Equity-Minded Recommendations for Early Colleges High Schools and Postsecondary Partners

What is it about?

Early college high schools (ECs) are accelerated college-readiness programs designed to offer high school students an accelerated pathway toward an associate’s degree. These programs aim to reduce barriers to postsecondary access and completion, specifically for minoritized populations, by offering affordable college-level credits that count toward their high school diploma. This innovative initiative establishes new partnerships between K–12 school districts and postsecondary institutions, most commonly community college districts, to support student success. Combining intersectional and asset-based frameworks, this practice brief features four recommendations for ECs and postsecondary partners.

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Why is it important?

Intersectional and structural barriers demonstrate a need for EC partners to recognize challenges and implement programs, processes, and procedures to better serve populations who may already be at a systemic disadvantage. This practice brief outlines four recommendations for EC administrators and their postsecondary partners to assist adolescent students through these college-readiness programs and support their transitions into 4-year institutions. These recommendations connect empirically based research to practice and are influenced by the researchers’ former and current roles as practitioners, faculty, and administrators. We call for ECs to increase transparency within recruitment efforts and establish stronger partnerships with 4-year institutions. In return, we urge 4-year institutions to provide targeted support and transition services to EC graduates.