The Early College High School Initiative provides students the opportunity to receive a high school diploma and an Associate degree or up to two years of college credit. Students take a mixture of high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 and college

College

A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

 classes in order to obtain their high school diploma

High school diploma

A high school diploma is a diploma awarded for the completion of high school. In the United States and Canada, it is considered the minimum education required for government jobs and higher education. An equivalent is the GED.-Past diploma styles:...

 and Associate's degree

Associate's degree

An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...

, a practice known as dual enrollment

Dual enrollment

In education, dual enrollment involved students being enrolled in two separate, academically related institutions. It may also refer to any individual who is participating in two related programs, but such a general form of usage is uncommon....

.

The ECHS Initiative began in 2002 with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...

among others. Today, more than 230 early colleges across 28 states serve 50,000+ students.

Data

• 92% of early college students graduate high school versus the national rate of 69 percent
• 86% of graduates enroll in college the next semester after high school graduation
• 91% of early college graduates earn at least some college credit
• 44% of graduates at schools open 4+ years earn at least one year of college credit
• 24% of graduates at schools open 4+ years earn two years of college credit or an Associate's degree
• 70% of early college students are students of color
• 59% of early college students are classified as eligible for free or reduced lunch (used as a conservative estimate of how many students' families are low-income)

Intermediary Partners

Thirteen intermediary partners work directly with early college schools, school districts, and postsecondary institutions. They provide start-up and ongoing technical support, guidance, and professional development for their networks of schools:

• Center for Native Education
• City University of New York
• Communities Foundation of Texas/Texas High School Project
• Foundation for California Community Colleges
• Gateway to College National Network
• Georgia Board of Regents
• KnowledgeWorks Foundation
• Middle College National Consortium
• National Council of La Raza
• North Carolina New Schools Project
• SECME, Inc.
• Utah Partnership for Education
• Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation

External links

• Early Colleges home page
• http://www.catawbaschools.net/schools/Challenger/Web%20Pages/CHS_Summary.aspx