Today, states and the federal government recognize the potential of early college designs to improve the economic prospects of future generations. But individuals are just beginning to put in place public policies that promote and support early college designs on a significant scale. Jobs for the Future (JFF) prepared this guide to help policymakers make informed decisions as they plan for and implement early college designs. It outlines what it would take to systematize and scale up early college course taking, extending the benefits to all high school students, secondary schools, and colleges across the country. JFF developed the advice and recommendations seen here from its collaborations with many talented and committed school and college leaders, teachers, other experts in practice and policy, and state policymakers. JFF's goal is to spur policymakers to adopt the lessons learned since the first early college high school opened its doors in 2002. The guide has two sections. The first section lays the groundwork, explaining early college designs, the policies needed to support them, and the status of efforts to develop these programs in states today. The second section provides the "how to": implementation vehicles, quality mechanisms, financing strategies, and the data required to track and measure outcomes. (Contains 3 tables, 1 figure and 20 endnotes.)