Early college high schools are based on a whole-school design that allows learners to earn up to two years of college credit for free through dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment and other strategies. Students attending early college high schools with high-quality programs are more likely to graduate, immediately enroll in college and persist to completion.
This guide, developed by Jobs for the Future and the College in High School Alliance, profiles design principles, highlights exemplar programs from across the states, describes promising policy practices, and explores opportunities through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to expand early college high school programs. This is a critical resource to learn more about and identify strategies to strengthen and expand early college high school programs.