SRI evaluated the effectiveness of high schools that offer students the opportunity to simultaneously pursue a high school diploma and earn up to 2 years of college credits.
SRI, in conjunction with the American Institutes for Research, conducted a multiyear evaluation of the Early College High School (ECS) initiative. ECSs are created through a partnership between an institution of higher education and a school district or other entity. Thirteen intermediary organizations received grants to foster the development of these local partnerships and assist in developing the schools. Jobs for the Future is coordinating the initiative overall, overseeing and providing technical assistance to the intermediary organizations.
The national evaluation began with a design year in 2002–03 and continued until 2012. Research focused on contextual factors that support the planning, development, and sustainability of ECSs; the schools’ structural, organizational, and instructional characteristics; and the intermediate and long-term outcomes for students attending the schools. The design’s two major components were (1) an implementation study, involving site visits and interviews with intermediaries and school personnel, classroom observations, and student focus groups; and (2) an impact study of short- and long-term quantitative indicators of student success.
Project Director: Nancy Adelman
Populations: Students of color
Services: Dual enrollmentImplementation researchResearch and evaluation