College Acceleration Opportunities

Accelerating Students from High School to College and Careers

College acceleration opportunities—including Advanced Placement (AP), Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), dual enrollment, early college high schools and International Baccalaureate (IB)—can help high school students prepare for college-level work while they earn valuable college credit or work toward a postsecondary credential.  

Why? 

Employers in today’s global economy value a range of postsecondary credentials—industry-valued credentials, postsecondary certificates, associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees and advanced degrees—because they can each signify whether an applicant has the skills employers need. However, postsecondary education is increasingly expensive. 

While politicians and policymakers debate ways to make postsecondary learning more affordable, there’s something states can do right now to help students prepare for success: jump-start postsecondary learning with college acceleration opportunities while students are still in high school. 

It is possible for states to accelerate all high school students toward the degree or credential of their choice. In fact, some states are already making great progress toward this end. 

“Making sure each and every child has access to advanced courses and industry certifications is an important way we prepare students to excel in college and in their future careers. Florida is a national leader in expanding Advanced Placement and dual enrollment course access, which saves our Florida families millions of dollars in college tuition and narrows achievement gaps between groups of students.”

Rep. Byron Donalds

Florida House of Representatives

Meet the Expert

Policy Solutions  

College Acceleration Playbook Series

ExcelinEd’s policy playbook series identifies specific steps states can take to improve college acceleration opportunities and outcomes for their students.  

Resources 

College Acceleration at National Summit

To succeed in school and life, students in every state need to learn about computer science and our nation’s Constitution. Computer Science helps students thrive in an increasingly automated world, and the Constitution empowers citizens to understand their government as well as influence it. In this moderated discussion, Hadi Partovi, CEO and founder of Code.org, and Stefanie Sanford, Chief of Global Policy at the College Board, share insights and strategies for developing engaged citizens with the skills needed for success in the technology economy. 


If your child came home with a 90% on a math test, you might think, “That’s great. She understands the material.” But what about the 10% she missed? Conventional teaching can rush students through subject matter when they haven’t always grasped the basics. Over time, small gaps in knowledge—even just 10%—can turn into seemingly insurmountable walls. 

This approach leaves countless students on the sidelines—not because they can’t learn, but because they weren’t given the time to build a strong foundation or the opportunity to persevere and truly master a subject. In this session, join leading disrupters in education Sal Khan and David Coleman for a 21st century vision of teaching for mastery and mindset, turning struggling students into scholars and overcoming America’s tragedy of lost potential.