“Early College High School is a new model of schooling, it’s high school and college happening at the same time. Kids simultaneously are high school students and college students.”
Dr. Julie Edmunds, Executive Director, Early College Research Center at UNC Greensboro.
Since 2006, Dr. Julie Edmunds has been leading a longitudinal experimental study of the impact of early colleges. She has led evaluations of four large-scale efforts to implement early college strategies in comprehensive high schools. Julie is Principal Investigator of a five-year evaluation of the Impact, implementation, and cost of North Carolina’s dual enrollment program.
Julie received a B.A. in history from Yale University. She holds a master’s in Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Following is 3-part podcast series featuring Dr. Julie Edmunds, Executive Director of the Early College Research Center at UNC Greensboro, and Mr. Matt Bristow-Smith, Principal at Edgecombe Early College High School. The episodes broach the topic of Early College High Schools using an equity lens – giving insight into the rights of all students to have an equal choice and voice to excel in an Early College High School environment. All three episodes provide a rare opportunity for two experts, a researcher and a practitioner, to offer insight into the topic of Early College High School.
Episode 1: Early College High Schools and the Impact they have on Postsecondary Outcomes: A Portrait of Early College High Schools
In this episode, Julie and Matt offer their expertise on Early College High Schools. They engage in a rich discussion into the portrait of Early College High Schools and the impacts on Postsecondary Outcomes.
Episode 2: Early College High Schools and the Impact it has on Postsecondary Outcomes: School Supports and Student Impacts
In Episode 2, Julie and Matt continue the conversation on Early College High Schools with a focus on the supports needed to help with student success and the positive impacts of Early College High Schools. Matt and Julie recount instances of students who needed these supports and the difference the supports made. This episode explores the core of what makes Early College High Schools successful.
Episode 3: Early College High Schools and the Impact they have on Postsecondary Outcomes: Lessons Learned from Implementing an Early College High School
In this final episode of the series, Julie and Matt round out their discussions on Early College High Schools with lessons learned from implementing an Early College High School. They share their perspective of accomplishments and challenges as Early College High Schools continue to evolve. They also make a call to action for policymakers to include equitable practices that can be helpful to the long-term success of future Early College High School graduates.
“At the heart of all our Early College High Schools…focus is really about personalizing the learning experience. It’s about moving away from an industrial one size fits all model to a model that is built to and for the students that we serve.”
Matt Bristow-Smith, Principal at Edgecombe Early High School in Edgecombe, North Carolina.
In 2014, Matt started as the principal at Edgecombe Early College High School. In 2019 he was named Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year and Wells Fargo North Central Principal of the Year for his work leading Edgecombe Early College High School to high student performance.
Matt served as an advisor to the State Board of Education and the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity, as well as the NC Principal and Assistant Principal Association, and EdNC.
Matt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in English from Appalachian State University and a Master’s in School Administration from N.C. State University through the Northeast Leadership Academy.
The Early College Research Center at UNC Greensboro brings experts across disciplines to collaborate on building research on the early college model. This continued research will help build equity by breaking educational barriers for students wanting to attend college.
Dr. Edmunds and her colleagues have written a book, Early Colleges as a Model for Schooling: Creating New Pathways for Access to Higher Education.
Find the book at Harvard Education Press or Amazon.