Transcript Early College Schools: A New Pathway From High School through College Joel Vargas, Jobs for the Future The Council of State Governments Webinar June.

Early College Schools:
A New Pathway From High School through College
Joel Vargas, Jobs for the Future
The Council of State Governments Webinar
June 16, 2009
The Early College Idea
• Hypothesis:
An appropriate “dose” of college credit in high school
will ensure underrepresented students are on the path
to the completion of a postsecondary degree or
credential.
• Theory of Change:
By changing the structure of high school, compressing
the number of years to a college degree, and removing
financial and other barriers to college, early college
schools will increase the number of underrepresented
youth attaining the AA degree and the opportunity to
earn the BA.
Addressing Barriers to
College Completion
Requirements
Academic
Preparation
Financial
Social
Support
Strategies
• Send better & earlier signals about college expectations
• Address overlaps and gaps in curricula & standards from grades 9-14
• Get ready for college by doing some college now
• Create new course sequences that ramp up to college-level work
• Motivate students to get prepared for college by making a
transparent financial commitment: free college credit as you are
ready
• Give academic and social support through the early years of college
• Build College-Going Academic identity
Early Partners in Establishing
Early College Schools
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Center for Native Education
City University of New York
Communities Foundation of Texas/Texas High School Project
Foundation for California Community Colleges
Gateway to College National Network
Georgia Board of Regents
KnowledgeWorks Foundation
Middle College National Consortium
National Council of La Raza
North Carolina New Schools Project
SECME, Inc.
Utah Partnership for Education
Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
The Expansion of
Early College Schools
250
201
200
159
150
130
100
82
46
50
17
3
0
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
Number of Early College Schools
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
The Expansion of
Early College Schools
Locations of Schools
On a
Postsecondary
Campus
52%
Types of Postsecondary Partners
Four-year
Institutions
28%
Freestanding
45%
Two-year
Institutions
72%
On a
Reservation
3%
Grade Levels Served
Schools with
Grade 13
13%
Schools with
Middle Grades
15%
Ungraded
9%
Schools with
Grades 9-12
only
63%
The Expansion of
Early College Schools
Early Promise from
Early College Schools
Total Enrollment
41,972
(200 schools)
Eligible For Free or Reduced Lunch
55.5%
Students of color
74.2%
Graduates
2008
Graduates Who Earned College Credit
88.2%
Earned More Than A Year Of College Credit
40%
Earned a HS Diploma and Associate’s Degree
11%
State Investments: Examples
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North Carolina
Michigan
Texas
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Federal Interest: Examples
• Fast Track to College Act
• Graduation Promise Act
• GRADUATES Act
Policies that Support the
Early College Design
Practices
Policies
• Coherent sequence of college
courses meeting general education or
career requirements
• No-Tuition; free textbooks
• Support systems
• High school & College partners
work to improve scope and sequence
of learning expectations and supports
for grades 9-14
• Do-no-harm financing
• Seat Time and Dual Crediting
• Tuition waiver or support
• Credit transfer assured
• Longitudinal Data Systems
• P-16 Oversight
• Space to Innovate
Examples of Supportive State
Policies
Georgia
North Carolina
• “Accel” for early college course takers
• The Innovative Education Initiatives
Act of 2003
Texas
• Hold Harmless Funding
• HB 1 College Readiness Allotment
Ohio
• Early College Line Item
How to Learn More
For more information about
the Early College High
School Initiative and its
partner organizations,
please visit
www.earlycolleges.org.