The Early College High School Initiative Impact Study: Postsecondary Outcomes

• In Event: A New Look at an Old but First Step: Admission Policies and Practices

Abstract

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Early College High School Initiative is a reform movement designed to improve college enrollment and completion, particularly for students who are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education. Early College Schools (ECSs) offer students the opportunity to simultaneously pursue a high school diploma and earn college credits (and even credentials) through partnerships with postsecondary institutions. This paper presents findings from an evaluation of the impact of ECSs on students’ educational outcomes at a sample of ECSs that used lotteries to determine student admission. The results shed light on the impact of ECSs on postsecondary trajectories and success.

Authors

• Andrea Berger, American Institutes for Research

• Joel Martin Knudson, American Institutes for Research