Opportunities in ESSA for College in High School Programs
College in high school programs, such as dual enrollment,
concurrent enrollment, and early college high school, are effective and
increasingly popular models for improving student access, affordability, and
completion of college, particularly for students who are low income or
underrepresented in higher education.
Students who attend schools with high-quality college in
high school programs are more likely to graduate high school, immediately
enroll in college, and persist to completion than their peers. At the same
time, these models provide students with significant flexibility in how to
tailor their academic programs to their specific needs. They also meet a top
priority of many families: reducing the time and cost for students to earn
degrees and enter the workforce.
ESSA empowers states and local decision makers to
implement the strategies they choose for improving teaching and learning,
provided that they are grounded in evidence of success. ESSA encourages states
and school districts to consider college in high school programs as key
strategies for successfully preparing students for college, and provides
increased access to federal funding for the development and implementation of
these programs.
Working with our partners at the College in High School
Alliance (CHSA), a coalition of national and state organizations advocating on
behalf of high-quality dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, and early
college high schools, we have put together a fact sheet for school
district leaders to understand:
How ESSA treats college in high school programs;
What funding opportunities are available under
the law for you to consider using; and
How states are prioritizing these programs in
their accountability systems.
CHSA is a coalition of national and state organizations
collaborating to positively impact policies and build broad support for
programs that enable high school students – particularly those who are low
income or underrepresented in higher education – to enroll in authentic,
affordable college pathways toward postsecondary degrees and credentials
offered with appropriate support.
CHSA has additional resources available should you wish
to learn more, including a State
Policy Guide implementing
these programs under ESSA and a deep dive ESSA
State-by-State Analysis of how states talked about these programs in
their state plans.
More information about CHSA, including how to get in
touch any questions about using ESSA to support college in high school programs
in your state, can be found here.