scholarly journals What students do early college high schools serve? Unpacking social constructions of the target population

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 173
Author(s):  
Julia C. Duncheon
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Early College High School ◽  
Early College ◽  
College Credit ◽  
Early College High Schools ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Recruitment And Selection

To support the nation’s college completion goals, early college high school (ECHS) reform creates opportunities for interested students to earn up to two years of free college credit during high school. ECHSs also have an equity objective: to target and enroll students who are historically underrepresented and/or might not otherwise go to college. Yet the extent to which ECHSs actually serve their target population in practice is unclear, especially in a marketized school environment. Using qualitative methods and the theory of social construction and policy design (Schneider Ingram, 1993), this study explores the recruitment and selection practices at five ECHSs in the borderlands of Texas. Findings suggest that ECHS staff invited applications from the broad target groups. However, the admission process, shaped in part by patterns of self-selection, favored students who were academically inclined and relatively privileged compared to their district peers. ECHS staff socially constructed narrower ideals of the target population than those articulated in the policy design based on their assumptions about who was likely to succeed in—and thus deserving of—an early college opportunity. Findings are discussed with particular attention to the equity implications of ECHS reform.

“That’s the Point of Going”: A Qualitative Inquiry Into the Experiences of Black Males at an Early College High School

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-34
Author(s):  
Tempestt R. Adams ◽  
Brian K. Williams ◽  
Chance W. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High Schools ◽  
Black Males ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Early College High School ◽  
Early College ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Design Data ◽  
Black Male Students ◽  
Early College High Schools

Early college high schools are small schools designed to increase college and career readiness for groups underrepresented in higher education. While some research has focused on student experiences in the early college environment, few have specifically examined the perceptions of Black male students. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of Black males in an early college high school. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected using focus groups and individual interviews. Emergent themes included students’ descriptions of their learning environment and the benefits and challenges they experienced. The results of this study provide further insight into early college high schools and how they serve their targeted population.

Early Birds: An Exploration of Early College Initiative High Schools in New York City and College Persistence

2020 ◽  
pp. 152102512092478
Author(s):  
Tolani A. Britton ◽  
Millie O. Symns ◽  
Vanessa Paul
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
High Schools ◽  
York City ◽  
School Achievement ◽  
College Persistence ◽  
Early College ◽  
Behavioral Risk ◽  
College Credit

The Early College Initiative (ECI) high schools in New York City provide opportunities to take college-credit courses up to the equivalent of an associate’s degree while in high school. In this study, we measure the association between attending an ECI high school and college persistence. Our sample is the 3,271 students who graduated from New York City public high schools in the ECI network between Fall 2006 and Fall 2013 and enrolled in college. We use survival analysis to measure the relationship between demographic, academic, and behavioral risk factors and persistence of ECI graduates. We find that Black and Latinx students are as likely as White students to persist, when both high school achievement and behavioral factors, such as attendance, are taken into account. Differences in persistence do exist by gender with young women more likely to persist when compared with young men. This study provides empirical evidence that attending early college high schools has the potential to narrow racial and ethnic gaps in postsecondary outcomes.

Case Study of a New Engineering Early College High School: Advancing Educational Opportunities for Underrepresented Students in an Urban Area

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-267
Author(s):  
Cindy M. Gilson ◽  
Michael S. Matthews
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Underrepresented Students ◽  
Early College High School ◽  
Early College ◽  
School Structure ◽  
Highly Qualified ◽  
Stem Pipeline ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Ninth Grade Students

In response to the pervasive problem of making college more accessible to at-risk and underrepresented populations, the early college high school (ECHS) model has gained popularity. However, limited research exists on engineering-focused ECHSs (EECHS). Given the current demand for diverse and highly qualified engineers in the workforce, further research on EECHSs that potentially support the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pipeline is warranted. We examined the perceptions of six teachers, 10 ninth-grade students, and one principal at a newly formed EECHS. Our qualitative analyses revealed numerous successes and few challenges related to the school’s culture, curriculum, and instructional practices. General findings that might apply to all ECHS programming included the school’s small size, the benefits of developing caring and supportive relationships, and a common focus on preparing students for future academic and career success. We discuss key implications of these findings within the context of replicating an EECHS program or similar school structure.

Preparing Students for College: Lessons Learned From the Early College

2017 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie A. Edmunds ◽  
Nina Arshavsky ◽  
Karla Lewis ◽  
Beth Thrift ◽  
Fatih Unlu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
High School ◽  
College Readiness ◽  
Small Schools ◽  
Secondary School Principals ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Early College ◽  
Early College High Schools ◽  
High School Setting

This article utilizes mixed methods—a lottery-based experimental design supplemented by qualitative data—to examine college readiness within an innovative high school setting: early college high schools. Early colleges are small schools that merge the high school and college experiences and are targeted at students underrepresented in college. Results show that early college students are more likely to have successfully completed the courses they need for entrance into college; early college students also graduated from high school at a higher rate. Interview and survey data show that early college students are generally considered similarly prepared to more traditional postsecondary students. The interview data also provide detailed descriptions of the kinds of strategies the schools use to support college readiness. The article concludes with lessons learned for secondary school principals.

Longitudinal Findings From the Early College High School Initiative Impact Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 410-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clarisse Haxton ◽  
Mengli Song ◽  
Kristina Zeiser ◽  
Andrea Berger ◽  
Lori Turk-Bicakci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Early College High School ◽  
Early College ◽  
Impact Study

scholarly journals Funding Early College High School: Hold Harmless or Shared Commitment

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Leonard
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
College Readiness ◽  
Parental Engagement ◽  
Shared Responsibility ◽  
Early College ◽  
Financial Policy ◽  
Early College High Schools ◽  
Hold Harmless ◽  
Shared Commitment ◽  
The Cost

Early college high schools are a promising but expensive pathway to college readiness. Most such schools are supported with state funds and/or grants. This descriptive case study presents an early college program, now in its fourth year in a traditional high school, in which the families, high school and community college shared the entire cost. Data from document analysis and interviews with administrators, parents and students clarified the funding plan and participant reactions. Joint ownership increased parental engagement, student academic commitment and administrator attention. The results suggest that learning to cope with the cost of college, which this program necessitated, is an important aspect of college readiness for both students and parents. The model of shared responsibility is contrasted with the “hold harmless” model of government/foundation support that relieves schools and families of the cost of early college programming. The findings and policy recommendations are applicable to LEA and SEA leaders, philanthropies and scholars in educational financial policy.

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