JFF VP Joel Vargas in “It’s Time to Blur the Boundaries Between High School, College and Work”

This paper argues for a radical restructuring of education for grades 11–14—by erasing the arbitrary dividing line between high school and college—to open opportunities for the learners our current systems leave behind. We make the case for an entirely new type of institution—neither high school nor college—designed specifically to better meet the needs of young people after 10th grade and help prepare them to succeed in the world of work.

Dual enrollment is a powerful mechanism to support college readiness and success for high school students across the country. Rural schools provide unique advantages but face distinct challenges in creating effective dual enrollment opportunities for students. This case study examines how three rural schools in Texas addressed three challenges rural schools face: overcoming distance to higher education partners, supporting students in navigating the college environment, and building staff capacity to support dual enrollment.

At a meeting of JFF’s Postsecondary State Network, community colleges leaders get a call to be the change agents for achieving equity. The charge: Look for new ways to use data, ask different questions, and identify new solutions.