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A Policymaker's Guide to Early College Designs

Early College Designs: Expanding a Strategy for Achieving College for All (webinar)

Webinar Presenters:

• Joel Vargas, VP, High School Through College, JFF (host)
• Edward Blaha, Superintendent, Hidalgo Independent School District
• Alma Garcia, Program Officer, Texas High School Project
• Nancy Hoffman, VP and Senior Advisor, JFF

The Hidalgo Independent School District in Texas has raised the bar on what it means for a school system to focus on college readiness. This past June, when graduating seniors crossed the stage to receive their high school diplomas, more than 95 percent of them had college credits as well.

Hidalgo’s story is especially remarkable since nine out of ten of its high school students are considered economically disadvantaged, 99.5 percent are Hispanic, and 53 percent enter with limited English proficiency.

By embedding a college-going culture across all grades and establishing postsecondary partnerships, Hidalgo has been able to prepare all of its students for success in higher education.

How do we create more Hidalgos? Strong state policy can help. JFF has produced a “how to” guide for state policymakers and district leaders based on the results of 240+ early college high schools serving over 53,000 students. The guide draws together the lessons JFF and its partners have learned about the power of providing substantial college level work in high school to young people who might not otherwise consider a postsecondary credential.

For questions regarding this webinar, please email Jayme Rubenstein: jrubenstein@jff.org.