Graduate perspectives of college readiness: the impact of the early college high school

Abstract

Early college high schools (ECHS)were designed specifically to disrupt the inequities that are present in high schools by focusing on serving students underrepresented in higher education. ECHS students can earn 60 hours of college credit setting them on a fast track to college and degree completion. Utilizing Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth as a lens, this qualitative multi-case study examined the experience of six ECHS graduates, their self-perceptions of their own college readiness, and their definitions of college readiness. Findings from the study revealed the ECHS experience had a positive impact on participant college readiness, but also revealed the lack of support and development of resistance capital and familial capital. The study suggests an expansion of Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth to include self-capital to capture elements of internal growth during the ECHS experience. Findings from the study provide new perspectives of college readiness and recommendations for future research that are both race conscious and equity minded.