“This Isn’t Normal”: New APS-Clayton State Partnership Redefines the High School-to-College Experience

What if students could earn a college degree when they walk across the stage of their high school graduation?

That isn’t normal.

But for Atlanta Public Schools students, that vision is about to become reality.

On Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, Atlanta Public Schools (APS) and Clayton State University signed a historic Intergovernmental Agreement creating the Early College Program, an innovative partnership that will allow eligible APS students to spend their junior and senior years on Clayton State’s campus, earning college credits and potentially graduating with an associate degree before finishing high school.

According to Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson, opportunities like this are anything but ordinary.

“This isn’t normal,” Dr. Johnson said during the signing ceremony. “I’ve experienced early colleges and partnerships in higher education and K-12 education. This is not normal.”

Beginning in fall 2027, APS high school students across the district will have the opportunity to enroll in one of two pathways: an Associate of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies pathway or a traditional pathway that allows students to earn up to 45 college credit hours and a certificate while completing their high school diploma requirements in their first two years of high school.

Unlike traditional dual enrollment programs, students will be fully immersed in the university experience, taking classes on Claytons State’s campus, learning from university faculty, accessing college resources, and receiving academic advising and support.  While many early college programs are connected to two-year institutions, APS students will spend their junior and senior years on the campus of a four-year university.

“This opportunity is really going to be transformational,” Dr. Johnson said. “Students won’t just be taking college courses. They’ll actually be on the campus and have a chance to get immersed.”

Clayton State University President Dr. George Lewis said the partnership creates a clear pathway connecting high school to higher education while removing barriers that often prevent students from reaching their goals.

“We are creating a pathway that will allow Atlanta Public Schools students to begin college with the preparation and support they need to succeed,” Lewis said. “We really want these students to be successful, so we’re going to wrap around them in a wholistic way.”

APS Associate Superintendent of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Shelly Goodrum said the program was designed around a bold question: What if students graduated high school already thriving in a college environment?

“Today, that vision becomes a reality,” Goodrum said. “Our juniors and seniors will be on this campus, fully immersed in the college experience while earning an associate degree. That is powerful.”

Leaders from both institutions emphasized that the partnership is about more than credits and coursework. It is about expanding opportunities, reducing the time and cost of earning a degree, and helping students see themselves as future college graduates and professionals.

As the ceremony concluded, Goodrum reflected on the lasting impact the program could have on generations of APS students.

“Through Atlanta Public Schools and Clayton State University, we’re not simply preparing our students to enter the future,” she said. “We are empowering them to lead it.”