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Early College Designation Application

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Education, Department of Higher Education, and Department of Elementary & Secondary Education are pleased to announce the release of the first Massachusetts Early College Preliminary Designation Application.

Preliminary Designation Application

For reference purposes, the application is available in Word and PDF format. All application submissions should be made through our WizeHive software platform.

Informational Webinars

We will hold webinars to answer questions about this application on the following dates:

August 2, 2017 — 10:30am–12:00pm
August 14, 2017 — 1:00pm–2:30pm

Designation Process

The Massachusetts Early College Designation will be a two-step process. The Early College Preliminary Designation Application is the first step towards a full and Final Early College Designation. That process is detailed in the Early College Criteria passed by Early College Joint Committee and the Boards of Higher Education and Elementary & Secondary Education in June 2017.

Early College Designation Process and Timeline

September 8, 2017	Non-binding letter of intent due
September 27, 2017	Preliminary Designation Application and RFP submissions due; must be submitted electronically
October 2017	Preliminary Designation Applications will be reviewed; RFP will be judged on impact and quality
November 1, 2017	Preliminary Designations will be announced; applicants receiving a Preliminary Designation will be notified of possible funding and will advance to Final Designation phase
November/December 2017	Final Designation information sessions will be held
February 2, 2018	Final Designation Application due
February 2018	Final Designation Applications will be reviewed
Early March 2018	ECJC will convene to review Final Designation Application summaries and interagency working group recommendations for Early College programs
March 2018	Final Designations will be conferred

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are seeking additional information on the designation process, please email pathways@doe.mass.edu.

Massachusetts High Quality College and Career Pathways Initiative

The Massachusetts Early College Designation process is part of a broader overarching statewide High Quality College and Career Pathways Initiative, aimed at ensuring that all of its students complete high school ready for college and career, and that they have well-designed postsecondary plans that enable them to become active citizens prepared to earn a family-sustaining wage. In addition to Early College, the Commonwealth is also launching a new Innovation Pathway Designation Process. While the Innovation Pathway requires that the local K-12 district/school serve as a lead applicant, higher education institutions may serve as partners in the effort. More information on the Innovation Pathway is available on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education's website.