Document Number: 6061Fast Track to College: Increasing Postsecondary Success for All Students - The author of this paper identifies the principles that should guide any effort to mend the current gaps in the academic pipeline, and sets forth three “fast track to college” alternatives to the traditional high school – “An Academic Head Start on College,” “An Accelerated Career/Technical College” and “A Gap Year/College in the Community” – to ensure all students complete a recognized postsecondary credential by age 26. The paper notes the common features of these approaches, their capacity to reconnect dropouts, the potential challenges and benefits of these programs, and recommendations on a state framework for fast track to college initiatives. While observing that financing and ensuring quality will pose the greatest challenges in implementing these options, the author points out their favorable prospects for long-term return on investment. (Hilary Pennington, Jobs for the Future, December 2004)...
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