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It's Kind of Different: Student Experiences in Two Early College High Schools

The early college high school movement promises to make higher education more accessible and more affordable for underrepresented students. Drawing on the preliminary results of a long-term study led by Harvard researchers Karen Foster and Michael J. Nakkula, It's Kind of Different focuses on two schools, Wallis Annenberg High School in Los Angeles, CA, and Dayton Early College Academy in Dayton, OH.

This booklet captures student, teacher, administrator, and parent perspectives on early college high school. The key findings from surveys of and interviews with members of the early college high school community focus on eight areas: an educational identity; continuous support; caring relationships; support for staff; challenging environment; importance of learning spaces; constructing knowledge; and widespread and intense commitment.