Turning High School Partnerships into College Enrollments

Maximizing colleges’ return on investments in K-12 requires shifting resources to programs that reach and prepare “missing middle” students for success. The 2.7 million students who make up the missing middle are the largest prospective high school student segment.

These students are also highly responsive to the community college value proposition—they’re searching for an intimate college setting with small class sizes, dedicated teachers, and accelerated learning opportunities. Missing middle students are also most likely to benefit from K-12 intervention programs and apply their community college credential to the local economy.

Community colleges must shift resources to interventions optimized for students who make up the “missing middle.” EAB research uncovered three guiding principles for maximizing the impact of K-12 partnerships.

1. Cultivate college navigation skills by shifting resources from academic remediation to student transition support. Current high school interventions focus almost entirely on academic college readiness at the expense of noncognitive readiness. Students must be able to navigate complex college forms and processes during the intake process to set themselves up for future success.
2. Broker accelerated career pathways for technically minded high school students. Most dual credit course offerings are concentrated in traditional general education disciplines such as math and English, unappealing to hands-on learners interested in career and technical education. Progressive college leaders have expanded dual credit offerings to include accelerated CTE pathways from high school to stackable credential programs.
3. Develop a “school of choice” brand by advertising the high quality of a community college education. Most community college advertising campaigns focus entirely on the low cost of student tuition, especially in comparison to four-year and for-profit competitors. However, this strategy does not resonate with students seeking a high-quality academic experience—small class sizes, dedicated faculty, and opportunities for accelerated learning. Community colleges can elevate their brands by marketing these qualities of their institutions to prospective high school students.

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