Early college programs ihad a positive impact on college enrollment two years after high school

Rhode Island has invested substantial resources in early college opportunities for high school students in an effort to increase college degree attainment. The Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands collaborated with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and the Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner (RIOPC) to investigate the impact and costs of participation in each of the state’s three early college opportunities—dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, and Advanced Placement—on college enrollment and persistence. For each early college opportunity, researchers examined the costs associated with providing the program beyond the cost of a typical high school course, and the per-student cost associated with improved outcomes. To evaluate program impacts, this study used data for first-time grade 9 students in Rhode Island public schools who graduated high school on time in the 2014/15 school year. To examine costs, researchers drew on statewide administrative records and conducted interviews with staff from a sample of 12 local education agencies. Key findings include the following: Dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, and Advanced Placement each had a statistically significant positive effect on college enrollment within one year of high school graduation, as well as on students’ being enrolled in college two years after high school graduation. Average estimated annual incremental per-pupil costs for the early college programs in 2017/18 ranged widely both overall—from $900 to $6,400—and within each program. The cost-per-outcome for each program also ranged widely, with the highest costs per outcome seen for dual enrollment. Because dual enrollment in Rhode Island reaches a higher proportion of historically underserved students than either AP or concurrent enrollment, the higher costs may reflect the resources required to support these students successfully. RIDE and RIOPC can use the findings from this study to inform policy decisions on early college opportunity scale up and expanded access. Policymakers nationwide can use the findings to make informed decisions about supporting students’ access to similar programs offered in their states. Read the report at: https://ies.ed.gov/use-work/resource-library/report/descriptive-study/rel-report-cost-effectiveness-providing-early-college-opportunities-rhode-island.