Early College Can Be ‘Game-Changing’ But Many Students In Hawaii Are Missing Out

In a portable classroom near the back of Farrington High School’s campus, students gathered around Ka‘iulani Murphy and the star map she spread across the classroom table. Using brightly colored markers, students carefully traced the constellations spanning the map and practiced pronouncing the names of stars in Hawaiian and English. 

Murphy said she plans to take her students to the Bishop Museum planetarium, where they can practice identifying stars in real time. If the forecast calls for clear skies later in the quarter, she’ll bring her students onto the Farrington football field at night.

“It’s a great spot,” Murphy said. “You can turn the lights off and lay on the field.” 

Murphy’s class on Hawaiian astronomy and navigation isn’t typically offered on high school campuses. She usually teaches at Honolulu Community College, where she is a full-time faculty member. But for the past seven years, Murphy has brought her course to Farrington’s campus through the state’s early college initiative.

Through the early college program, instructors in the University of Hawaii system teach college-level courses in Hawaii Department of Education schools. By completing these classes, students can earn credit that counts toward both their high school graduation requirements and college degrees.

Since its inception in 2012, early college has grown in popularity. In 2023, nearly a quarter of Hawaii high school graduates participated in a dual credit program, which includes both early college courses and UH classes that students can independently enroll in. 

Last year Hawaii high schools offered over 580 early college classes, up from just 12 courses a decade ago.

Advocates say that early college can yield greater academic and career success for students, with participants more likely to pursue higher education and earn their degrees.  

But while the program intends to grow the number of Hawaii students pursuing higher education, some education advocates and college counselors say it tends to serve students who are already college-bound. Low-income, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders — student groups that have historically been underrepresented in higher education — tend to have lower participation rates in dual credit programs. 

“How do we make sure that the kids who would benefit the most have access?” said David Sun-Miyashiro, executive director of HawaiiKidsCAN. “The results can be pretty game-changing.”

Unequal Expansion Of Early College

The benefits of early college are clear, said Stephen Schatz, executive director of Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education. Early exposure to college courses can help students gain greater confidence in their academic abilities and develop a deeper understanding of future career paths, he added.

According to research from P-20, students who earn dual credit in high school are more likely to attend and graduate from college than non-participants. In the class of 2022, 75% of dual credit students enrolled in college after graduation, compared to the statewide rate of 51%.

But disparities in early college participation across the state are a concern, even for supporters of the program.

Roughly 21% of Native Hawaiian and 12% of Pacific Islander students in the class of 2023 enrolled in dual credit courses. By comparison, both Asian and Filipino high school graduates had a participation rate of approximately 30%, while white students recorded a participation rate of 23%. The data does not include students who took Advanced Placement courses, which can also allow students to earn college credit.

The differences in dual credit participation are mirrored in college-going rates in Hawaii. In the class of 2023, Asian, white and Filipino students had college enrollment rates above the state average of 51%. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander enrollment rates were 35% and 30%, respectively.

In a strategic directions document published earlier this year, UH and DOE set goals to increase statewide participation in early college, particularly among students who are underrepresented in higher education. Schatz said DOE and UH haven’t set specific enrollment targets for students, adding that the two partners are still working on future implementation plans.

Sheldon Tawata, Kuilei Outreach Program coordinator at Kapiolani Community College, said he worries that early college has strayed from its original intent of providing free college classes to students who hadn’t previously considered higher education. As early college has grown in popularity, Tawata said he’s seen more students using the program to advance their existing college plans.

“This is all really great,” Tawata said. “But I think it’s lost its focus.”

In the program’s early years, the percentages of economically and non-economically disadvantaged students participating in dual credit were closely matched. In the 2014-15 school year, almost 4% of high school students from both groups participated in dual credit. Seven years later, 7% of low-income students in grades 9-12 took dual credit courses, compared to 10% of their peers who weren’t economically disadvantaged.

Tawata added that he also wants students to make intentional, informed choices about participating in early college, especially if they’re low-income or the first in their families to attend college. If students take too many early college classes that won’t count toward their future majors, or if they do poorly in those courses, they may face challenges with receiving adequate financial aid once they become college students, he said.

“What they do in early college has an impact down the road,” Tawata said.

Revisiting Early Intentions

Brandon Carlos, an early college program coordinator at Leeward Community College, said he understands concerns that early college is primarily reaching students who are already on track to receive their degrees. But he’s also hopeful about new initiatives and classes that target students who hadn’t previously considered higher education. 

“We’re going back to the roots of early college,” Carlos said. 

P-20 is currently developing career maps detailing training and degree programs that students can pursue through early college, said Warren Kawano, career pathways strategy director for P-20. Ideally, he said, the maps can connect UH program coordinators and high school counselors to help them determine what courses students need to take to pursue their preferred degrees and careers.

“If we can connect the people and identify the course, they can have the conversation on whether or not this is the right course for their student,” Kawano said.

In 2021, Waipahu High School began its Early College Explorers initiative targeting English Learners, first-generation and Pacific Islander students. Through introductory classes, the program teaches students how to navigate UH’s course management system, explore financial aid opportunities and create academic roadmaps for themselves, Fukunaga said. 

The school is still tracking data on the success of the initiative, but Fukunaga said she’s seen many students complete the program and then enroll in other early college courses.  

Other schools have expanded their course offerings in the hope of attracting students who aren’t planning to pursue four-year degrees. 

Kekaulike High School on Maui has seen a rapid increase in its early college participation since the Covid-19 pandemic. Principal Amy Strand said the school recently added a welding class to its early college offerings to draw more students interested in the trades. The class filled to capacity on the first day of course registration.

“When they get a taste of it, they want to continue,” Strand said, adding that some students have already expressed interest in taking more welding classes at UH after graduation.

Murphy said she’s excited when students she’s taught at Farrington High School come to Honolulu Community College after graduation and take more of her courses. She takes pride in the quality of her Farrington students’ work, adding that many seem prepared to pursue a college degree after graduation.   

“I feel like a lot of them are already on that path where they’re planning to go to college,” Murphy said. “I think it’s awesome.”

Civil Beat’s education reporting is supported by a grant from Chamberlin Family Philanthropy.

Civil Beat’s community health coverage is supported by the Atherton Family Foundation, Swayne Family Fund of Hawaii Community Foundation, the Cooke Foundation and Papa Ola Lokahi.