Early College
At a Glance
Earning college credit in high school is a proven way for low-income students to get a jump on a college degree. JFF leads expansion of this national model.
Capabilities
Design
Invest
Scale
Influence
Areas of Work
- Ensuring Equity in Advancement
- Meeting Employer Needs
Experts Involved
-
Caesar Mickens Jr.
Director
Status
In progressLocations
- CA
- RI
- CO
- CT
- OH
About
JFF has been a leading purveyor of early college for over 15 years. We helped design and develop the first 280 early college high schools nationally, and we have tested creative adaptations to expand their impact. Most notably, we have helped build quicker routes to high-skill, well-paying careers in fast-growing fields such as information technology (IT) and health care through Pathways to Prosperity. Tens of thousands of students have benefited from early college expansion across the country. Local districts, community colleges, intermediary organizations, and funders have joined forces to create entire districts of early college high schools, launching many students toward postsecondary success.
Our Early College Expansion Initiatives
JFF leads the way with these early college expansion partnerships
Impact Story
Early College Expansion Partnership
Scale
We're expanding a proven model for improving high school students' success in the Rio Grande Valley and the Denver Metro regions.
Impact Story
Pathways to Prosperity Network
Design
Scale
Invest
Influence
We are boldly reimagining how U.S. education and workforce systems meet state and regional talent needs and prepare young people for careers.
Impact Story
STEM Early College Expansion Partnership
Scale
We're expanding a proven model for improving high school students' success by bringing STEM college courses into the high school classroom.
Resources
Report/Research
Staying the Course: Lessons from the Central Ohio Partnership for College and Career Readiness Expansion
Cross-sector partnerships require a foundation of trust in order to withstand external shocks and achieve impact. This publication describes how the Central Ohio Partnership for College and Career Readiness Expansion evolved over a five-year grant period to create stronger collaboration across all partners and how the purpose of the work became even clearer in a time of national crisis.
Report/Research
Waves Of Change: Adapting District Strategy and Culture to Prepare All Students for the Future
Transforming traditional high schools to better prepare all graduates to succeed both in college and the new world of work is a daunting task. But it can be done—and in a relatively short period of time. This report shows how one of the largest school districts in Ohio has doubled college course taking and raised expectations for all students by systematically changing the culture of its high schools in three years.
Report/Research
Looking Backward and Looking Forward: Highlights of the Early College Expansion Partnership
The Early College Expansion Partnership aimed to increase the high school and college success of 30,000 low-income youth. This brief highlights the core elements of the partnership and key lessons learned that can inform school improvement efforts everywhere.
Report/Research
Forging Regional Connections: The Role of a Community College in High School Transformation
Seven school districts in the Central Ohio Partnership for College and Career Readiness Expansion (CCRE) are collaborating to increase educational achievement and close equity gaps. The districts will implement early college design principles. This brief, the first of a series, describes the history of cross-sector collaboration in central Ohio and the origins of the CCRE, and offers recommendations for other colleges.
Post
Top 5 Benefits of Early College that Support Academic Success
Early college high schools enable students to simultaneously earn a high school diploma and up to two years of transferable college credit—tuition free. But that's not all! Discover the other benefits.
Report/Research
Solving the Dual Enrollment Staffing Puzzle: Strategies from the Early College Expansion Partnership
A growing number of young people are taking college courses in high school, as districts work to increase postsecondary readiness and success. A shortage of qualified instructors, however, could slow down expansion of this proven strategy.
Report/Research
Leadership Lessons from the Early College Expansion Partnership
For 15 years, early college high schools have raised high school graduation and college success rates for underrepresented students. Now, education leaders nationwide are scaling up early college designs to improve the performance of entire school systems.
Report/Research
A Chapter from "13 Ideas that Are Transforming the Community College World"
A Chapter from 13 Ideas that Are Transforming the Community College World