Across the country, high school students are getting a head start on college by completing some college-level work. In particular, early college high schools are designed to enable underrepresented students to graduate in four to five years with a high school diploma and up to an Associate’s degree or sufficient credit to enter a Bachelor’s degree program as a junior. The prospect of moving students more efficiently through the education pipeline raises new and complex policy and finance issues for states. This brief recommends state policies that would support these new schools, drawing on lessons learned through the Early College High School Initiative. It also points to broader policy changes that would advance the agenda of creating a seamless K-16 system that promotes smooth transitions from one education level to the next.
