Edmunds, Julie A.; Unlu, Fatih; Furey, Jane; Glennie, Elizabeth; Arshavsky, Nina (2020). Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, v42 n2 p257-278 Jun 2020. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1253291
Reviewed: August 2023
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
GPA in first college year |
Early college—Edmunds et al. (2020) vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Full sample;
|
2.67 |
2.63 |
No |
-- | ||
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
GPA two years after 12th grade |
Early college—Edmunds et al. (2020) vs. Business as usual |
2 Years |
Full sample;
|
2.65 |
2.59 |
No |
-- | ||
|
GPA three years after 12th grade |
Early college—Edmunds et al. (2020) vs. Business as usual |
3 Years |
Full sample;
|
2.63 |
2.57 |
No |
-- | ||
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
| Other or unknown | 100% |
| Other or unknown | 100% |
| Other or unknown | 100% |
The study took place in 12 early colleges, which are schools that combine high school and college experiences and are located on college campuses. These schools were located in urban and rural settings in North Carolina.
The sample includes 1,292 students who applied to the early college programs from 2005-06 to 2010-11 school years and later enrolled in University of North Carolina (UNC). The study authors do not provide sample characteristics for this analytic sample. The analytic sample included 1,292 students (797 in the intervention group, 495 in the comparison group).
Students in the intervention group were offered admission to one of 12 early college programs in North Carolina. The early college programs are small schools of choice that combine elements of high school and college and are located on college campuses, primarily on community college campuses. The goal of the early college program is to prepare students for college, offering students an opportunity to earn a high school diploma and receive college credit over the course of a four- to five-year program. The program prepares students academically by offering honor-level college preparatory high school curricula and exposing students to college courses starting in the 9th grade. Students gradually take more college courses to simultaneously meet both high school graduation requirements and requirements to receive an associate’s degree or general education requirements of the first two years of a four-year university. Early college programs teach students critical thinking, extensive writing, cooperative work, and ongoing class discussion skills, as well as other skills to prepare for college (time management, notetaking, study skills, advocating skills). In addition, students are provided coaching through the college application and enrollment process, including applying for financial aid.
Students in the comparison group received business-as-usual traditional high school education. These students applied to an early college program but were not selected by lottery to attend the program.
The authors do not provide details about support for implementation of the early college programs.
Reviewed: August 2021
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
GPA in first year in college |
Early college—Edmunds et al. (2020) vs. Business as usual |
1 Year |
Full sample;
|
2.67 |
2.63 |
No |
-- | ||
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Cumulative GPA |
Early college—Edmunds et al. (2020) vs. Business as usual |
2 Years |
Full sample;
|
2.65 |
2.59 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Cumulative GPA |
Early college—Edmunds et al. (2020) vs. Business as usual |
3 Years |
Full sample;
|
2.63 |
2.57 |
No |
-- | ||
|
GPA in second year in college |
Early college—Edmunds et al. (2020) vs. Business as usual |
2 Years |
Full sample;
|
2.75 |
2.76 |
No |
-- | ||
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
This study took place in North Carolina among 19 early college programs located in urban and rural settings.
The sample included students who applied to 19 early college programs from the 2005-06 to 2010-11 school years and later enrolled in a University of North Carolina (UNC) system college. The analytic sample included 1,292 students (797 in the intervention group and 495 in the comparison group). The study authors do not describe the characteristics of this analytic sample. However, another sample described in this study may have similar characteristics. This sample included those students who applied to a smaller number of early college programs between the 2005-06 and 2008-09 school year. In this sample, 51% of students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and 3% had a disability. Sixty percent identified as White, 27% as Black, and 9% as Hispanic or Latino. Less than half were male (41%).
Students in the intervention group were offered admission to one of 19 early college programs in North Carolina. Early college programs combine elements of high school and college, offering students an opportunity to earn both a high school diploma and receive college credit over the course of a 4 to 5-year program. These programs are offered as small schools located on college campuses, primarily in community college settings. As students progress in early college, they gradually take more courses for college credit while also fulfilling high school graduation requirements. During their experience, students may earn enough college credit to receive an Associate's degree or complete the first 2 years of a 4-year degree program. In addition to more challenging academics, skills pertaining to good study habits and time management are taught to help students successfully navigate college.
Students in the comparison condition applied to an early college program but were not selected by lottery to attend the program. These students received business-as-usual high school education, which most likely would have been enrollment at a traditional high school in their school district.
The authors do not describe additional details about implementation of the early college program.
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
An outcome is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are attained as a result of an activity. An outcome measures is an instrument, device, or method that provides data on the outcome.
A finding that is included in the effectiveness rating. Excluded findings may include subgroups and subscales.
The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
The WWC considers a finding to be statistically significant if the likelihood that the finding is due to chance alone, rather than a real difference, is less than five percent.
The WWC reviews studies for WWC products, Department of Education grant competitions, and IES performance measures.
The name and version of the document used to guide the review of the study.
The version of the WWC design standards used to guide the review of the study.
The result of the WWC assessment of the study. The rating is based on the strength of evidence of the effectiveness of the intervention. Studies are given a rating of Meets WWC Design Standards without Reservations, Meets WWC Design Standards with Reservations, or >Does Not Meet WWC Design Standards.
A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
Based on the direction, magnitude, and statistical significance of the findings within a domain, the WWC characterizes the findings from a study as one of the following: statistically significant positive effects, substantively important positive effects, indeterminate effects, substantively important negative effects, and statistically significant negative effects. For more, please see the WWC Handbook.
The WWC may review studies for multiple purposes, including different reports and re-reviews using updated standards. Each WWC review of this study is listed in the dropdown. Details on any review may be accessed by making a selection from the drop down list.
Tier 1 Strong indicates strong evidence of effectiveness,
Tier 2 Moderate indicates moderate evidence of effectiveness, and
Tier 3 Promising indicates promising evidence of effectiveness,
as defined in the
non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).
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