Modeled after The George Washington University’s Freshman Transition Initiative using its recommended course standards, the Santa Barbara community has come together to create an innovative adaptation, the Dual Enrollment Freshman Transition Project (DEFT). Following the recommendations in IES Practice Guide for Dropout Prevention, this whole-school redesign model meets the six researchbased recommendations for programs supporting school completion.

DEFT is designed to introduce strategies beginning in the 9th grade year and continuing beyond high school into college as noted in the What Works Clearinghouse Comparison Chart of Course and Dropout Recommendations. This is a strong high school to college transition program geared to improve college preparation of high school students and to improve the success rates of incoming college students. The DEFT employs a 10-year educational plan that guides students through high school, on to post-secondary education and training, and into the workforce.

The videos to the right provide an overview of the Dual Enrollment Freshman Transition course (DEFT) implemented at Carpinteria High School in the Fall of 2009. This course was in collaboration with the Santa Barbara City College Dual Enrollment program, which was the precursor to the GFSF program in 2013. This magnet school for GFSF has shown amazing results by increasing their student's A-G compliance rates* from 24% to over 47%. This is the standard in California to determine college-ready students. Students who are A-G compliant are qualified to attend the state universities and colleges.


Course Standards for Freshman Transition Classes

The Curriculum

The Postsecondary Achievement of Participants in Dual Enrollment:
An Analysis of Student Outcomes in Two States

	MediaCareers
	Partners or collaborators Foundation for California Community Colleges George Washington University’s Freshman Transition Initiative California Community College Chancellor's Task Force on Student Success Academic Innovations LLC UCSB Graduate School of Education California Dropout Research Project UC Educational Evaluation Center, Gevirtz Graduate School of Education	Eastern Oregon University’s College of Education California SB1070 Coordinators from select regions Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Barbara City College Dual Enrollment Department Carpinteria and Santa Barbara Unified School Districts Santa Barbara County Office of Education’s Partners in Education