DAYTON — When the inaugural class of the Dayton Early College Academy graduates May 30, 2007, seven of the 32 students receiving high school diplomas will also walk away with associate degrees from Sinclair Community College.

The experimental Dayton public school transforms urban students from low-income or minority families into college-bound students through an unorthodox high school curriculum.

Combined, the DECA class of 2007 has taken 70 college courses and earned 1,252 college credits. All will enter four-year colleges in the fall, many with scholarships.

The school is part of an expanding nationwide experiment to find a prototype for reforming urban schools and create a pipeline of under-served students into college.

Often mistaken as a school for the gifted, DECA's students are mostly average in ability "but everything here is geared toward college readiness — socially, emotionally, academically," said Principal Judy Hennessey.

For Alvin Wilkerson, who will major in civil engineering at the University of Dayton as part of its McIntosh Scholars program this fall, getting a two-year head start on a four-year degree was essential. He enrolled in Sinclair full-time during his freshman year at DECA.

"I knew that I wanted to go to college, but my parents couldn't pay for it," he said.

Once a troublemaker and "serious procrastinator," Wilkerson learned responsibility and discipline, said his adviser, math teacher Katie King.

"There is no question about whether these kids are smart enough to go to college," she said. "They just need the personal attention to get them there."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7404

or sirwin@DaytonDailyNews.com.