Reports & Results

The Carver Model for Early College & Career Pathways established in New Jersey by the George Washington Carver Education Foundation has seen tremendous growth since its launch in 2016. The Carver Foundation partners with both school districts, colleges/ universities, businesses, and communities to expand the dual enrollment in order to launch the national Early College High School initiative (ECHS) within the school district that will allow students to earn their high school diploma, up to 60 college credits, with an opportunity to receive an associates degree by the end of 12th grade all at no cost to students or parents.

This national initiative has yielded significant outcomes for students across the country, who are economically disadvantaged, among the first-generation to go to college, and those who particularly come from opportunity zones (AIR Study, 2019). The Carver Foundation has launched twelve Early College & Career Pathways Programs in grades 9-12 with two districts establishing programs in middle school, grades. Each program launched by Carver has been designed as a model that can be replicated by other schools. Approximately 1200 students have now enrolled in Early College High School (ECHS) established by the Carver Foundation. In 2017, the Carver Model for Early College & Career Pathways (The title of Carver's ECHS initiative in NJ) began with 50 students, increasing to 556 students in 2017-2018; 1,022 students in 2018-2019; projected to increase to 1,517 students in 2019-2020, and adjusted to 1,200 students for 2020-2021 due to COVID-19.

The Carver Model for Early College & Career Pathways is in 9 school districts in 4 New Jersey counties. About 45,789 students attend these 9 school districts and should have the opportunity to earn college credits while in high school (2018-2019 NJ School Reports). Currently, only a small fraction of students in the district participate in Early College due primarily to costs. Districts continue to seek ways to expand their Early College program to reach all students. The district impact rate of the participating school districts is highest in Cumberland County at 56% with 25,697 students; in Mercer County at 31% with 14,272 students; in Atlantic County at 8% with 3,676 students; and in Salem County at 6% with 2,144 students.

In 2016, the George Washington Carver Education Foundation, in collaboration with Stockton University, conducted a six-month feasibility study to launch the national Early College High School initiative in New Jersey. Since that time, nine school districts have designed and implemented The Carver Model for Early College & Career Pathways that not only allows students to take more dual enrollment courses, but also provides the support they will need to succeed. The Carver Foundation is now preparing to "LEVEL-UP" this initiative to add more school districts over the next several years. Carver's LEVEL-UP goal is 25 by 25, which is more than 25 school districts by 2025. We are already seeing positive results as students who began an Early College program developed by the Carver Foundation are starting to graduate with both their high school diploma and associates degree. With this exciting new data, the foundation has been set and we are now ready to take The Carver Model for Early College & Career Pathways to the next level in New Jersey and across the country!

Click here for the Carver 2020 Report

Click here for the Carver 2019 Report