Conceptualizing Early College High School

• In Event: Merging High School and College: How Early College High Schools Are Changing Our Educational Systems

Abstract

Objectives: This presentation will address the following questions:
1.What are the core aspects of the Early College High School (ECHS) model? How does the ECHS differ from dual enrollment?
2.How do ECHS fit within the historical context of efforts to combine high school and college?
3.How does the structure of ECHS address barriers that keep students from accessing and being successful in postsecondary education?
Theoretical Framework: As the American educational system was established, it developed separate secondary and postsecondary systems. As postsecondary education has become more vital to our nation’s economy, it has become important to increase the number of people successfully completing postsecondary education. However, the separation of the two systems has led to misalignment and barriers that prevent students from accessing college. Researchers have identified four sets of barriers:
1) academic—or different expectations about what students know and be able to do;
2) cultural—differing levels of independence, maturity, and behaviors expected of students;
3) logistical—extensive logistical steps the students must complete as they apply to college; and
4) financial—the fact that students are expected to pay for at least a portion of their postsecondary education.

Historically, educators and policymakers have attempted to address these barriers individually, but the early college model attempts to address them comprehensively.

Methods: This paper synthesizes information from multiple descriptions and studies of the ECHS model to create a common model. The paper then applies a historical approach, placing the ECHS model into a historical context and within a conceptual framework that arises out of the history.
Data sources: Data sources include original evaluations conducted of multiple efforts to implement ECHS in states such as North Carolina, Texas, Colorado, Michigan and Ohio. The data sources also include secondary reviews of the history of the development of the high school, the community college system, and the ECHS model as well as primary sources that focused on the development of the 6-4-4 and junior college models.
Results: Earlier efforts to combine high school and college were not sustained, likely because of relatively low demand for postsecondary education at the time. The current ECHS model builds on these earlier approaches and take a comprehensive approach to addressing the four identified barriers. They address academic barriers through a focus on student-centered, rigorous and relevant instructional practices; early access to dual enrollment, and extensive student supports. They address cultural barriers by providing explicit instruction in college behaviors and by scaffolding students’ independence and ability to advocate for themselves. They address logistical barriers by providing assistance identifying appropriate colleges and developing college applications. They also address financial barriers by providing college courses for free.
Significance: Researchers and policymakers have historically attempted to address barriers to postsecondary education in an isolated manner. By simultaneously addressing multiple barriers, ECHS can increase access to and success in postsecondary education, particularly for students who are underserved.

Author

• Julie A. Edmunds, University of North Carolina - Greensboro