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Abstract
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.
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Author Biographies
Julie A. Edmunds is program director for Secondary School Reform at the SERVE Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she has been studying early colleges for over ten years. She also conducts evaluations of various interventions at the high school and postsecondary levels.
Nina Arshavsky is a senior research specialist at the SERVE Center. Her work has spanned from mathematics education to high school reform, including curriculum development and teacher professional development in mathematics content and pedagogy. She also conducts research on the early college high school reform model and STEM education.
Karla Lewis is a project director at the SERVE Center where she provides technical assistance and conducts research on school improvement efforts. She is also the director of evaluation services for the Non-profit Evaluation Support Program.
Beth Thrift is a program specialist at the SERVE Center where she has contributed to a range of research, development, and dissemination projects. She has content expertise in a variety of areas including evaluation capacity building, migrant education, differentiating instruction, technology in learning, and adult learning.
Fatih Unlu, PhD, is a senior economist at the RAND Corporation. His research covers a wide variety of education topics with a focus on higher education, teacher and principal effectiveness, and quantitative research methods.
Jane Furey is a programmer analyst at Abt Associates where she contributes to educational studies using advanced statistical techniques.
