Laying the foundation: An investigation of bachelor's degree attainment rates of early college high school graduates

<p>This quantitative study explored the post-secondary success of the graduating classes of 2010 and 2011 from one early college high school in Washtenaw County, Michigan. The Early College Alliance (ECA) program is located on the campus of Eastern Michigan University (EMU), a public four-year university. It is a consortium program providing a unique and supported dual enrollment opportunity to high school students. After mastering both the academic and socioemotional skills required for success in college, ECA students earn up to 60 undergraduate credits at EMU and graduate from high school with both a high school diploma and a significant head start on a Bachelor's Degree.</p> <p>The study resulted in two major findings. First, ECA graduates have earned Bachelor's Degrees at far higher rates than their non-ECA peers (at EMU, the ECA rate was 68%, <em>N</em> = 47 as compared with 23% of the non-ECA students, <em>N</em> = 4111), with most ECA graduates continuing their education at Eastern Michigan University. Entering ECA students exhibited gaps in academic performance measures such as college credits earned while in high school, high school GPA, and ACT score based on demographic characteristics, gaps that mirrored those found in the Washtenaw County and all-EMU populations. The academic indicators were highly predictive of degree attainment among the non-ECA groups, with underrepresented students less likely to complete degrees. However, despite academic performance gaps among entering ECA students, no significant differences in degree attainment were found based on race, gender, income, or familial level of education. Interestingly, participation in the ECA program was a major predictor of degree attainment for Black students. While limited by a small sample size and a narrow focus on only one early college program, this study provides an important and intriguing initial look at the post-secondary outcomes of early college graduates.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Leadership and Counseling

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Fischer, Ellen Lea

Contributors dc:contributor

• Barbara A. Bleyaert, Ed.D., Committee Chair
• William J. Price, Ph.D., Committee Member
• Theresa Saunders, Ed.D., Committee Member

• Bachelor of arts degree
• American College Testing Program
• Eastern Michigan University
• dual enrollment
• Educational Administration and Supervision
• Educational Leadership

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.emich.edu/theses/668

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-2047