Early College High School Principals: Preparing Historically Underrepresented Students for College Success

Abstract

Early college high schools, which allow underrepresented students to earn up to an associate’s degree during 9th through 12th grades, have been lauded for their potential to increase college access and opportunity. Yet little is known about the role of the principal. Using data drawn from 10 administrators in the borderlands of West Texas, this qualitative study uses an instructional leadership framework to explore how early college principals support students’ college preparation at the intersection of secondary and postsecondary education.