Disrupting the Traditional Path to Graduation: Bard High School Early College is Doing It And So Can You

[MarisaBluestone]

What if high school wasn’t just about preparing for college … but already was college?

At Bard High School Early College (BHSEC), students don’t just dream about the future, they live it. From day one, they’re immersed in a culture of thinking, writing, questioning and becoming. It’s not a test-run for adulthood; rather, it’s the real thing, designed with purpose and rigor and powered by trust.

That vision is something Dr. Siska Brutsaert, principal at BHSEC Bronx, lives and breathes. With a PhD in molecular immunology and a deep passion for student-centered learning, she leads one of the newest Bard campuses with an eye toward both academic rigor and human development.

In a recent episode of The What & Who of EDU podcast, LaShawn Springer, Director of Inclusive Pedagogy at Macmillan Learning, sat down with Dr. Brutsaert to unpack what makes Bard so different; and how any school, regardless of zip code or structure, can borrow from the Bard playbook. Here are ten powerful strategies you can adopt to make your school a little more Bard-like, and a whole lot more student-centered.

1. Build a Mission-Driven Faculty. 

Faculty at Bard aren’t just qualified, they’re purpose-driven. These are instructors with college-level credentials who choose to teach younger students. Why? Because they believe in transformation. Dr. Siska Brutsaert, principal at BHSEC Bronx, explained that faculty "take responsibility for cultivating these very malleable, eager, curious minds."

2. Let Students Lead with Curiosity, Not Competition

Bard avoids traditional academic hierarchies like valedictorians or class rankings. The result is a culture of exploration over comparison. Students apply to Bard by showcasing curiosity and voice—not just test scores. In your own school, consider how your systems may unintentionally reward competition over collaboration. Can you create spaces where inquiry is the prize?

3. Start with a Week of Writing and Wonder

Before diving into the syllabus, Bard schools kick off with "Writing & Thinking Week", which is a one-week immersive writing workshop inspired by the Bard Institute for Writing and Thinking. Students respond to prompts, reflect out loud and build a culture of trust. Activities like focused free writes and believing/doubting exercises help students to find their voice. Brutsaert described it as an opportunity to build a foundation: "writing can be, especially for an incoming ninth grader, intimidating... by having these informal writing workshops where you know everything is okay... it's okay to make mistakes."

4. Rethink Rigor, and Support It

Yes, Bard students complete college-level coursework by the time they graduate high school. But they also receive daily support: small classes (18-22 students), advisory periods, after-school learning centers, and built-in tutoring. Brutsaert emphasized the balance: "We're supporting the students at the same time that we're really pushing them."

5. Create Cohesive Curriculum Communities

Bard faculty don’t work in silos. Teachers from across the Bard network gather to align on what early college rigor looks like. They consult college syllabi, share best practices, and reflect on what students need to thrive in 200- and 300-level courses later. Brutsaert shared that ongoing meetups with Bard College faculty help them ask, "What are our approaches? What are the skills and competencies that our students are gonna need?"

6. Blur the High School/College Divide

At Bard, the same teacher might guide a student through both 10th grade and their first college seminar. This creates continuity in expectations, pedagogy, and mentorship. Brutsaert noted, "All of our faculty teach both in the high school program as well as in the college program."

7. Design for Belonging and Becoming

Teenagers are still, well, teenagers. Bard recognizes this and designs its model to support not just academic, but emotional growth. Students get to stay in a familiar environment with known adults even as the academic bar rises. Brutsaert described the support system: "Our teachers have office hours. We have a learning center... we know a lot of our teachers do tutoring and small group instruction during lunchtime or during their free periods."

8. Center Student Voice ... Then Help It Grow

Bard looks for students with a voice. Then it teaches them how to use it boldly. Through informal writing, collaborative workshops, and small group discussions, students learn that their ideas matter. Brutsaert explained, "You're really helping them to trust what that inner voice is and to share it really boldly and courageously."

9. Focus on the Graduate, Not Just the GPA

Brutsaert shared that the ideal BHSEC graduate is someone who can "think independently, that can think critically and evaluate sources of information... have confidence in their academic ability and also know when to ask for help."

10. Trust Young People. Seriously.

Bard challenges students because it believes in them. Brutsaert put it simply: "Trust in the ability of your students and give them agency and independence and allow them to be themselves."

Most schools aren’t Bard. But any school can start asking Bard-like questions: Are we empowering students to use their voice? Are we designing for transformation? Are we building classrooms where thinking is the goal, not just the grade? Borrow the spirit, remix the methods, and remember that every school can (and should) be a place to think.

You don’t need Bard’s structure, or its badge, to build a school that challenges students to think deeply, speak boldly and grow with confidence. It just takes trust, intention and the belief that every young person is already capable of more than we sometimes give them credit for.

You can listen to the whole conversation on your favorite streaming platform, including Apple & Spotify. Learn more about LaShawn on The What & Who of EDU website.