Massachusetts Early College Initiative

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.

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Early College Designation Application Process and Timeline

AY2021-2022 Accelerated Designation – For Enrollment Fall 2021

In response to the Covid 19 pandemic, the regular Designation process for the AY2020-2021 year was paused. This process is now open for applicant programs that have been able to finalize planning despite the challenges this year has presented to partnerships. Programs approved in the Accelerated Designation process will receive funding in FY22 following the ECJC funding policies for currently designated programs. This process has now been closed and applications are under review.

• June 2021 – Accelerated Designation recommendations reviewed by the Early College Joint Committee

FY22 Early College Program Designation – For Program Implementation and Enrollment Fall 2022

The Commonwealth is pleased to again offer its local secondary education agencies and institutions of higher education the opportunity to obtain formal designation for Early College Programs. Designed collaboratively by the EOE, DESE, and DHE, program designation will entail a two-step process ("Part A" and "Part B").

Early College Program Designation Application Companion Document 2021 >

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 Timeline

• April 14, 2021 – Early College Spring Convening, including information session on applying for AY2022 Designation.
• May 3, 2021 – Letter of Intent and Part A Posted. Designation applicants are required to submit a Letter of Intent by June 30. Access the Part A application here.

• May 11, 2021 — Presentation on Early College Designation Part A

• June 30, 2021 – Letters of Intent Due
• Summer 2021 – Office hours and individualized technical assistance available, as well as an applicant professional learning series on the Guiding Principles. To register for these summer professional learning community sessions, please contact Rebekah Barr at Rebekah.Barr@mass.gov.
  Please note the following dates for the PLC series (All series to be held at 9am) –
  • May 18, 2021 – Guiding Principle 1: Equitable Access
  • June 1, 2021 – Guiding Principle 2: Guided Academic Pathways
  • June 15, 2021 – Guiding Principle 3: Enhanced Student Support
  • June 29, 2021 – Guiding Principle 4: Connection to Career
  • July 13, 2021 – Guiding Principle 5: Effective Partnerships
• August 27, 2021 - Part A Applications Due
• October 2021 – Announcement of Applicants advancing to Part B
• Late Fall 2021 – Early College Designation Part B Application Webinar
• December 15, 2021 – Part B Applications due
• March 16, 2022 – 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. If interested in learning more about the community of practice, please contact the Early College Program Specialist at Rebekah.Barr@mass.gov.

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 of the Boards of Elementary & Secondary Education and Higher Education, approved at their joint meeting on January 24, 2017.

• Chris Gabrieli, Chair, Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
• Matt Hills, Member, Massachusetts Board of Elementary & Secondary Education
• James Peyser, Secretary of Education
• Katherine Craven, Chair, Massachusetts Board of Elementary & Secondary Education
• Paul Toner, Member, Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
• Jeff Riley, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (non-voting)
• Carlos Santiago, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Higher 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:

1. Equitable Access

targeting underrepresented students in higher education

4. Connections to Career

through workplace and experiential learning experiences

2. Academic Pathways

that are well integrated and aligned with college and career

5. High-Quality & Deep Partnerships

between high schools and colleges

3. Robust 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 June 2021, there are 22 IHEs and 42 high schools designated across 31 programs.