WWC review of this study

Transforming Comprehensive High Schools into Early Colleges: The Impacts of the Early College Expansion Partnership

Edmunds, Julie; Lewis, Karla; Hutchins, Bryan; Klopfenstein, Kristin (2018). SERVE Center at University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED618202

  • Quasi-Experimental Design
     examining 
    14,520
     Students
    , grades
    9-12

Reviewed: October 2023

At least one statistically significant positive finding
Meets WWC standards with reservations
College Readiness outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Earned high school credit for college-level courses

Early College Expansion Partnership vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
5,136 students

3.74

3.73

No

--

Completing English I and Algebra I or higher

Early College Expansion Partnership vs. Business as usual

-4 Years

Full sample;
14,520 students

53.70

56.10

No

--
Show Supplemental Findings

Completing English I and Algebra I or higher

Early College Expansion Partnership vs. Business as usual

-4 Years

Students performing below grade level;
9,502 students

47.20

51.20

No

--

Completing English I and Algebra I or higher

Early College Expansion Partnership vs. Business as usual

-4 Years

English language learners;
7,325 students

49.90

54.00

No

--
Staying in Secondary School outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Did not drop out

Early College Expansion Partnership vs. Business as usual

-2 Years

Full sample;
7,630 students

96.40

95.90

No

--
Show Supplemental Findings

Did not drop out

Early College Expansion Partnership vs. Business as usual

-2 Years

Students performing below grade level;
4,876 students

95.60

94.10

Yes

 
 
7

Did not drop out

Early College Expansion Partnership vs. Business as usual

-2 Years

English language learners;
3,116 students

95.60

94.80

No

--


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.


  • 50% English language learners

  • Female: 50%
    Male: 50%

  • Suburban, Urban
    • B
    • A
    • C
    • D
    • E
    • F
    • G
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    • M
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    • V
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    • W
    • X
    • Z
    • Y
    • a
    • h
    • i
    • b
    • d
    • e
    • f
    • c
    • g
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    • w
    • y

    Colorado, Texas
  • Race
    Other or unknown
    92%
    White
    8%
  • Ethnicity
    Other or unknown    
    100%
  • Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch
    Free or reduced price lunch (FRPL)    
    88%
    No FRPL    
    12%

Setting

The study took place in 11 schools in six districts in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas and 18 schools in the Denver Public Schools district in Colorado.

Study sample

The analytic sample included 14,520 students in grades 9 through 12 from 29 schools. Approximately 50% of the students were female, 88% were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, 50% were English learners. Approximately 8% of students were White and race was not reported for the other 92% of students.

Intervention Group

The Early College Expansion Partnership, a collaboration among national and state educational non-profit organizations and participating school districts, aims to increase the number of high school graduates and prepare them for enrollment and success in postsecondary education by applying strategies from the Early College High School model in traditional comprehensive high schools. Early College High Schools serve students starting in grade 9 and aim to enable students to graduate in four or five years with a high school diploma and two years of transferable college credit. Through the Partnership, strategies of the Early College High School model were applied in participating comprehensive high schools and included a college-ready academic program, College Headstart, and wraparound student supports. College-ready academic programs have an instructional framework aligned to college-ready standards, are rigorous and untracked, and offer an aligned sequence of college courses that leads to 12+ credits. College Headstart involves exposure to the culture and norms of college, explicit instruction on academic and social college behaviors, and inclusive college application and financial aid advising. The intervention includes a suite of professional development and technical assistance services intended to allow schools to implement the Early College High School model. Technical assistance was provided to districts by the non-profit organizations involved in the Partnership and focused on planning for implementation of the Early College High School model and the creation of postsecondary partnerships while professional development aimed to help both administrative teams and teachers understand and apply the strategies from the model.

Comparison Group

Comparison group schools did not offer the Early College Expansion Partnership.

Support for implementation

No implementation support was described separate from the intervention components, which included technical assistance and professional development.

Reviewed: December 2021

At least one statistically significant positive finding
Meets WWC standards with reservations
College Readiness outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

College preparatory course success (taking and passing English I and Algebra I or higher)

Early College Expansion Partnership vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample (9th grade);
14,520 students

53.70

56.10

No

--
Show Supplemental Findings

College preparatory course success (taking and passing English I and Algebra I or higher)

Early College Expansion Partnership vs. Business as usual

0 Days

EL students (9th grade);
7,325 students

49.90

54.00

No

--

College preparatory course success (taking and passing English I and Algebra I or higher)

Early College Expansion Partnership vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Low performing students (9th grade);
9,502 students

47.20

51.20

No

--
Progressing in secondary school or adult education outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

High school credits received for college-level courses

Early College Expansion Partnership vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
5,146 students

3.74

3.73

No

--
Staying in Secondary School outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Cohort dropout rate

Early College Expansion Partnership vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
7,630 students

3.60

4.10

No

--
Show Supplemental Findings

Cohort dropout rate

Early College Expansion Partnership vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Low performing students;
4,876 students

4.40

5.90

Yes

--

Cohort dropout rate

Early College Expansion Partnership vs. Business as usual

0 Days

ELL students;
3,116 students

4.40

5.20

No

--


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.


  • 50% English language learners
    • B
    • A
    • C
    • D
    • E
    • F
    • G
    • I
    • H
    • J
    • K
    • L
    • P
    • M
    • N
    • O
    • Q
    • R
    • S
    • V
    • U
    • T
    • W
    • X
    • Z
    • Y
    • a
    • h
    • i
    • b
    • d
    • e
    • f
    • c
    • g
    • j
    • k
    • l
    • m
    • n
    • o
    • p
    • q
    • r
    • s
    • t
    • u
    • x
    • w
    • y

    Colorado, Texas

Setting

The study was implemented in five intervention schools and six comparison schools in Texas, and nine intervention schools and nine comparison schools in Colorado.

Study sample

Fifty percent of the sample were English Learner students and 65 percent were low-performing students.

Intervention Group

The Early College Expansion Partnership (ECEP) aims to increase the number of high school graduates and prepare them for enrollment and success in postsecondary education by applying strategies from the Early College High School model. These strategies include a college-ready academic program, college headstart, and wraparound student supports. College-ready academic programs have an instructional framework aligned to college-ready standards, are rigorous and untracked, and offer an aligned sequence of college courses that leads to 12+ credits. College headstart involves exposure to the culture and norms of college, explicit instruction on academic and social college behaviors, and inclusive college application and financial aid advising. The intervention includes a suite of professional development and technical assistance services implemented in 12 high schools, 14 middle schools, and two 6th-12th grade schools in three districts in Colorado and Texas.

Comparison Group

Schools in the comparison condition conducted business-as-usual and did not receive the ECEP intervention.

Support for implementation

No implementation support was described separate from the intervention components, which included technical assistance and professional development.

 

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