Date of Award

Spring 2019

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Major

Educational Studies

First Advisor

Daniel Douglas

Abstract

Early college high schools (ECHSs) are partnerships between high schools and colleges or universities that provide high school students with an opportunity to learn more about the college experience. These early college initiatives introduce students to higher education’s academic and cultural life. Prior research on ECHSs has examined high school students and focuses on students’ college enrollment and retention. Less attention has been paid to students’ self-reported preparedness for college. My research examines Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy (HMTCA) and its partnership with Trinity College. In order to assess the impact of this collaboration on student preparedness, a survey was administered to HMTCA alumni. From responses to this questionnaire, I sought to answer two questions: In what ways do recent Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy (HMTCA) alumni describe how their high school experience at Trinity College prepared them for college? Do the students’ responses vary by whether they took a Trinity College class or not? This study finds that HMTCA’s partnership with Trinity College is an effective resource for its students. The results indicate that all students who participated in the program benefited in some way by their exposure to the Trinity College campus, but the students who took college courses at Trinity College were better prepared for collegiate academics. Based on the results of this study, high school students who were exposed to a college campus seem to be comfortable navigating the physical setting of a college. However, students who enrolled in actual college courses were more ready for collegiate academics, suggesting that there are at least two dimensions to the impact of early college high schools.

Comments

Senior Project completed at Trinity College, Hartford Connecticut for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies.

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