Early College High School Initiative Integrating Grades 9 Through 14 State Policies to Support and Sustain Early College High Schools By Nancy Hoffman and Joel Vargas JANUARY 2005 The Early College High School Initiative issponsored by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation In Partnership with Carnegie Corporation of New York The Ford Foundation The W.K. Kellogg Foundation Coordinated by About the Early College High School Initiative Early college high schools are small schools from which students leave with not only a high school diploma but also anAssociate’s degree or up to two years of college credit toward a Bachelor’s degree. By changing the structure of the high school years and compressing the number of years to a college degree, early college high schools have the potential to improve graduation rates and better prepare students for entry into high-skill careers. This approach helps young people to progress toward the education and experience they need to succeed in life and a family-supporting career. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, is funding the Early College High School Initiative. By 2008, the partner organizations will create or redesign more than 180 pioneering small high schools. Jobs for the Future coordinates the Early College High School Initiative and provides support to the partners and to theeffort as a whole. Jobs for the Future seeks to accelerate the educational and economic advancement of youth and adults struggling in today’s economy. JFF partners with leaders in education, business, government, and communities around the nation to: strengthen opportunities for youth to succeed in postsecondary learning and high-skill careers; increase opportunities for low-income individuals to move into family-supporting careers; and meet the growing economic demand for knowledgeable and skilled workers. Early College High School Initiative Integrating Grades 9 Through 14 State Policies to Support and Sustain Early College High Schools Table of Contents Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Summary of State Policies to Support and Sustain Early College High Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 SchoolsIntroduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 State Policies Key to Early College High Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1. Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2. Eligibility for College Courses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3. Transfer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 4. Teacher Certification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 5. Funding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 6. Autonomy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Broadening Access to College-Level Work in High School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Endnotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Acknowledgements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 As a supplement to this report, Jobs for the Future is preparing state-specific summaries of “Policies and Regulations Relating to Early College High Schools.” Currently available or in preparation are summaries for California, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Texas, and Utah. For information, contact [email protected]. Early College High School Initiative Integrating Grades 9 Through 14 State Policies to Support and Sustain Early College High Schools Executive Summary Across the country, increasing numbers of high Six types of policy can support early college high school students are getting a head start on college school: by completing some college-level work in high • Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit: College courses can school. Opportunities such as Advanced Placement supplant high school courses. courses and dual enrollment not only boost college-going rates but also save money for families • Eligibility for College Courses:Eligibility require- and, potentially, for taxpayers and states. In ments for college courses are based on student particular, approximately 180 early college high readiness in the subject area. schools being implemented over the next four years • Transfer:Credits for early college high school are designed to enable underrepresented students courses are transferable to two- and four-year to graduate in four to five years with a high school institutions. diploma and up to an Associate’s degree or sufficient credit to enter a Bachelor’s degree • Teacher Certification: Teacher certification is flexi- program as a junior. In essence, these schools blend ble: college faculty can teach in high schools. secondary and postsecondary education. • Funding: Secondary and postsecondary funding The prospect of moving students more efficiently streams can be merged. through the pipeline raises new and complex policy • Autonomy: Schools have key autonomies (e.g., and finance issues for states: in order to integrate hiring, curriculum, budget). secondary and postsecondary education within a single, small school, states and districts must be No state has in place all the policies needed to sup- able to facilitate funding, staffing, and the crediting port early college high schools. However, some of courses across educational sectors. Drawing on states have policies that can be reshaped to meet lessons learned over the first two years of the Early ECHS goals. College High School Initiative, this brief recom- This brief also points to broader policy changes mends state policies that would support these new that would benefit early college high schools and schools. advance the agenda of creating a seamless K-16 Because early college high schools blend secondary system that promotes smooth transitions from one and postsecondary education, the public policies education level to the next, a system in which stu- most relevant to these schools are legislation and dents can advance fluidly based on what they learn regulations that define the jurisdictions of the sec- rather than in lockstep based on what time they ondary and postsecondary sectors and those that spend in school. The broader agenda to increase attempt to better align the two. postsecondary success rates would be enhanced by continued efforts to align standards for secondary and postsecondary exit, entrance, and placement. States should create formal decision-making vehicles—such as joint legislative committees— togovern across secondary and postsecondary education. INTEGRATING GRADES 9 THROUGH 14 Summary of State Policies to Support and Sustain Early College High Schools* Principle Typical Policy Barriers Recommendations Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit: ECHS college Restrictions on the use of college courses Give discretion to secondary and postsecondary schools courses can count simultaneously for high to fulfill requirements for high school seat to grant dual credit toward program and graduation school graduation, college credit, and high time or Carnegie Units requirements. school day/minute requirements. Choice of either high school or college Permit college course work to count toward seat-time credit but not both requirements for high school. Caps on number of college courses high Authorize high schools to determine how many college school students may take courses a student may take in a given period. Eligibility for College Courses: Eligibility require- Restrictions on access to any dual enroll- Base eligibility on performance criteria, not age or grade- ments for college courses assess academic ment course based on combined assess- level. readiness but do not exclude students based ment scores or GPA Regulate access on a subject-specific basis corresponding on “all-or-nothing” criteria. Restrictions based on age or grade level to subject-specific performance. Alternative Approach Allow open access but grant college course credit only after students pass an external exam or assessment. Transfer:ECHS-generated college course cred- No systematic means of equating courses Mandate formal articulation agreements within and its can be transferred to meet general educa- across states’ higher education institu- across state higher ed systems. tion and academic major requirements for tions Make prerequisites transparent for transfer into general Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees. Unique prerequisites set by academic education and major requirements for degree pro- departments that can only be fulfilled grams. within the same institution Make transfer agreements widely accessible to schools Uncertainty from four-year colleges and individuals. regarding admission status of students Require public higher education institutions to accept with dual credit courses dual credit courses as equivalent to courses transferable under articulation agreements. Teacher Certification: High school teachers are State and union regulations that prohibit Designate college instructors as “highly qualified” under permitted to teach college-level, credit-bearing college instructors from teaching high NCLB and state rules if they have taught for three years courses, and college professors are permitted school students in their discipline. to teach high school students within an early High school teachers who cannot meet Provide incentives, such as adjunct professor status, to college high school. hiring criteria to become adjunct profes- teachers in return for allowing college instructors to sors at selective postsecondary institu- teach in high schools. tions Reward postsecondary institutions that encourage fac- ulty to work in local high schools. Funding: Early college high schools can combine Lack of FTE reimbursement for dual Allow schools to claim K-12 per-pupil ADA until age 21. funding streams: high school per-pupil alloca- enrollees at four-year public colleges Permit a portion of per-pupil ADA to follow students to tions, postsecondary per-credit allocations, and Ineligibility of high school students for fed- pay for college credits. state financial aid or incentive dollars. eral and state financial aid Give high school students access to financial aid if 50% High school loses dollars when students or more of their coursework is college-level in ECHS leave, discouraging high school participa- courses. tion in dual enrollment Allow four-year public colleges to claim FTE reimburse- Inflexibility of funding rules to pay for per- ment for dual enrollees. credit costs of cohorts of students Alternative Approach Create a K-16 Innovation Fund of combined secondary- postsecondary per-pupil revenues. Autonomy: Schools have autonomy to make Insufficient autonomy at the school-level Encourage agreements at the district or state level that decisions that enable accelerated advancement from state and district controls grant autonomy in exchange for accountability. and integration of secondary and postsec- Policies that do not comparably fund Fund such schools at the same rate as other public ondary education. charter schools or do not hold them schools in the districts in which they are located. accountable distinctively from district Hold schools accountable only for students they serve, schools and allow some districts to operate charter-like schools. * Specific recommendations may vary based in part upon differences in secondary and postsecondary institutions and policies. 2 JOBS FOR THE FUTURE Introduction For low-income youth, first-generation college goers, and students of color, unfulfilled aspirations to attend college can lead to dashed dreams. For every ten students who start high school, eight get a diploma. Even with a high school diploma in hand and admission to a postsecondary institution assured, one-third of students drop out during their first year of college. Only about half of those who start college attain a Bachelor’s degree. For students of color, the percentages are substantially worse. In March 2002, the Bill & Melinda Gates Placement, and International Baccalaureate. Based Foundation, with Carnegie Corporation of New on research and practice about what helps under- York, the Ford Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg represented young people move into and through Foundation, began funding an unusual experi- postsecondary education, early college high schools ment. They granted $40 million to create 70 small have several key features: schools that would blend high school and the first The Early • Students are motivated by the opportunity to two years of college, with the goal of moving low- CollegeHigh accelerate into college-level work as soon as they income and poorly prepared students toward the are prepared for it. School Initiative Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in fewer than the contributes to the six years it would normally take to get from grades • Students are rewarded for hard work with the 9 through 14. The Early College High School opportunity to earn two years of college credit for growing activity in Initiative contributes to the growing activity in free. states and districts states and districts to enable high school stu- to enable high • Learning takes place in small, personalized learn- dents—and not just those classified as gifted—to ing environments that demand rigorous, high- school students— do college-level work in high school. It tests the quality work and provide extensive support. and not just those hypothesis that, with proper support, students at risk of not gaining postsecondary credentials bene- • The physical transition between high school and classified as gifted fit from taking college-level courses and earning college is eliminated—and with it the need to —to do college- college credit while in high school. apply for college and for financial aid. level work in high Early college high school puts cohorts of students For states, the attraction of early college high school. into small, autonomous schools and moves them school—beyond potential cost savings as students through high school and into college in a single accelerate and the redundancies of high school and institution, allowing them to start college-level college courses are eliminated—is that these new work as soon as they are able, sometimes as early as institutions physically “blend” or integrate second- the ninth or tenth grade. Most early college high ary and postsecondary sectors in a single small schools are located on or near a college campus school. That is, ECHS provides a window into where young people experience the academic and what a seamless K-16 system might look like. social environment of college from an early age. Organizations concerned with education achieve- The postsecondary institution, by dealing directly ment and access—such as the Education Trust and with high school students, gains knowledge about Achieve—have shown clearly that a large gap exists how to improve both the transition to college and between what high schools expect students to learn retention rates in the first years of college. and what colleges and employers expect high school graduates to know. As a result, many states Early college high school draws on and shares char- are attempting to align high school curricula, stan- acteristics of other approaches to college-level work dards, and assessments with prerequisite postsec- in high school: dual or concurrent enrollment ondary skills. To the extent that these alignment options, middle colleges, tech prep, Advanced INTEGRATING GRADES 9 THROUGH 14 3 efforts succeed, students who graduate from high • Categorizes, describes, and recommends specific school will be better prepared for college, transi- policies for supporting, expanding, and sustain- tioning seamlessly based on their academic per- ing early college high schools in states, state formance. By designing a blended curriculum and higher education systems, and secondary systems; education experience, early college high school and, From the teachers and administrators engage real-time in • Points to broader policy changes that would both aligning high school and postsecondary learning perspective of early benefit early college high schools andadvance the standards and can serve as exemplars for alignment college high agenda of creating a seamless K-16 system. efforts at the policy level. schools,ideal The policy recommendations begin with the key Now with an investment of over $120 million, policies promote design elements for early college high school. The about 180 schools are under development. Among paper then looks at what needs to be created or performance-based the partners in the Early College High School ini- fixed in legislation, regulations, and the rules of advancement and tiative are such diverse organizations as the Utah secondary and postsecondary systems to enable Partnership for Education and Economic motivate students these new arrangements to take hold. Because of Development, the KnowledgeWorks Foundation with financial the salient characteristic of ECHS—theyblend sec- working across Ohio, the National Council of La ondary and postsecondaryeducation—the types of incentives. Raza working with affiliated community-based policy most relevant to ECHS are laws and regula- organizations, the states of Georgia, North tions that define the jurisdictions of the secondary Carolina, and Texas, and Antioch University and postsecondary sectors and those that better Seattle, which works with schools for Native align these two sectors—that is, policies related to Americans.1As of December 2004, 46 early college dual enrollment, transfer of credit, teacher certifi- high schools were in operation, created through cation, funding formulas and structures, and K-16 partnerships of public school districts with public governance. No state has adopted all the policies and private, four-year and two-year postsecondary needed to support early college high schools. institutions. They take the form of public, con- However, some states have policies that can be tract,2and charter schools. reshaped to meet ECHS goals. “ECHS-friendly” state policies enable institutions to structure coher- Early College Vision and State ent high school/college curricula so that duplica- Policy:Purpose of this Brief tion is eliminated and courses progress logically in difficulty from advanced high school work into Jobs for the Future, a national policy and research beginning college work. organization, guides and manages the Early College High School Initiative, tracks the schools’ on-the- Ideal policies promote performance-based advance- ground progress, and provides technical assistance ment and motivate students with financial incen- to the partner organizations. JFF also provides tives—for example, scholarship aid linked to meet- information and guidance on state and institu- ing college course or exit assessment requirements. tional policies related to establishing and sustaining This is in keeping with an underlying assumption early college high schools or other types of blended of ECHS: students are motivated by challenge, not institutions. In addition, the initiative parallels remediation, and by the opportunity to move into JFF’s broader strategy to support the academic free college courses while in high school.4If the advancement of underserved youth. Early college data gathered about early college high schools con- high school provides a lens for analyzing the effi- firm that assumption, the next step will be to mod- cacy of an array of state-initiated pathways ify state policies in ways that expand postsecondary intended to boost postsecondary credential rates opportunities for all high school students. Indeed, for underserved young people. Virginia, and Florida are already implementing ECHS-like plans that blend the systems at twelfth Based on the lessons learned by JFF and the ECHS grade and the first year of postsecondary education partner organizations about state policies governing and provide wider access than dual enrollment. the intersection between secondary and postsec- ondary education, this paper:3 4 JOBS FOR THE FUTURE State Policies Key to Early College High Schools Because the first group of early college high schools was small, the schools could either work creatively around existing state policies (e.g., they found loopholes) or negotiate local pacts that did not come to the attention of state officials. But as the number and visibility of these schools grows, idio- syncratic negotiations will no longer suffice. Indeed, early college high schools cannot exist under the radar if the initiative is to make the case that institutions integrating secondary and postsecondary education can result in equitable and cost-effective postsecondary outcomes for students, parents, school districts, and states. (cid:1) To demonstrate their full potential, early college Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit: College high schools will require a specific set of policy courses taken within an early college high conditions: school count for college credit and toward meeting high school graduation require- 1. Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit: College courses (cid:1)North Carolina: ments. College credit hours fulfill state taken within an early college high school count for Dual credit for dual requirements for days and minutes that college credit andtoward meeting high school enrollment students must complete in secondary graduation requirements. College credit hours ful- Under North Carolina’s school. fill state requirements for days and minutes that “Huskins Bill,” enacted in students must complete in secondary school. To enable students to progress more efficiently 1983,high schools and community colleges may from secondary to postsecondary course work and 2. Eligibility for College Courses: Eligibility require- enter into agreements that standards, early college high schools are designed ments for college courses assess academic readiness provide college courses without excluding students based on all-or-nothing toaddress the redundancy and lack of alignment specifically for the within the educational pipeline. Thus, ECHS has enrichment of groups of criteria. the potential to reduce college expenses for families high school students. 3. Transfer: Students can transfer ECHS-generated and lessen per-student education costs for taxpay- However,these courses cannot be a part of a high credits for college-level courses to meet general ers. In addition, because ECHS blends secondary school student’s basic education and academic major requirements for and postsecondary curricula into a coherent course education plan of courses Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees. of study, students can advance based on perform- required for graduation.The ance rather than seat time. courses must be above and 4. Teacher Certification:High school teachers are beyond the graduation permitted to teach college-level, credit-bearing To meet these goals, early college high schools must requirements. courses, and college faculty are permitted to teach be able to mix and match high school and college If North Carolina modified high school students within an early college high courses and content to construct accelerated path- rules to allow college school. ways toward a high school diploma and a postsec- courses to fulfill high school ondary credential. For example, college courses and graduation requirements at 5. Funding:Early college high schools can combine credits earned should substitute for similar or less early college high schools, funding streams: high school per-pupil allocations the state’s dual enrollment advanced courses required for high school gradua- (ADA), postsecondary per-credit allocations policies would support tion. With a standard Carnegie Unit/college credit (FTE), and state financial aid or incentive dollars. ECHS students’ efficient equivalency system in place, schools would be able progression to and through 6. Autonomy: Schools have autonomy to make cur- to track simultaneous progress toward high school the first two years of ricular, structural, and personnel decisions that and college credentials. Students would be able to college. enable them to accelerate academic advancement participate in an integrated high school/college for students and to integrate secondary and post- curriculum. secondary education. INTEGRATING GRADES 9 THROUGH 14 5 What needs to be fixed in states? onto advanced math while shoring up his or her high school history research skills. In this way, Some state dual enrollment rules do not allow col- ECHS departs from the modal organization of aca- lege courses to count toward course-taking require- demic advancement that assumes students are only ments for high school graduation. Some rules ready for college-level work after they complete a require students to choose high school orcollege full high school course of study in all required dis- credit. Some states do not permit students to ciplines and meet all high school exit and college replace high school “seat time”—the number of admissions requirements.5 high school enrollment hours needed for gradua- tion—with college credit hours; as a result, stu- dents who take college courses must do so on top What needs to be fixed in states? of the regular school day. These rules are often tied Some state and institutional eligibility require- to state financing regulations that treat the second- ments for dual enrollment impede performance- ary and postsecondary sectors as discrete, not inter- based advancement because they are based on an related, or that prohibit “double dipping” (in all-or-nothing premise: students cannot move into which a state pays twice for the education of the advanced courses in any discipline before they meet same student because she is in a college course the assessment measures for all disciplines. For while still in high school). (See point 5 below for example, some states restrict access to dual enroll- more about finance.)Other states set caps on the ment course-taking based on a student’s grade level number of college courses high school students can (typically restricted to grades 11 and 12), cumula- take in a given semester. tive GPA, or combined assessment scores. These rules run counter to what is known about Recommendations the intellectual development of young people: at (cid:2) Georgia:Exempting • Allow students to obtain dual credit for college or any given time they may be adept and ready for ECHS from all-or-nothing integrated secondary/postsecondary courses and higher-level learning in one academic domain yet eligibility criteria to substitute these for courses fulfilling high not in another. Correspondingly, to enable students Georgia’s “ACCEL” (formerly school graduation requirements at public institu- to attain a postsecondary degree in a compressed “Postsecondary Options” tions, or grantthis discretion to the secondary timeframe, an early college high school must have program) regulations limit funding to schools for dual and postsecondary schools in which students con- the flexibility to accelerate a student’s academic enrollment based on the currently enroll. advancement in some disciplines, even if the same number of students classified student needs more time to prepare in other disci- • Permit students to count college coursework as juniors or seniors.In plines. addition,the Board of toward minimum seat-time requirements for high Regents of the University school, using a standard system to reconcile col- Thus, the access of ECHS students to college work System of Georgia requires lege enrollment hours with high school enroll- should be based on precise assessments of their that students admitted under ment hours. skills, specific to particular disciplines. For exam- its joint enrollment program ple, given the supports and academic guidance pro- score 970 or higher on the • In lieu of state-established caps, authorize high SAT and have a 3.0 GPA. vided in ECHS, states could permit students to schools to determine how many college courses a move into college-level work in those disciplines in In anticipation of student may take in a given period. which they pass the required high school and col- implementing early college high schools,the University lege assessments. As a hypothetical case, assume (cid:2) System of Georgia’s P-16 Eligibility for College Courses: Eligibility that an ECHS student is eligible for college-level office has obtained an requirements for college courses assess aca- English on the basis of his or her score on the exemption from these demic readiness without excluding students English Language Arts MCAS test in requirements for ECHS based on all-or-nothing criteria. Massachusetts. This student would be able to take students who do not have to meet the SAT or GPA Early college high schools blur the boundary college-credit courses in English or in other subject requirements.A framework areas for which ELA skills are a prerequisite (e.g., between K-12 and postsecondary education. of P-14 learning standards, history, humanities) even if he or she has not met Theyprovide one solution to the joint problem which is under development the MCAS standard in mathematics. in Georgia,represents a ofa senior year of high school that is frequently potentially promising wasted and high remediation rates in the first year alternative for gauging of college. An underlying principle of ECHS is that students’ readiness for students can progress into and through college college courses. courses as soon as they are able. That is, the gifted math student who struggles with history can move 6 JOBS FOR THE FUTURE Recommendations What needs to be fixed in states? (cid:3) California:Thinking through transfer issues • Base eligibility for students to do college work on Few states have a systematic means (e.g., a com- Despite a long tradition of their performance. Remove eligibility restrictions mon numbering system) for determining the articulation between that are based on the grade level or age of equivalency of courses across their various higher California Community students. education systems. In addition, many academic Colleges and the University departments retain “gatekeeper status” with regard of California—with a defined • Permit students who have proper support from a to conferring credit in the academic major. They course-taking pattern and high school to move into college-level courses in set out prerequisite courses, often in math and sci- numbering system for those subject areas for which they meet the general transfer—there is ence, that are acceptable only if taken at their insti- criteria or pass the required assessments. no such tradition between tutions. The uncertainties of transferring credit the UC system and the four- • Alternative Approach:Another way to regulate among institutions make it difficult for early col- year California State Univer- eligibility for college courses would be to link lege high schools to plan for students to take the sitysystem.UC campuses college credit to end-of-course assessments rather appropriate prerequisite courses and to avoid hav- still have difficulty discerning how to evaluate applicants than to an eligibility or entrance requirement. A ing ECHS graduates backtrack or retake similar who have graduated from state could allow students in an ECHS to take courses. high school with two years any college course at the school’s discretion, but of college credits earned at The problem is compounded for ECHS because the student would get college credit only by community colleges. the courses in question for transfer into upper-divi- passing a required assessment. This approach Leaders of early college high sion college work may be credits earned in a resembles the crediting procedures used for schools are discussing blended school. Four-year colleges, in particular, Advanced Placement courses: students get college transferability issues with may be confused about how, for the purposes of UC admissions officials. credit after passing the AP exam. In addition, admission or transfer, to treat students who have research shows that lower-performing students courses on their transcripts for both high school (cid:3) Florida:An articu- who take demanding high school courses— and college credit. This increases the chances that lated and transparent regardless of their grades in those courses— course system students will not be permitted to accelerate within demonstrate greater learning gains and college degree programs. In Florida’s comprehensive success than those who do not (Adelman 1999; articulation system,state Haycock and Barth 2004). universities must accept Recommendations A.A.graduates of state (cid:3) community colleges as Transfer: Students can transfer ECHS- • States mandate that state community college, col- juniors,space permitting. generated credits for college-level courses to lege, and university systems—and their campuses Allpublic postsecondary meet general education and academic major and departments—establish formal articulation institutions have a common requirements for Associate’s and Bachelor’s agreements within and across the systems.6 course numbering system. Florida also has a consistent degrees. Transferability should be facilitated and made equivalency system for AP transparent through classifications of what set of Early college high schools have the potential to save and other college-level courses will allow students to meet general educa- courses taken in high tuition costs for families and to use taxpayer dollars tion and major requirements for Associate’s and school,and its department more efficiently because students spend fewer years Bachelor’s degrees. of education manages an advancing from ninth grade through the comple- online,one-stop guidance tion of a postsecondary degree. An ECHS ninth • States make information about those transfer system allowing students to grader who pursues a Bachelor’s degree should be requirements widely available to schools and stu- compare their college able to accomplish within six to seven years what dents, including via the Internet. transcripts to degree requirements. normally would take eight years or more. • In accepting ECHS students for transfer, public To achieve those goals, a four-year institution that institutions must accept dual credit courses as (cid:3) National:The admits the ECHS graduate as a transferring junior equivalent to courses designated transferable National Articulation and Transfer Network must accept all the credits earned from the ECHS under postsecondary articulation agreements. postsecondary partner. Also necessary is a transpar- The National Articulation and Transfer Network,a ent articulation of courses within and across two- consortium of urban and four-year state colleges and universities to help postsecondary institutions, ensure the methodical progress of ECHS students is constructing an Internet- on curricular sequences leading to a postsecondary accessible database of degree. transfer agreements and course prerequisites across member institutions. INTEGRATING GRADES 9 THROUGH 14 7