NYU Metro Center’s Center for Policy, Research, and Evaluation (PRE) team led an evaluation of the Florida Atlantic University High School program, a dual enrollment program in Boca Raton, Florida, and the only high school in the country where students concurrently earn both a high school diploma and a Bachelor’s degree. Our evaluation focuses on academic outcomes of students, socio-emotional outcomes, entry into jobs and graduate programs, and an examination of students who exit the program. In addition, we are interested in scalability and how components of the program might be recreated elsewhere.
Upon completion of the evaluation, our researchers found that students graduated from high school with an average of 94 college credit hours, and most students held high academic aspirations. Though they excelled academically, students reported higher levels of mental health challenges as compared to a national sample.
NYU Metro Center’s findings and recommendations have already led to changes at the school. FAUHS recently hired a recruitment specialist to help recruit a more diverse student body. In addition, the school hired a full-time mental health counselor and is working with 33 upperclassmen to serve as peer mentors to younger students.