The study in this What Works Clearinghouse Review explores the impacts of early college high schools and the academic supports they provide, such as writing, teamwork, class discussion, time management, notetaking, and study skills. In addition, the programs supported students in navigating college processes such as selecting and registering for classes, using college resources, using online course materials, applying for college, and applying for financial aid.

From the study report: "Early colleges are a new model of schooling in which the high school and college experiences are merged, shortening the total amount of time a student spends in school. This study uses a lottery-based experimental design to examine the impact of the model on longer term outcomes, including attainment of a postsecondary credential and academic performance in 4-year institutions. Results show that a significantly higher proportion of early college students were attaining postsecondary credentials. The results also show that early college students were completing their degrees more rapidly but that their performance in 4-year institutions was still comparable with the control students."