ETHS reports record early-college participation, launches new department to expand work-based learning

Evanston Township High School administrators presented a year‑end update on early‑college and career readiness on Jan. 13, 2025, reporting record participation in Advanced Placement and dual‑credit coursework, the launch of a new Early College and Career Experiences department, and near‑universal adoption of School Links for post‑high‑school planning.

The presentation, led by district staff and program leads, framed the work as part of the district’s ICAP (Individualized Career and Academic Plan) strategy and the Illinois Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act’s PACE framework. Administrators said early‑college offerings now include AP, dual credit, and a first concurrent‑enrollment certificate delivered at ETHS by Oakton Community College.

School leaders told the board that AP outcomes and dual‑credit enrollments reached new highs. The district reported that 81% of students who took an AP exam last year scored a 3 or higher and that 928 unique students earned scores of 3 or better. AP enrollments and successful scores have increased substantially since the program’s expansion in 2007, the presentation said. Dual‑credit enrollments grew sharply: the district reported 461 students enrolled in dual credit in the prior year and told the board that the current year’s enrollment had risen to 564 students. ETHS also reported 24 students in the first Oakton‑taught AI certificate course in spring, expanding to 27 students the next term.

To coordinate those offerings and expand powered work‑based learning, ETHS created a new Early College and Career Experiences (ECCE) department. Administrators named Dale Leaphorth director for ECCE and described a small staff that includes a career partnership and work‑based learning coordinator and an ECCE intern. Officials described programs that place students on campus for internships, run job shadows and career treks to local employers, and operate a career fair that reached 750 students this year.

District staff described School Links, a platform adopted in 2020 to track student career planning, as central to the push. The presentation said School Links onboarding reached 99% of students and that 98% of students had completed the platform’s “Find Your Path” inventory. Administrators also said 60% of students districtwide had set a post‑high‑school goal in School Links and that, at the time of the presentation, staff had recorded a post‑high‑school goal for 100% of the class of 2025 in the system.

Presenters emphasized that the district will disaggregate School Links results by race and other student groups in future reports and move some planning activities earlier into junior year to provide additional touchpoints. Staff said next steps include improving career‑experience tracking, connecting early‑college completion to post‑high‑school outcomes, and using alumni accounts to gather longer‑term data on graduates who do not enroll in college.

Board members praised the increased access to early‑college coursework and the emphasis on providing career pathways alongside college preparation. Several trustees asked how staff will ensure post‑high‑school goals are realistic and supported for students who face barriers; administrators replied that the district plans to expand counseling, earlier outreach, and partnerships with local organizations to help students translate plans into next steps.

The presentation listed institutional partners that support early‑college and career work, including Oakton Community College, Harper College, Lake Forest College, Northwestern University, the City of Evanston, Evanston Cradle to Careers, and the Trade Collective. Administrators said some programs are grant‑funded and that funding partnerships have allowed the district to offer certain concurrent courses at no cost to students.

Administrators said the move toward integrating career exploration across grades is intended to reduce the number of students who enroll in college but do not complete a credential and to provide alternatives to a “college‑for‑all” approach for students who prefer direct employment or certificates. The district signaled it would continue reporting outcomes and refine how early‑college completion correlates with post‑high‑school success in future board updates.