Publication
The College Ladder: Linking Secondary and Postsecondary Education for Success for All Students
The College Ladder: Linking Secondary and Postsecondary Education for Success for All Students reviews 22 programs that provide opportunities for high school students to earn college-level credit or take college-level courses to determine their impact on a range of student outcomes, including credits earned during high school, performance on high school tests, high school graduation rates, college-going rates, college remediation, college grades, retention in college, and degree and job market attainment. There is an emphasis on programs that traditionally serve high-achieving students, as well as those that serve first generation, low-income, and low-performing students and underrepresented minorities. Although the research is limited, outcomes generally are positive, indicating that students who participate in these programs receive some benefit and may find a Secondary-Postsecondary Learning Option (AYPF’s term to describe the diversity of programs) a good alternative to their regular high school experience.
The College Ladder also describes various characteristics of effective programs, and analyzes issues of credit transferability, funding for these school-college partnerships, and equitable access to programs.
