Early college pathways offer students the opportunity to take college coursework for credit as high school students, bolstering their college and career readiness and lowering cost of a degree or workforce credential. New York is the birthplace of the modern early college model and boasts the 3rd largest number of dual enrollment students in the country. However, access to these programs remains inequitable. Implementation of the new state dual enrollment policy and the College in High School Opportunity Fund provide an opportunity to address barriers facing learners in accessing early college pathways.

This session will provide audience members with an overview of the existing early college pathways landscape and discuss strategies to better serve students. The discussion will be focused on strategies to increase equitable access to early college pathways, with a clear review of the Dual Enrollment Equity Pathways (DEEP) framework and early college pathways models, policy implementation, and recommendations to improve the experience of the students experiencing it firsthand. More specifically, the conversation will demonstrate ways in which the students’ experience can be centered to help shape the future of education in New York.