The National Education Equity Lab (Ed Equity Lab) is an education justice nonprofit committed to closing the opportunity gap and leveling the playing field for high-achieving students from historically underserved communities at scale. It does this by delivering college credit-bearing courses from top colleges and universities in teacher-supported high school classrooms nationwide at no cost to students. After successfully completing the course, scholars earn three widely transferable college credits and a transcript from the offering institution. Ed Equity Lab exclusively provides this opportunity to Title I and Title I-eligible high schools.
Students in the Ed Equity Lab take college credit-bearing courses taught by a professor at a top university with the support of a near-peer Teaching Fellow from the university, an on-site co-teacher, and a cohort of their peers. Through this experience, students not only gain college credits, making college more accessible and affordable, but they also develop college-going skills, confidence in their ability to pursue a college pathway, and a positive, affirmed identity as someone who belongs in higher education.
Ed Equity Lab began this work in 2019 with a single Harvard humanities course and now reaches more than 300 schools and 20,000 scholars in 31 states in urban and rural communities.
What Makes This Model Innovative?
High Expectations with Unlimited Opportunities
Rigorous Learning
Affirmation of Self & Others
Related Models
Global Online Academy
Global Online Academy brings together teachers and students from around the world to learn together in high-quality, relationship-based online classes.
Global Online Academy
Global Online Academy (GOA) is built on the belief that learning is fueled by curiosity and interest, and features over 60 semester and year-long interest-based electives that students can choose from. Global Online Academy’s learner-centered approach empowers students to do cognitively complex, meaningful and relevant work in a relationship-based environment, which is key to learning and engagement.
GOA offers pathways to high school students in public, independent, charter, and international schools to learn in a highly collaborative, global community that expands their perspectives and empowers them to meaningfully connect and learn from others. Asynchronous self-directed learning, collaboration with peers around the globe, one-on-one meetings with teachers, and a capstone project and exhibition allow students to connect to relevant academic content and engage them in rigorous work that deepens understanding and builds skills that matter in school and in life.
Schools interested in the GOA model can become a member school, joining a group of 145 member schools in 31 countries and 34 U.S. states. Member schools have access to student courses and professional learning to develop leader and educator competencies. GOA Student Program Course Preview
Goals
Ed Equity Lab recognizes that while talent is evenly distributed, opportunity is not. It aims to change that by closing the opportunity gap, so high-achieving students from historically underserved communities have the skills, mindsets, and experiences to succeed in college and beyond.
College Credit Access
Students who successfully complete Ed Equity Lab courses earn widely transferable college credits and a transcript from the partner institution, making college more accessible and affordable.
College-Going Skills
Students gain college-going skills like asking for help, managing their time, problem-solving, critical thinking, and resourcefulness.
College Aspirations and Belonging
Through experiencing college in high school, students gain confidence in their ability to pursue a college pathway and see firsthand that they belong in higher education.
Experience
The Ed Equity Lab model enables students to enroll in college credit-bearing courses taught by a university professor with the support of a near-peer Teaching Fellow, an on-site co-teacher, and a cohort of peers.
Students access college credit-bearing courses from top colleges and universities covering a wide range of subject matters. SY23-24 Course Opportunities All courses are delivered asynchronously and are taught by motivated university professors.
Courses are typically offered as dual enrollment and are scheduled during the school day. Students watch the professor’s recorded lectures through an online Learning Management System (LMS). Students complete and submit assignments through the LMS, including weekly assignments like problem sets, discussion prompts, and quizzes, as well as summative midterms and finals. Students collaborate with their classmates and receive ongoing support from their in-person co-teacher. They can also attend their professor’s office hours to access additional support.
In addition to asynchronous lectures from a university professor, students participate in weekly synchronous Discussion Sections with a Teaching Fellow via Zoom to reinforce learning. Teaching Fellows are selected by the university professor and are graduate or undergraduate students from the institution offering the course.
During Discussion Sections, students dive deeper into the material covered by the professor, with hands-on support from the Teaching Fellow. Teaching Fellows lead scholars through various discussion activities and support the scholars in reviewing for major assessments. Discussion Sessions occur once a week during one of the regularly scheduled class periods and are typically 45 minutes. Teaching Fellows communicate regularly with the school-site co-teachers to ensure Discussion Sections are planned according to students’ needs.
In addition to course content, Teaching Fellows serve as near-peer mentors, sharing their experiences and advice about college success. Teaching Fellows are asked to reserve a portion of each Discussion Section to talk about their own college journeys. Teaching Fellows receive guidelines of topics to explore, but they are also open to hearing which topics scholars are interested in.
The Ed Equity Lab does not provide college-level courses; it replicates actual college courses in high school classrooms nationwide. Students engage in college content at their school with a cohort of their peers and an on-site teacher.
Although the content is accessed virtually, students meet in person as they would for any other high school class. It is during this class time that students watch the lectures, attend discussion sections, work on assignments, and access additional support as needed.
For example, one week in the class might look like this:
- Day 1: Students watch the university professor’s lecture while the on-site co-teacher makes sure students understand the material.
- Day 2: Students work on weekly assignments while the on-site co-teacher provides additional one-on-one support to students as needed.
- Day 3: Students watch the university professor’s lecture, while the on-site co-teacher makes sure students understand the material.
- Day 4: Students participate in the Discussion Section on Zoom with a Teaching Fellow and engage in discussions and additional activities to deepen learning.
- Day 5: Students complete assignments for the week, while the on-site co-teacher provides additional one-on-one support to students as needed.
In addition to college credit-bearing courses, participating students have access to supports to navigate the college selection, application, and financial aid processes.
College Navigation Support includes:
- Pop-up events hosted by university professors, where students hear their professor’s personal stories and how they got to where they are
- Career nights on Zoom, where students learn about different career pathways and hear directly from industry leaders
- College and career advice through partnerships with organizations like Matriculate. Matriculate
Supporting Structures
Any Title I or Title I-eligible school can implement the Ed Equity Lab model, but schools must make shifts to various supporting structures such as curriculum, adult roles, scheduling, technology, and more.
All curriculum, instruction, and assessment content is provided by college and university partners.
School teams receive ongoing announcements, updates, and support from the Lab and Course Team to support pre-course (i.e., course content access), course implementation, and post-course (i.e., transcript obtainment).
Schools must be Title I or Title I-eligible to participate in Ed Equity Lab.
To meet their mission of closing the opportunity gap and leveling the playing field for high-achieving students from historically underserved communities, Ed Equity Lab partners exclusively with Title I and Title I-eligible high schools.
In addition, there must be strong buy-in at the school level to move forward with the partnership.
Schools must identify a classroom co-teacher to work in partnership with the university professor, teaching fellow, and course team.
University professor: University professors set the syllabus, provide recorded lectures, and provide additional opportunities for students to get to know their professors.
Classroom co-teacher: Schools must identify a classroom teacher to work in partnership with the university professor and course team. High school teachers are not responsible for developing, grading, or teaching the content. Instead, they provide students with the in-person support needed to succeed in a rigorous college course. Teachers are provided ongoing training and support.
University teaching fellow: Each professor works in partnership with teaching fellows who are undergraduate and graduate students from the university. Teaching fellows lead weekly class sections synchronously to further support student mastery. They also serve as near-peer mentors for students.
In addition, principals and district leaders are vital decision-makers in the process – identifying the opportunity for their high schools, as well as choosing coursework that best meets their distinct needs.
Schools must dedicate time during the school day for students to take courses.
Ed Equity Lab courses are programmed into the high school academic day during a time that works for each participating high school’s master schedule. Schools are required to provide students access to a minimum of 3 hours of instructional time each week.
Community partnerships are key to supporting students to navigate the college-going process.
Ed Equity Lab believes in the power of building a supportive community amongst students and high schools. It works in partnership with other organizations to provide students with critical support and guidance as they navigate the college-going process.
Students need access to a device and stable internet to participate in courses.
Participating schools must ensure all students have access to any materials and technology required to engage fully in their college courses. In the event that schools cannot provide resources, the Ed Equity Lab partners with high schools to support in addressing technology needs.
All program components are offered at no cost to students.
College courses, credits and the wrap-around supports are offered at no cost to participating students. University partners provide all resources at cost, enabling Ed Equity Lab to offer this opportunity to schools or districts at the reduced enrollment fee of $250 per student.
Schools lead the recruitment of students to apply to the program with the support of Ed Equity Lab.
Ed Equity Lab partners with high schools to select 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students who have demonstrated prior success in college level coursework. Ed Equity Lab provides high school leaders with course flyers and course syllabi to share this opportunity with high school students. Ed Equity Lab also encourages schools to host open houses and informational meetings to share about the opportunity with the broader school and district community. Selected students are required to complete a short application with Ed Equity Lab where they are asked to explain their interest in taking a college course in high school.
Stakeholder feedback informs the continual improvement of the model.
All stakeholders are surveyed pre-course, during the course, and post-course to ensure timely feedback to improve stakeholder experience and inform course design and delivery.
All curriculum, instruction, and assessment content is provided by college and university partners.
School teams receive ongoing announcements, updates, and support from the Lab and Course Team to support pre-course (i.e., course content access), course implementation, and post-course (i.e., transcript obtainment).
Schools must be Title I or Title I-eligible to participate in Ed Equity Lab.
To meet their mission of closing the opportunity gap and leveling the playing field for high-achieving students from historically underserved communities, Ed Equity Lab partners exclusively with Title I and Title I-eligible high schools.
In addition, there must be strong buy-in at the school level to move forward with the partnership.
Schools must identify a classroom co-teacher to work in partnership with the university professor, teaching fellow, and course team.
University professor: University professors set the syllabus, provide recorded lectures, and provide additional opportunities for students to get to know their professors.
Classroom co-teacher: Schools must identify a classroom teacher to work in partnership with the university professor and course team. High school teachers are not responsible for developing, grading, or teaching the content. Instead, they provide students with the in-person support needed to succeed in a rigorous college course. Teachers are provided ongoing training and support.
University teaching fellow: Each professor works in partnership with teaching fellows who are undergraduate and graduate students from the university. Teaching fellows lead weekly class sections synchronously to further support student mastery. They also serve as near-peer mentors for students.
In addition, principals and district leaders are vital decision-makers in the process – identifying the opportunity for their high schools, as well as choosing coursework that best meets their distinct needs.
Schools must dedicate time during the school day for students to take courses.
Ed Equity Lab courses are programmed into the high school academic day during a time that works for each participating high school’s master schedule. Schools are required to provide students access to a minimum of 3 hours of instructional time each week.
Community partnerships are key to supporting students to navigate the college-going process.
Ed Equity Lab believes in the power of building a supportive community amongst students and high schools. It works in partnership with other organizations to provide students with critical support and guidance as they navigate the college-going process.
Students need access to a device and stable internet to participate in courses.
Participating schools must ensure all students have access to any materials and technology required to engage fully in their college courses. In the event that schools cannot provide resources, the Ed Equity Lab partners with high schools to support in addressing technology needs.
All program components are offered at no cost to students.
College courses, credits and the wrap-around supports are offered at no cost to participating students. University partners provide all resources at cost, enabling Ed Equity Lab to offer this opportunity to schools or districts at the reduced enrollment fee of $250 per student.
Schools lead the recruitment of students to apply to the program with the support of Ed Equity Lab.
Ed Equity Lab partners with high schools to select 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students who have demonstrated prior success in college level coursework. Ed Equity Lab provides high school leaders with course flyers and course syllabi to share this opportunity with high school students. Ed Equity Lab also encourages schools to host open houses and informational meetings to share about the opportunity with the broader school and district community. Selected students are required to complete a short application with Ed Equity Lab where they are asked to explain their interest in taking a college course in high school.
Stakeholder feedback informs the continual improvement of the model.
All stakeholders are surveyed pre-course, during the course, and post-course to ensure timely feedback to improve stakeholder experience and inform course design and delivery.
Supports Offered
To meet their mission of closing the opportunity gap and leveling the playing field for high-achieving students from historically underserved communities, Ed Equity Lab partners exclusively with Title I and Title I-eligible high schools.
Ed Equity Lab offers the following supports to help you implement their approach.
Partnership
Cost Associated
Ed Equity Lab partners with Title I and Title I-eligible high schools in a 3-step supported implementation:
- Selection of course(s) to offer students
- Identification of an on-site co-teacher
- Recruitment of a cohort of 15-25 students
Reach
Impact
Students gain the confidence, skills, and experience to pursue a college pathway.
- 89% of students taking these courses increased their understanding of college-level work and expectations.
- 84% of scholars have shared that taking their college courses has helped prepare them for college.
- 99% of teachers report that the course prepared students to be ready for college-level coursework.
- 80% of students completing the course pass, earning free college credits.
Students are reaching for higher postsecondary opportunities than similarly situated students.
- Early data demonstrates Ed Equity Lab students matriculate to four-year and out-of-state universities at higher rates than similarly situated students in their districts (John Hopkins University, Manuscript in Review).