Nature


Strategic Initiatives

Massachusetts Early College Initiative

Overview

The purpose of the Early College Initiative is to create and maintain partnerships connecting our state’s districts and high schools with our state’s colleges in order to give thousands of Massachusetts students, especially first-generation college-goers, access to college completion and career success.

Contact

Christine Williams
Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Initiatives
(617) 599-7504
cwilliams@dhe.mass.edu

Phylitia Jamerson
Executive Director of Early College
(781) 873-9803
Phylitia.Jamerson@mass.gov

Duration

2017 – Present

Funding

 

Related Data

 

 

Student Identities
Partnerships

Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

Background

The vision of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE) and Board of Elementary & Secondary Education (BESE) is for growth and sustainability of high-quality early college partnerships connecting our state’s districts and high schools with our state’s colleges. These partnerships will all be aimed at giving thousands of Massachusetts students, especially first-generation college-goers, access to college completion and career success.

Early College

Early College programs are intentionally designed to empower students traditionally underrepresented in higher education. MA Early College Designated Programs work to blend elements of high school and college to provide students with the opportunity to experience and complete college level academic coursework on a clearly articulated pathway and simultaneously gain exposure to a variety of career opportunities. Early college programs also reduce the time and expense of earning a college credential while increasing the likelihood of completion.

A Brief History of MA Early College

In 2016, the Boards of Higher Education and Elementary and Secondary Education looked at whether the state could devise an early college strategy. They commissioned a study, done by Parthenon-EY Education Practice, to look at the potential for the development of Early College in Massachusetts The report confirmed that Early College is a promising model that narrows educational opportunity gaps, and that existing programs would provide a powerful base from which to build a broader statewide Early College initiative. Following these findings in January 2017, the boards of Elementary and Secondary Education and Higher Education jointly launched an initiative intended to support the expansion of Early College and establish an Early College Designation. The boards also created an Early College Joint Committee (ECJC), charged with developing the Early College Designation Process for the Commonwealth.

Early College Designation Process and Timeline — SY2024-2025

Early College Program Designation Application Companion Document 2022 >

This companion document is designed to provide important information on the Designation process and requirements, as well as context for the criteria to be met under each of the five Guiding Principles.

Designation Readiness Checklist >

The Early College Readiness Checklist is a resource for prospective Early College partners to guide their pre-planning for the Designation application process.

Designation Timeline
  • April 2024 – Part A Application and Letter of Intent forms open.
  • April 23, 2024 – 1:00 p.m. - Early College Designation Information and Orientation Session. Register.
  • May 7, 2024 – 9:00 a.m. - “Is Your Partnership Ready to Apply for Designation?” This session is strongly recommended for partnerships who want to apply for Early College Designation. Register.
  • May 17, 2024 Letter of Intent due.
  • May 29, 2024 – District Superintendents’ and IHE Presidents’ Leadership Meeting for Programs Intending to Apply for Designation
  • April - August 2024 – Support sessions and office hours available for Designation applicants. Learn more about, and register for, the webinar series.
  • September 20, 2024 – Part A Applications due via Alchemer.
  • October 2024 – Announcement of Applicants advancing to Part B.
  • October 2024 - January 2025 – Technical assistance and office hours available for Part B Applicants
  • January 31, 2025 – Part B Applications due
  • February 2025 – Part B Interviews held
  • March 2025 – Designation recommendations reviewed by the Early College Joint Committee

Additional Resource: NS4Ed, in partnership with the MA Early College staff, has created a resource site to support the Early College community of practice. Visit www.MAEarlyCollege.com to learn more.

If you are seeking additional information on Early College, please contact the Early College Program Director at Kristin.Hunt@doe.mass.edu

Please check this page regularly for updates.

Early College Joint Committee

The Early College Joint Committee is charged with designing, developing and coordinating the administration of a Massachusetts early college program based on the process and key design principles set forth in the joint resolution PDF of the Boards of Elementary & Secondary Education and Higher Education, approved at their joint meeting on January 24, 2017.

  • Patrick Tutwiler, Secretary of Education
  • Katherine Craven, Chair, Massachusetts Board of Elementary & Secondary Education
  • Chris Gabrieli, Chair, Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
  • Matt Hills, Member, Massachusetts Board of Elementary & Secondary Education
  • Paul Toner, Member, Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
  • Noe Ortega, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (non-voting)
  • Jeff Riley, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (non-voting)

Design Principles

Under the Early College Designation put forth by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE) and Board of Elementary & Secondary Education (BESE), approved designated early college programs in Massachusetts will align with the following design principles:

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1. Equitable Access

targeting underrepresented students in higher education

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4. Connections to Career

through workplace and experiential learning experiences

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2. Academic Pathways

that are well integrated and aligned with college and career

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5. High-Quality & Deep Partnerships

between high schools and colleges

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3. Enhanced Student Support

in both academics and advising

Designated Early College Programs

Following a rigorous two phased application process based on the Massachusetts Early College Criteria, the Early College Joint Committee granted the first designations to five programs in May 2018. Four more programs were designated in July 2018. During the 2018-2019 school year, nearly 1,500 students enrolled in designated early college programs around the state, increasing to nearly 2,280 in the subsequent year.

In the 2021-2022 year, enrollment in designated early college programs are projected to jump to 4,000 students. As of July 2024, there are 28 IHE and 62 high schools across 55 partnerships.

Partnerships with Official Designation
District (High School)/Charter School Partner(s) Institutions of Higher Education Partner(s) Designation Date
1 Boston Public Schools (Charlestown High School) Bunker Hill Community College) April 2018
2 Chelsea Public Schools (Chelsea High School) Bunker Hill Community College April 2018
3 Holyoke Public Schools (Holyoke High School) Holyoke Community College April 2018
4 New Heights Charter School of Brockton Massasoit Community College April 2018
5 Salem Public Schools (Salem High School) Salem State University April 2018
6 Lawrence Public Schools (Lawrence High School) Merrimack College August 2018
7 Lawrence Public Schools (Lawrence High School) Northern Essex Community College August 2018
8
  • Holyoke Public Schools (Holyoke High School)
  • Springfield Public Schools (High School of Commerce)
  • Westfield Public Schools (Westfield High School and Westfield Technical Academy)

    *Roger L Putnam Vocational Technical Academy: Originally part of this Designation, but is no longer participating
Westfield State University August 2018
9 Worcester Public Schools (Burncoat Senior High; Claremont Academy; Doherty Memorial High; North High; South High Community; University Park Campus; Worcester Technical High) Worcester State University and Quinsigamond Community College August 2018
10 Lowell Public Schools (Lowell High School) Middlesex Community College January 2019
11 Nashoba Valley Technical High School Middlesex Community College January 2019
12
  • Fitchburg Public Schools (Fitchburg High School)
  • Gardner Public Schools (Gardner High School)
  • Leominster Public Schools (Leominster High School)
    *Program also draws students from Leominster Center for Excellence and Center for Technical Education Innovation
  • Sizer School
Fitchburg State University and Mount
Wachusett Community College
April 2019
13 Framingham High School
Milford Public Schools (Milford High School)
Framingham State University and Massachusetts Bay Community College April 2019
14 Lynn Public Schools (Lynn Classical HS, Lynn English HS, Lynn Vocational Technical Institute, Fecteau Leary Alternative HS) North Shore Community College April 2019
15 Haverhill Public Schools (Haverhill High School) Northern Essex Community College April 2019
16 Marlborough Public Schools (Marlborough High School) Quinsigamond Community College April 2019
17 Boston Public Schools (Madison Park Technical Vocational High School) Bunker Hill Community College April 2019
18 Somerville Public Schools (Somerville High School) Cambridge College June 2020
19 Lynn Public Schools (Lynn English High School) Salem State University June 2020
20 Lynn Public Schools (Lynn Classical High School) Salem State University June 2020
21 Hadley Public Schools (Hopkins Academy) Greenfield Community College June 2020
22 Fall River Public Schools (Durfee High School) Bristol Community College June 2020
23 Fall River Public Schools (Durfee High School) Bridgewater State University June 2020
24 Danvers Public Schools (Danvers High School) North Shore Community College February 2021
25 Boston Public Schools (Dearborn STEM Academy) Wentworth Institute of Technology February 2021
26 Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School Northern Essex Community College February 2021
27 Gardner Academy for Learning and Technology Mount Wachusett Community College June 2021
28 Springfield Public Schools (High School of Commerce) Springfield Technical Community College June 2021
29 North Quincy High (Quincy Public Schools) Quincy College June 2021
30 Quincy High (Quincy Public Schools) College Quincy College June 2021
31 Waltham High School (Waltham Public Schools) Framingham State University and Massachusetts Bay Community College June 2021
32 Boston Public Schools (Fenway High School) Wentworth Institute of Technology February 2022
33 Boston Public Schools (New Mission High School) Wentworth Institute of Technology February 2022
34 Southern Berkshires Regional School District (Mount Everett Regional High School) Bard College at Simon’s Rock February 2022
35 Narragansett Public Schools (Narragansett Regional High School) Fitchburg State University and Mount Wachusett Community College February 2022
36 Argosy Collegiate Charter School Bristol Community College March 2022
37 Cambridge Rindge & Latin School Lesley University March 2022
38 Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School North Shore Community College March 2022
39 New Bedford Public Schools (New Bedford High School) Bristol Community College March 2022
40 Athol-Royalston Regional School District (Athol High School) Fitchburg State University and Mount Wachusett Community College March 2023
41 Boston Public Schools (Boston Community Leadership Academy University of Massachusetts – BostonMarch 2023
42 Boston Public Schools (Brighton High School) Bunker Hill Community College March 2023
43 North Adams Public Schools (Drury High School) Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts March 2023
44 Boston Public Schools (Fenway High School) University of Massachusetts – Boston March 2023
45 Malden Public Schools (Malden High School) Bunker Hill Community College March 2023
46 Boston Public Schools (New Mission High School) University of Massachusetts – Boston March 2023
47 Revere Public Schools (Revere High School) North Shore Community College March 2023
48 Veritas Preparatory Charter School Springfield Technical Community College and Worcester State University March 2023
49 Boston Public Schools (Dearborn STEM Academy) Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology June 2023
50 Salem Public Schools (Salem High School) North Shore Community College June 2023
51 Boston Public Schools (East Boston High School) Fisher College March 2024
52 Southbridge Public Schools (Southbridge High School) Quinsigamond Community College March 2024
53 Taunton Public Schools (Taunton High School) Bristol Community College March 2024
54 Lynn Public Schools (Frederick Douglass Collegiate Academy) North Shore Community College June 2024
55 New Heights Charter School of Brockton Bridgewater State University June 2024

28 IHE and 62 high schools (59 Designated high schools + 3 “sender” high schools), across 55 partnerships.

Last Updated: August 16, 2024