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The Partnership Between K12 And Higher Education in Early College High School and Its Impact on Underrepresented Populations

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2025, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, Higher Education Administration.
Bridging the disconnection between K12 and higher education systems has been a struggle, in part, because different governance and regulations guide each system. Any serious inquiries to minimize the gap between high school and college necessitate intentional involvement of both systems to enhance college articulation among prospective students. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of underrepresented students who have completed the Early College High School (ECHS) program and enrolled in higher education institutions. The ECHS model creates a K20 partnership that spans the boundaries between K12 and higher education systems to enable underrepresented students to maximize their learning opportunities. The literature indicates that the ECHS model creates partnerships between local school districts and higher education institutions to serve historically underrepresented students. Nevertheless,filling the need in the nascent literaturethat details ECHS students’ experiences in higher education settings is critical. For this qualitative study, I used a case study design to capture the perspectives and lived experiences of underrepresented ECHS students and higher education and K12 administrators at a particular ECHS in the Southeast United States. I conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 participants (two ECHS administrators, two higher education administrators, and six ECHS alums). This study has several implications for policy and practice in the realms of creating and operating the ECHS model, bridging the gap between the K12 and higher education systems, and supporting underrepresented students. This research also elucidates the positive impact of the ECHS model on underrepresented students’ college readiness and access, highlighting the necessity for higher education practitioners to comprehend the model’s implications and the importance of further studies examining the diverse experiences and perceptions of ECHS students across varying demographic characteristics as their exposure to the model continues to expand.
Patrick Pauken, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Christy Horner, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Christopher Frey, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Umar Islambekov, Ph.D. (Other)
166 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Elmorsy, E. (2025). The Partnership Between K12 And Higher Education in Early College High School and Its Impact on Underrepresented Populations [Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1742910652838714

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Elmorsy, Ehab. The Partnership Between K12 And Higher Education in Early College High School and Its Impact on Underrepresented Populations. 2025. Bowling Green State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1742910652838714.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Elmorsy, Ehab. "The Partnership Between K12 And Higher Education in Early College High School and Its Impact on Underrepresented Populations." Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, 2025. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1742910652838714

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)