College Credit in High School
College in high school programs — programs that allow students to earn college credit through taking college courses offered in partnership between institutions of higher education and high schools — introduce postsecondary options to students early. When students have access to college courses in high school, they are more likely to persist in college and earn a degree. Yet too few students have access to these programs, particularly students of color — especially Black, Latinx, and Native American students, and those from low-income backgrounds.
Our Equity-Centered Approach
We work alongside our partners from the New York Equity Coalition to champion policies that provide equitable access to college credit in high school. We advocate at the state and district level to ensure programs center equity and are accountable to both student performance and postsecondary success. That starts with removing barriers to access for students of color and from low-income backgrounds while increasing data transparency about the access to and outcomes of college credit in high school programs — also known as early college and dual enrollment programs.
Latest Resource
Pathways to Opportunity: The Growth and Impact of College in High School Programs Across New York State
This brief highlights significant growth in college in high school participation and strong graduation outcomes for students across the state, particularly for students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities. The analysis examines enrollment and graduation data from the 2020-2021 through 2023-2024 school years across three primary College in High School models recognized by the New York State Education Department: P-TECH, Smart Scholars, and Smart Transfer programs.
Data Snapshot
Only
%
of young people in New York City report having access to dual enrollment courses.
In New York
%
of students from low-income backgrounds who took early college courses in high school graduated college in four years, compared to only 23% of their peers.
More Resources
EdTrust-New York comments on equity issues in final state budget
The following statements can be attributed to Ian Rosenblum, Executive Director of EdTrust-New York. Improving access to a diverse teacher workforce “EdTrust-New York’s ‘See Our Truth’ report raised awareness about the critical role that strong and diverse teachers...
Coalition of civil rights, education, parent and business groups comments on New York Board of Regents submission of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) accountability plan
NEW YORK – The accountability plan approved by the New York State Board of Regents on Monday for submission to the U.S. Department of Education represents a critical moment for the future of accountability and school support and improvement in New York, according to a...
EdTrust-New York Releases Statement on Final State Budget
EdTrust-New York, an equity-focused statewide education policy and advocacy organization, issued the following statement from Executive Director Ian Rosenblum: “We are grateful that Governor Cuomo made college affordability a budget priority and offered a tuition-free...