrumental in assisting with this process and designation of Woburn High Schools’ expansion of Early College pathway programs.

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