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Hi Laura,

Early College High School is an interesting topic and one that, in my opinion, needs a little more research.  My husband currently works at an Early College High School and I work at the college campus where the school is located, so I get to see both sides of the picture.  I think Early College is a great opportunity for those students emotionally and academically prepared.  Giving an opportunity to a student that may otherwise not have thought about college as a possibility is great!  They are getting their high school degree and associates for free!  Most of the students my husband works with, are lower income and their parents would not have been able to pay their way through school otherwise.  For students that take advantage of this program, I see the benefits and why it’s so popular.

Unfortunately, not all of the students being accepted to these programs are emotionally and academically prepared.  The biggest problem I’ve seen while working at the college is how unprepared some of these students are.  I helped enroll a student this semester that had graduated from Early College in the spring.  She received her high school diploma but was short hours for her Associates.  Her GPA was a 1.5 and she had many semesters of D’s and F’s.  In my opinion, the student shouldn’t have been allowed to continue with Early College.  It may sound harsh, but now the student will need to retake most if not all of those courses.  She has two additional years to try and bring up her GPA to even be considered into the program she wants to apply for.  I don’t think students know the importance of a college transcript as freshman.  The responsibility of educating them prior to applying for the program is the administrations responsibility.  I also think having a better vetting system for students applying and while in the program would help this specific issue (at least at our school).

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Like the others who have commented, I am conflicted as well. When I first heard of early college high school, I thought it sounded great. Who wouldn't want to graduate from high school with an associate's degree? As I have spent more time in higher education I have noticed how damaging it can be; academically, socially, emotionally. I believe that ECHS students miss out on high school and college experiences. I think ECHS has potential but it may need a little extra attention.

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Hi Laura,
Like you, I am conflicted on the notion of early college high schools (ECHS). While I agree that it is a cost effect path towards higher education and maximizing the time spent in the classroom; I am equally concerned that students associated with these educational opportunities miss out on valuable experiences common to traditional high school pursuits. For example, students attending the early college high school associated with the campus where I'm employed do not have opportunities to participate in extra curricular sporting activities, prom or any other milestone celebrations. We also had a few incidents where traditional students began to take romantic interest in ECHS students, unaware of their actual age or status. These traditional students assumed they were of age because they were introduced to ECHS students as classmates. How might college officials and ECHS administrators collaborate to ensure holistic experiences and development of ECHS students are not stunted?
-Taneekwa

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Values, Philosophy, and History
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ECHS Students More Likely to Earn College Degree

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ECHS Students More Likely to Earn College Degree

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Washington, D.C. - Early College high school students are significantly more likely to enroll in college and earn a degree than their peers, according to the results of an updated study by the American Institutes for Research (AIR). Some 23 percent of students received an associate's degree within two years compared with 2 percent for those attending other high schools.

Early College, Continued Success: Early College High School Initiative Impact, a multi-year study of schools in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Early College High School Initiative, was first issued in June 2013. The update is based on an additional year of postsecondary data. The students were in 9th grade during the 2005-06, 2006-2007 or 2007-2008 academic years, and followed for up to eight years in some cases.

The foundation launched the initiative in 2002 to increase opportunities for underserved students to earn a postsecondary credential. Since then, more than 240 Early Colleges have opened in the United States. Early Colleges partner with colleges and universities to offer high school students the chance to earn an associate's degree, or up to two years of college credits toward a bachelor's degree, during high school at little or no cost.

The initial analysis showed Early College students were significantly more likely to earn an associate's degree than their peers. However, the youngest students were only one year out of high school - too soon for peers to have earned a two-year degree.

"With the most recent data, all students in the study would have had at least two years after high school to earn an associate's degree if they progressed on a traditional timeline," said Andrea Berger, a principal researcher at AIR. "Even with this extra year, 23 percent of Early College students earned an associate's degree, compared with 2 percent of their peers from other high schools."

Overall, 81 percent of Early College students enrolled in college, compared with 72 percent of comparison students. During the study period, 25 percent of Early College students earned a college degree (typically an associate's degree), as compared with only 5 percent of comparison students. The authors noted that students in the study were between two and four years out of high school so many would not have had time to complete their bachelor's degrees.

To read the full report, visit www.air.org.

About AIR
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education, and workforce productivity. For more information, visit www.air.org.

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Report Confirms Early College High School Students Much More Likely to Earn a College Degree

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Washington, D.C. - Early College high school students are significantly more likely to enroll in college and earn a degree than their peers, according to the results of an updated study by the American Institutes for Research (AIR). Some 23 percent of students received an associate's degree within two years compared with 2 percent for those attending other high schools.

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Combining high school and college in a rigorous, supportive environment that enables struggling students to graduate with college credit and the tools for postsecondary success.

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For well over a decade, state and federal policymakers have promoted dual enrollment through strategies such as creating or expanding funding streams for dual enrollment and early college schools, as well as mandating that local education agencies make available a defined amount of dual enrollment (and/or AP and IB) options. But efforts to expand dual enrollment much more will only get so far without attention to some key issues in the years ahead. None lend themselves to clear, one-shot policy solutions, yet they nonetheless loom large and relate to larger challenges in our K-12 and postsecondary systems. Read our Q & A about dual enrollment policy issues.

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For well over a decade, state and federal policymakers have promoted dual enrollment through strategies such as creating or expanding funding streams for dual enrollment and early college schools, as well as mandating that local education agencies make available a defined amount of dual enrollment (and/or AP and IB) options.

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Early colleges, high schools located on college campuses, eliminate redundancies in course work and before students know, they not only get a high school diploma, but an Associates Degree also -- all by the time they're 18.

What are early college high schools?

Early College High Schools are small high schools from which students leave with a high school diploma and a two-year Associate of Arts degree or sufficient college credits to enter a four-year, liberal arts program as a junior.

Why do some people choose early college high schools?

Early college high schools have the potential to improve high school graduation rates and better prepare students for careers by changing the structure of the high school years so the number of years to receive a college degree is also compressed. It also helps remove the financial barriers to college.

What are the benefits of an Early College High School?

Early College High Schools provide a new kind of learning institution for underserved youth, according to some education experts. Some of the benefits are:
They may provide the rigor of college-level work in high school;

They may inspire underachieving, and well-prepared high school students to work hard, rewarding them with access to college-level courses;

It may help families and students save money and time by integrating high school and college-level work; and Provide young people with guidance and coaching from adults through the first two years of college.

To learn more about early high schools:

* The Carnegie Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has more information about early high school initiatives.
* Click here for a list of some early college programs.

* Learn more about education in America through fun facts, national statistics and unusual schools in a CBSNews.com interactive.

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Early colleges, high schools located on college campuses, eliminate redundancies in course work and before students know, they not only get a high school diploma, but an Associates Degree also -- all by the time they're 18. What are early college high schools?

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Steven J. Berberich, associate provost for faculty and staff affairs and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Wright State University, in Ohio, has been appointed senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

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Steven J. Berberich, associate provost for faculty and staff affairs and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Wright State University, in Ohio, has been appointed senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

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Longitudinal Findings From the Early College  High School Initiative Impact Study

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Longitudinal Findings From the Early College  High School Initiative Impact Study

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Angelo State University - Library Online Resources

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This study is the capstone project of AIR and its partner, SRI International, who for more than a decade have explored the impact of the Early College High School Initiative, launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2002. The Initiative provided funds for the development of Early College High Schools ("Early Colleges") to give students who are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education the opportunity to enroll in college courses and receive credit while pursuing a high school diploma. The goal is to better prepare these students for college and career success.

The randomized controlled trial design allowed researchers to provide strong evidence to answer the study's two questions:

1. Do Early College students have better outcomes than they would have had at other high schools?

2. Does the impact of Early Colleges vary by student background characteristics (e.g., gender and family income)?

Key findings include:

Early College students were significantly more like to graduate from high school than comparison students. Eighty-six percent of Early College students graduated from high school and 81 percent of comparison students graduated from high school.

Early College students were significantly more likely to enroll in college than comparison students. During the study period, 80 percent of Early College students enrolled, compared with 71 percent for comparison students. Early College students were also more likely than comparison students to enroll in both two-year and in four-year colleges or universities.

Early College students were significantly more likely to earn a college degree than comparison students. Up to one year past high school, 21 percent of Early College students earned a college degree (typically, an associate's degree), compared to only 1 percent for comparison students. Because they start earning college credits in high school, Early College students should complete college degrees earlier than comparison students.

The impact of Early College on high school graduation and college enrollment did not differ significantly based on gender, race/ethnicity, family income, first-generation college-going status, or pre-high school achievement. The impact on earning a college degree was stronger for female, minority and lower income students than for their counterparts.

The findings provide strong evidence for the positive impact of Early Colleges on students. Early College students had a greater opportunity than their peers to enroll in and graduate from college. They also appeared to be on a different academic trajectory, with Early College students earning college degrees and enrolling in four-year institutions at higher rates than comparison students. In addition, Early Colleges appeared to mitigate the traditional educational attainment gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students.

The ten Early Colleges examined used admissions lotteries for the academic years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08. The overall study sample included 2,458 students. The primary student outcomes for the study were high school graduation, college enrollment, and college degree attainment. Data came from administrative records from schools, districts, and states; the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC); and a survey administered to students. Due to privacy concerns, the Early Colleges are not identified in the study.

September 2013 Update: The report was originally released in June 2013. This version was updated in September 2013 to include additional details about sub-group analyses, including updates to Exhibit E.5.

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Early College, Early Success: Early College High School Initiative Impact Study (2013)

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Early College programs provide underserved students with exposure to, and support in, college while they are in high school. This study finds that Early College students were significantly more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in-and graduate from-college than their peers who did not take part in the program.

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86 percent of students in early-college high schools graduated, compared with 81 percent of their peers.

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Students who attend early-college high schools, which offer students a chance to earn credit toward a college degree while they finish high school, are more likely than are their peers to graduate, enroll in college, and earn an associate degree, concludes a study released on Wednesday by the American Institutes for Research.

The study examined 10 schools that were part of the Early College High School Initiative, which was created by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2002 and was designed to keep students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, from dropping out of high school and to give them better opportunities to succeed in college.

It found that 86 percent of students in early-college high schools graduated, compared with 81 percent of their peers. It also found that college enrollment among early-college students outpaced such enrollment in the study's comparison group, especially at two-year institutions: 59 percent of early-college students enrolled at two-year institutions, compared with 38 percent of the comparison group.

The study also found that 54 percent of early-college students enrolled at four-year institutions, compared with 47 percent of their peers. And the study found that early-college students were significantly more likely than were their peers in the comparison group to earn college degrees, though almost all were associate degrees.

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Early-College High Schools Benefit Students, Study Finds

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Students who attend early-college high schools, which offer students a chance to earn credit toward a college degree while they finish high school, are more likely than are their peers to graduate, enroll in college, and earn an associate degree, concludes a study released on Wednesday by the American Institutes for Research.

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Early college high schools enable students, regardless of previous academic achievement, to simultaneously earn a high school diploma and one to two years of transferable college credit, tuition free. These academically rigorous schools predominantly help low-income youth, first-generation college goers, English language learners, students of color, and other young people from backgrounds underrepresented in higher education.

The documented success of the early college approach is based on more than just superior academics. In fact, students are graduating at rates far above the national average in large part because faculty and administrators recognize that a student's mindset, attitude and expectations are critically important.

1. You can't predict the future...or can you?
Nearly every struggling high school student has believed at one time or another that they don't have what it takes for college. Teachers at early college high schools-who are often professors or specially certified high school educators-know that about 90% of their students go on to further college education. They have every expectation that all kinds of learners can flourish with the right preparation and support, and that message gets through to their students every day, so that students' previous expectations don't become predictors of their future.

2. I think I can, I think I can
Students who have a history of struggling academically may lack the confidence they need to progress. An early college experience can be a safe place to test their abilities-before applications, SATs, and financial aid even enter the equation. Early success here builds the confidence they need in order to continue taking the risks that lead to academic achievement and the resiliency to overcome setbacks.

3. "When will I ever use this?"
Early college students take classes that relate to real-world jobs, and academic advisors provide crucial insights on how material they cover now can expand their career options and their paychecks. With special emphasis on STEM skills, programs are developed with career applications in mind, and often offer work-based learning or internship opportunities. All of this helps the student make the connection between classroom and career, a big motivation booster.

4. But everybody else is doing it!
Some early college programs are based within community college campuses. Others are created within a more traditional high school setting. Either way, students are exposed to peers who are already on their way to attaining a college education, and who also may have similar challenges to overcome. Personal relationships with kids who see the value of education and are finding a pathway to college provides important inspiration, and are living proof that college is a possibility.

5. Great expectations = high achievements
How do you empower a struggling student to prepare for college level work? Often, the answer is to put low performing high school grads into remedial classes, often at their own expense, and without earning credit toward a degree. Early college turns that solution on its head, and offers high school students-regardless of past achievement-a stimulating, challenging environment. Teachers have high expectations, and students are buoyed by significant support from academic advisors. The result? Turns out that having a team of teachers, advisors and peers who believe in you makes a difference. About 30% of early college students have earned an Associate's degree or other postsecondary credential by the time they graduate high school, and many will continue that postsecondary education.
Considering early college for your school? We should talk!
Contact our director of early college designs, Caesar Mickens, for more information.

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Top 5 Benefits of Early College that Support Academic Success | JFF

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Early college high schools enable students, regardless of previous academic achievement, to simultaneously earn a high school diploma and one to two years of transferable college credit, tuition free. These academically rigorous schools predominantly help low-income youth, first-generation college goers, English language learners, students of color, and other young people from backgrounds underrepresented in higher education.

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Perceived Challenges and Support Systems

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Perceived Challenges and Support Systems

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Angelo State University - Library Online Resources

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Unauthorized use is prohibited; Usage may be subject to security testing and monitoring; Misuse is subject to criminal prosecution; No expectation of privacy except as otherwise provided by applicable privacy laws.

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As an educator I see the value in allowing high school students taking college level courses to earn credits for future transfers but as a parent I have mixed feeling on this issue. Personally, I don’t want my children to be burdened with additional school work on top of any extracurricular activities they might have while holding down a part-time/after school job. Additionally, I don’t want my children at 16 years old making potential long-term career decisions by earning a degree or credits in a program that may not have an interest in by time they are adults. I guess the middle ground for me personally would be so long as these classes are optional and are generals/basics only, then I am alright with it.