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DualEnrol lment:LessonsLearnedonSchool‐LevelImplementation
LaurenCassidyKaeli Keating
Viki Young
SRI International
ThispaperwaspreparedfortheU.S.DepartmentofEducation(ED),OfficeofElementaryandSecondaryEducation,SmallerLearningCommunitiesProgramunderContractNumberED‐07‐CO‐0106withEDJAssociates,Inc.inHerndon,VA.TheviewsexpressedinthispublicationdonotnecessarilyrepresentthepositionsorpoliciesofED,nordoreferencestotradenames,commercialproducts,services,ororganizationsimplyendorsementbytheU.S.government.
TABLEOFCONTENTS
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 1
DefiningDualEnrollment...................................................................................................................... 1
BenefitsofDualEnrollment.................................................................................................................. 2
PrevalenceofDualEnrollment............................................................................................................. 4
School‐LevelImplementation............................................................................................................... 5
EstablishingRelationshipswithCollegePartners ........................................................................... 5
StructuringDualEnrollmentCourses.......................................................................................... 7
FacultyCollaboration ................................................................................................................... 9
Articulation...................................................................................................................................... 10
FundingDualEnrollment................................................................................................................ 12
Tuition ......................................................................................................................................... 13
Textbooks.................................................................................................................................... 14
Transportation ............................................................................................................................ 15
StudentAttendance ................................................................................................................... 15
StudentAdmissions,Access,andSupports................................................................................... 16
FulfillingEquityGoals ................................................................................................................. 16
StudentSupports........................................................................................................................ 18
Conclusion............................................................................................................................................ 20
References ........................................................................................................................................... 23
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IntroductionAcceleratedlearningopportunitiesarebecomingincreasinglycommonstrategiestopromotehighschoolgraduationandencouragecollegeenrollment.ThroughmechanismssuchasDualEnrollment,AdvancedPlacement(AP),andInternationalBaccalaureate(IB)courses,studentsgetaheadstartonearningcollegecreditwhilestillinhighschool.Thegoalsforenrollingstudentsinthesecoursesaretoprovidethemwithmorerigorouscurriculaandpreparethemforcollegecourseworkandexpectations.Inaddition,acceleratedlearninggivesthemthemotivation,financialincentive,andself‐confidencetocontinueontocollege.Earningcollegecreditsearlycanlessenthetimeandcosttoobtainingacollegedegree.DualEnrollment,inparticular,isastrategythatmoreandmoredistrictsandschoolsareusingtoadvancethehighschoolcurriculumandpromotecollegeforawiderangeofstudents.However,DualEnrollmentprogramscanbequitechallengingtoimplementforpractitioners,includinghighschoolordistrictprogramdirectors,guidancecounselors,andcollegestaffandfaculty.Highschool‐collegepartnerships,articulation,funding,andstudentaccessandsupportsareallcriticalareastoaddressinordertosuccessfullyimplementtheseprograms.Thispaperisbasedonasynthesisoffindingsfrompriorresearch.AfterfirstreviewingthestatusofDualEnrollmentacrosstheNation,weidentifylessonslearnedandpotentialsolutionstoovercomingcommonbarriersinimplementingDualEnrollmentprograms.
Def iningDual Enrol lment Despitecommongoals,DualEnrollmentpresentssomestrikingdifferencesfromAPandIB.APandIBeachhaveanationalcurriculum.Thecollege‐levelcoursesareofferedbythehighschool,wherestudentstakethemwiththeirpeers.Studentsreceivecollegecreditbypassinganend‐of‐courseexam.Incontrast,DualEnrollmentprogramsrequireapartnershipbetweenaschoolordistrictandalocalinstitutionofhighereducation.Coursesofferedcanbeacademicorcareer/technical,andstudentsearncollegecreditbypassingthecourse.Studentsmayormaynotsimultaneouslyearnhighschoolcredit(i.e.,dualcredit),buttheircollegeperformanceisdocumentedonacollegetranscript.AlthoughDualEnrollmentbeganasanoptionforacademicallyadvancedstudents,similartoAPandIB,itisnowalsoseenasamechanismtopromotecollegeaccessforawiderrangeofstudents.Someprogramsfocusspecificallyonstudentstraditionallyunderservedincollege.DualEnrollmentprogramsfallintothreecategories:“singleton,”“comprehensive,”and“enhancedcomprehensive.”Singletonofferingsarestudent‐directedandinvolveanindividualenrollinginregularcollegeclasses(astudentcantakeasfewasoneDual
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Enrollmentcourseduringhisorherhighschoolcareerunderthisscenario).Typically,thisoptionisforstudentswhohavefulfilledthemajorityoftheirhighschoolrequirementsandareinterestedinearningcollegecreditwhileinhighschool.Comprehensiveandenhancedcomprehensiveprogramsprovidestudentswithintensiveexposuretocollegedemands,andDualEnrollmentcoursesconstituteasignificantportionoftheirhighschoolexperience,especiallyduringthelastyearortwoofhighschool.AnexampleofthistypeofprogramisacareerorTechPrepacademy.Enhancedcomprehensiveprogramsprovideadditionalacademicsupportsandcounselingtofacilitatethesecondary‐postsecondarytransition(BaileyandKarp,2003).Forexample,earlycollegehighschools(ECHSs)blendhighschoolandcollegeinarigorousyetsupportiveprogram,enablingstudentstoearnupto60collegecreditsoranassociate’sdegreebythetimetheygraduatefromhighschool.
BenefitsofDual Enrol lmentIncreasinghighschoolgraduationandcollegeenrollmentandretentionratesareanongoingchallengeintheUnitedStates.AccordingtotheConditionofEducation2010,174percentofstudentswhostartedninthgradein2004‐2005graduatedfromhighschoolin2008,thelastyeartheaveragefreshmengraduationdatawereavailable(Audetal.,2010).GraduationrateswerelowerthanthenationalaverageforLatinos(64percent),AfricanAmericans(62percent),andNativeAmericans(64percent)(Audetal.,2010).Highschoolcompletionisonlythefirststepinthebattle,becausemanyhighschoolgraduatesentercollegeill‐prepared.Morethantwo‐thirdsofhighschoolgraduatesin2008enrolledinpostsecondaryeducationthefollowingfall(Audetal.,2010),andalthoughitisimpossibletopinpoint,anestimated60percentofstudentsin2‐yearinstitutionsand30percentofthosein4‐yearinstitutionsofhighereducationneededremediationcourses(Kirst,2007).Furthermore,onlyabouthalfofallenteringstudentsgraduatewithin6years(MarksandDiaz,2009),indicatingthatstudentsmayneedmorepreparationtobeabletograduatefromcollegeinatimelymanner.Inthe2004‐2005surveysofhighschoolgraduates,collegeinstructors,andemployerscommissionedbyAchieve,Inc.,39percentofcollegestudentsreportedhavingagapintheskillsandabilitiesexpectedofthemincollege,andcollegeinstructorsestimatedthat42percentoftheirstudentswerenotadequatelyprepared.Yet,nearlyaquarterofhighschoolgraduatesfelttheywerenotchallengedinhighschooland82percentofcollegestudentssaidtheywouldhaveworkedharderiftheirhighschoolshadhigheracademicexpectationsanddemandsofthem.Thevastmajority(94percent)ofcollegestudentsbelievedthatofferingchallengingcoursessuchashonors,AP,orIBwouldhaveimprovedtheirpostsecondarypreparation(Achieve,Inc.,2005).Theseresultssuggestlostopportunitiestobetterpreparesecondarystudentsforcollege.
1See http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/graduates/tables.asp for more information about the average freshmen graduation rate.
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DualEnrollmentisonepotentialsolutionforsuchmatters.Theseprogramscanprovidestudentswithmoreadvanced,rigorouscourseworkinordertoimprovehighschooleducationandpreparestudentsfortheacademicandbehavioralexpectationsofcollege.Also,theprogramscanpromotehighschoolstudentmotivationandengagementintheirlearning
throughmoreinterestingclasses,theopportunitytoattendthemonacollegecampus(inmanycases),andtheexperienceofhigherexpectationsandsuccess(KarpandJeong,2008;LernerandBrand,2006).Inaddition,studentswhoareabletotakeclassesonacollegecampuslearnaboutandbecomeaccustomedtothecollegeenvironment,astheymasterlogisticalissuessuchaslocatingtheregistrar’sofficeandthebookstore.Researchhasshownthatthisexperiencehelpsstudentsfeelmorecomfortableandlessintimidatedregardlessofwhichcollegetheyattendafterhighschool(AIR/SRI,2009).AstudyonDualEnrollmentparticipationinFloridaandNewYorkCityrevealedapositiverelationshipbetweenDualEnrollmentparticipationandhighschoolgraduationandcollegeenrollment.StudentswhotookDualEnrollmentweremorelikelytoearnahighschooldiploma,toenrollincollegeingeneralandata4‐yearinstitutioninparticular,andtoenrollincollegefulltimethanpeerswhodidnotparticipateinDualEnrollment(Karpetal.,2007).DualEnrollmentbenefitshighschoolstudentsbeyondthosewhoaremoreacademicallyadvancedandwhotraditionallytakeadvantageofsuchcourses.DualEnrollmentisbelievedtohelplow‐achievingstudentsmeethighacademicstandards.Forexample,theBillandMelindaGatesFoundation’sEarlyCollegeHighSchoolInitiative(ECHSI)specificallytargetsstudentswhoaretraditionallyunderservedincollegeandoftenbegintheECHSacademicallybelowgradelevel.NotonlydothevastmajorityofECHSstudentsearnatleast30collegecreditsbythetimetheygraduatehighschool,theywerefoundtohaveoutperformedtheirpeersinmatchedcomparisondistrictsonstateassessmentsinmathandEnglish(AIR/SRI,2009).DualEnrollmentisalsobeingofferedaspartofcareerandtechnicaleducationprogramsasawaytoincreasetheirrigor,topreparestudentsforcollegeaswellastheworkforce,toenablehighschoolstooffercareerandtechnicaleducationprogramswithoutpurchasingexpensiveequipment(Karpetal.,2007),andmoregenerallytobuildcollegeawarenessinstudentswhomaynottypicallyconsiderenrollingincollege.StudentcollegeperformancehasbeenpositivelyaffectedbyDualEnrollmentaswell.SeveralstudiesconcludedthathighschoolstudentswhotakecollegecoursessubsequentlyperformbetterincollegethanthosewithnohistoryofDualEnrollmentcourse‐taking(SpurlingandGabriner,2002;Richardson,1999;WindhamandPerkins,2001).
DualEnrollmentcanraiseacademicrigorandstudentmotivation.Studentsalsogainearlyexposuretocollegeexpectationsand“collegeknowledge.”
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DualEnrollmentalsohasbeenshowntomediatetheneedfordevelopmentaleducationclasses(Adelman,2004),whichcanfacilitatestudents’completionofadegreeandpotentiallytheirearningahigherdegree.Forexample,theabilityofstudentstocompleteintermediatecoursesincommunitycollege,suchascollege‐levelmathandwritingcourses,increasesthechancesthatstudentswilltransfertoa4‐yeardegreeprogram(RoksaandCalcagno,2008).
CollegestudentswhohadparticipatedinDualEnrollmentashigh‐schoolershadhigherpersistenceandretention,gradepointaverage(GPA),andcreditaccumulationthanstudentswhodidnotparticipate(Karpetal.,2007).Inparticular,DualEnrollmentstudentsearned
15.1morecollegecreditsthantheirnon‐DualEnrollmentpeers3yearsafterhighschoolgraduation(Karpetal.,2007).ResearchalsohasshownthatDualEnrollmentdecreasesthetimetocompletionofacollegedegree.Specifically,anationalstudyfoundthatstudentswhoearnedcollegecreditsinDualEnrollmentandsimilarprogramscompletedtheirdegreein4.25yearscomparedto4.65yearsforstudentswithnopreviouscredit(Adelman,2004).Similarly,anotherstudyfoundthatstudentssave1.2semestersduringtheirbaccalaureateprogrambecauseoftheirparticipationinDualEnrollment(MarshallandAndrews,ascitedinSmithetal.,2007).Finally,compressingthetimetoadegreeresultsinsignificantcostsavings,withonestudyestimatingsavingsof$5,000to$24,000foreachfullyearofDualEnrollmentparticipation(MarshallandAndrews,ascitedinSmithetal.,2007).
PrevalenceofDual EnrollmentGiventheseearlyfindingsaboutthebenefitsofDualEnrollment,itisnotsurprisingthatitisgrowinginprevalenceacrossthecountry.AllstatesallowDualEnrollment,with46havingatleastonestatewideDualEnrollmentprogramestablishedbystatepolicies;theotherfourstatesleaveprogramstothediscretionoflocaldistrictandcollegepolicies(ECS,2008c).Althoughhavingtheseprogramsinplacedoesnotnecessarilymeanthathighschoolsandinstitutionsofhighereducationmustparticipate,manyhighschools
acrossthecountryareofferingstudentsDualEnrollmentopportunities.Accordingtothemostrecentnationaldata,collectedin2002‐2003,71percentofpublichighschoolsofferedcoursesfordualcredit.Amongtheseschools,92percent
reportedofferingcourseswithanacademicfocusfordualcredit,and51percent
StudentswhoparticipatedinDualEnrollmenthadhigherhighschoolpersistenceandretentionandshortenedtheiryearsinattainingabachelor’sdegree.
AllstatesallowDualEnrollment;46stateshaveatleastonestatewideDualEnrollmentprogram.
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reportedofferingdualcreditcourseswithacareerfocus.However,lessthan5percentofallhighschoolstudentsin2002‐2003participatedinDualEnrollment(Waitsetal.,2005).Sincethattime,manystateshaveinvestedinprogramsthatexpandDualEnrollmentopportunities.Forexample,in2008,theOhiogovernorcreateda“SeniorstoSophomores”pathway,allowingOhiohighschoolstudentstheopportunitytotakecollegecoursesduringtheirsenioryearofhighschool,earningtheirhighschooldiplomasand1yearofcollegecreditsimultaneously.Texasalsohaspromotedtheuseofdualcreditcoursestoadvancethehighschoolcurriculum.ParticipationinDualEnrollmenthasincreasedmorethansevenfoldoverthelastdecade,from11,921studentsinthefallof1999to91,303inthefallof2009(TexasHigherEducationCoordinatingBoard,2010).Participationofminoritystudents,inparticular,hasrisen,constituting52percentofallparticipantsin2009comparedto29percentin1999(Thevenot,2010).Someofthisincreaseisdueinpartto2006legislationthatmandatedthatallTexashighschoolsprovidestudentswiththeopportunitytoearnatleast12collegecredits(TexasEducationCodeSec.28.009).
School‐Level Implementat ionAcrossvariouscontexts,schoolsattemptingtoincreaseDualEnrollmentfacecommonimplementationchallenges.Highschool‐collegepartnershipsworkwithinavarietyofstateandlocalpolicycontextsthatnecessarilyimpacthowtheyimplementDualEnrollmentprograms.Statepoliciesvaryinspecifyingcomponentsofhighschool‐collegepartnerships,thearticulationofcollegecreditsearned,fundingrequirements,andstudentpopulationsandattendantsupports.California,forexample,doesnotprovidestrictguidelinesforDualEnrollmentandhasa“permissiveEdcode.”Localpractitionersmustfigureoutwaystoaddresstheseareas,whetherthepoliciesaresupportiveorprohibitive.ThissectionincludeslessonslearnedbypartnershipsastheynavigatedtheirlocalandstatecontextstoimplementDualEnrollmentprogramsandsuggestionsforimplementingeffectiveDualEnrollmentprograms.TheseexamplesstemfrompriorresearchthatSRIconductedontheECHSI,Texashighschoolreforminitiatives,andstateDualEnrollmentpolicies,aswellasotherresearchfromthefield.
EstablishingRelationshipswithCollegePartners
Bydefinition,DualEnrollmentrequiresapartnershipbetweenaschoolordistrictandacollege.Insomestates,policymakersestablishexplicitexpectationsfordistrict‐collegerelationships.Forexample,inonestate,communitycollegesaremandatedtoenterintoagreementswiththeirlocaldistrictstooffercollegecourses.Thestateexaminesthe
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agreementsforinconsistencieswithstatutesaswellasbestpractices.Yetinmanystates,localschools,districts,andcollegeshaveconsiderableflexibilityintheprovisionsoftherelationship(AIR/SRI.2009).Notsurprisingly,thehistoryandnatureoftherelationshipcanimpactthepartners’engagementandcommitmenttoofferingDualEnrollmentcourses.
ThelevelofsuccessinestablishingandsustainingDualEnrollmentprograms—fromsingletontoenhancedcomprehensive—restslargelyonthequalityofthedistrict‐collegepartnership.FindingsofthenationalevaluationoftheECHSIsuggestthatthemosteffectivepartnershipsbetween
collegesanddistrictssharefourcharacteristics:
• acommonunderstandingoftheprograms’purposesorgoals;
• flexibilityamongpartners,particularlyintermsofpoliciesandprocedures;
• closeproximitybetweenthecollegeanddistrict;and
• anactiveandengagedcollegeliaison(AIR/SRI,2009).
Toformalizethepartnership,schoolsordistrictsandcollegessignamemorandumofunderstanding(MOU).TheMOUoutlineseachpartner’sresponsibilitiesandtypicallycoversissuesrelatedtothedevelopment,implementation,andsustainabilityoftheDualEnrollmentprogram.SomeMOUsarerevisedonanannualbasis,whileothersextendforseveralyears.TheprocessofdevelopingtheMOU,especiallythefirsttime,providestheopportunityforthepartnerstoagreeupontheintendedgoalsoftheprogramandtoengagefacultyonbothsidesintheprocess.TheMOU,alegallybindingdocument,specifieshowfinancialresponsibilitieswillbesharedacrosstheinstitutions,whatcourseswillbeoffered,whereandhowtheywillbeoffered,whowillteachthecourses,ifandhowhighschoolandcollegefacultywillcollaborate,andstudentaccesstocollegefacilities.DependingonthedegreetowhichtheDualEnrollmentprogramcoversadistrict,itsdirectioncanbeunderthepurviewofadistrictcoordinatororaschoolprincipal(ifindividualhighschoolsnegotiatetheirownpartnershipswithlocalcolleges).Intheirroleasdirectoroftheprogram,theseindividualsareoftenresponsibleforworkingwiththecollegepartners,handlingfinancialissues,collectingandanalyzingstudentdata,andensuringstudentsareabletoenrollincollegecoursespertheMOU.DistrictcoordinatorsalsomakesureDualEnrollmentopportunitiesareavailabletoallstudentsinthedistrict.Onthecollegeside,aliaisonisoftencentraltoestablishingjointdecisionmakingbythetwoinstitutions.Theliaisoncanbeacollegevicepresident,dean,departmenthead,orstaffmemberwhosesoleresponsibilityisthedailymanagementofDualEnrollment
SuccessandsustainabilityofDualEnrollmentprogramsrestsonthestrengthofthelocaldistrict‐collegepartnership.
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programs.2Theliaisonhelpsinschedulingstudents’collegeclasses,easesstudents’transitiontothecollegecampusbyprovidingsupportwhiletheyarethere,andservesastheconduitbetweenthehighschoolandthecollegefaculty.Selectingtherightpersontofillthisroleisconsequentialbecauseheorshebringsstabilitytothepartnershipifeitherdistrictorcollegeleadersturnover.Thispersonalsoplaysanimportantroleinsolicitingbuy‐infromcollegefaculty.Althoughinmanycasestheliaisonisahigh‐levelstaffmember,itisalsoimportantforthepartnershiptohavethe
supportofthecollegepresidentorprovost.Suchbuy‐inhelpscommunicatetheimportanceofDualEnrollmenttotherestofthecollegefacultyandstaff(AIR/SRI,2009).Theinitialinvolvementofahigh‐levelcollegeleader,collegeliaison,andschoolordistrictcoordinatorisimportantforthesuccessandongoingimplementationandsustainabilityofthe
partnership(AIR/SRI,2009).
StructuringDual Enrol lmentCourses
ManyeducatorswhohavestartedDualEnrollmentprogramsbelievestudentsbenefitfromthe“powerofplace”associatedwithbeingonacollegecampus.Studentslearnhowtonavigateacollegecampus,interactwithcollegeprofessorsandstudents,andfeelmorelikecollegestudents(AIR/SRI,2009).However,layingthefoundationforthatkindofprogramtakeseffortandcanbeachallengingprocess.Forexample,highschoolteachersmayfeelthreatenedbyDualEnrollmentclasses,fearingthattheirpositionsmaynotbeneededasmorecoursesaretaughtatthecollege.Someteachershaveconcernsthatcollegeinstructorsdonotknowthecontentstandardshighschoolstudentsneedtomeetforstateassessmentsorgraduationtests.Similarly,itcanoftenbedifficulttosolicitcollegefacultybuy‐inforDualEnrollment,especiallyat4‐yearcolleges.Sometimesfacultymemberssimplydonotwanttoteachhighschoolstudents.Facultymembersexpressconcernsabouttheabilityofhighschoolstudentstohandlecollegecoursework,fearingthattheywillhavetodecreasetherigorofthecoursetoaccommodatethemandthatthestudents’behaviorwilldisrupttheclassorcampus.Yet,often,duallyenrolledstudents’academicperformanceinclassimpressescollegefaculty.Asacollegerepresentativenoted,“Progressivelythey[faculty]haveembracedit.[Eventhe]morestrenuoustheclass,likechemistry,microbiology...instructorsarefindingthatstudentsareverywellprepared.”
2The college liaison may be an employee of the district or the institution of higher education; liaisons are most frequently college staff members.
Ahigh‐level,designatedcollegeliaisoniscentraltoestablishingjointdecisionmakingbetweenthehighschoolandcollegeandprovidesunityandstability.
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OrientingcollegefacultymembersearlyabouttheintenttoeitherofferDualEnrollmentcoursesorbeginaDualEnrollmentprogramoncampuscanincreasebuy‐in.Not
surprisingly,iffacultyarenotofferedtheopportunitytoparticipateinplanningtheprogram,orevenworse,arenotinformedoftheprogrambeforeitbegins,theirwillingnesstoparticipateisminimal(AIR/SRI,2009).Collegescanutilizeavarietyofstrategiesto
increasefacultycommitmenttotheprogram.OnestrategyistoprovideincentivesforteachingDualEnrollmentcourses.Forexample,atonecollege,facultymembersearnedpointsaspartoftheirperformanceevaluations.Anotherstrategyistoaskanamenableprofessortoteachacoursethatwillincludeduallyenrolledstudents.Acollegeadministratorsharedthat“youdefinitelywantsomeonewhocanappreciatetheyoungerstudents.”Furthermore,sharingpositiveoutcomedataofpreviousDualEnrollmentstudentswithfacultymembersmayhelpalleviatetheirconcerns.DualEnrollmentprogramscanbeorganizedinmanyways.Themostcommonstrategyistointegratehighschoolstudentsintotraditionalcollegecoursesonthecollege
campustaughtbyacollegeprofessor.Oftenthecollegefacultyarenotawarethathighschoolstudentsareintheirclasses.Acollegerepresentativesharedthatthe“majorityoffacultydonotknowthattheyaredualenrolledstudents,theyjusttakeclasswithregularstudents.Welikethisphilosophyalittlebitbetter.Itgetsthemtothecampus,theyseealittlebitofcollegelife,and[they]seewhatcollegeprofessorsarelike.”
Insomecases,partnershipsmayofferthecoursestocohortsofhighschoolsstudentsonthecollegecampus.Thisstrategyprovidescost‐savings3andgraduallyexposesstudentstocollegeclasses(i.e.,theymayhavecohortclassestostart,butthentaketraditionalclasseslater).AnotheroptionisforhighschoolinstructorstoserveasadjunctfacultyforDualEnrollmentcoursesofferedonthehighschoolcampustoacohortofhighschoolstudents.Manyhighschoolteachersalreadyhavethegraduatedegreesornecessarygraduatecourseworktoqualifyasadjunctfaculty,andinsomecasestheymayalreadybecertifiedtoteachthecollegecourses.Asanadjunctfacultymember,highschoolteachersreceiveoversightfromthecollegeandusethesamesyllabiascoursesofferedatthecollege.Thisstrategycanalleviatehighschoolteachers’fearsandprovidestudentswithinstructionalsupportstrategiesthatarenotnormallyprovidedby
3Some partnerships hire an adjunct professor to teach the cohort courses.Thislimits the cost to the adjunct’s salary for the courses rather than paying full-tuition for each student if they were integrated into regular college courses.
Orientingcollegefacultyearlyintheprocessmayimprovebuy‐inandassuageconcernsthathighschoolstudentscannotmeetcollegedemands.
OfferingDualEnrollmentclassestoacohortofhighschoolstudentscanhelpthemacclimatetocollegeexpectations,aswellasconcentrateparticipationamongfacultyinterestedinteachingDualEnrollmentstudents.
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collegefaculty(Duffyetal.,2009),butmanycriticsfearthesecoursesarelessrigorousthanthosetaughtbycollegefaculty.Whenclassesaretaughtbyhighschoolinstructors,partnershipsmaywanttoconsiderhavingcollegeinstructorsworkwithandoverseethehighschoolteachers.Thecollegefacultycanhelphighschoolteachersaddresscourselogistics,suchaswhattextstouseandhowtonavigatecollegepoliciesandsystems.Moreimportantly,accordingtoHughes(2010),“theteachersmightwellneedinputaboutcollegestandardsandexpectations.SuchadialoguebetweeninstructorsfromthetwoeducationsectorsmayresultnotonlyinhigherqualitycollegecoursesforDualEnrollmentstudentsbutalsointhedevelopmentofamorecollege‐likeatmosphereandincreasedrigor.”Lessfrequently,partnershipsfacilitatethisinteractionbyhavingacollegeandhighschoolstaffmemberteam‐teachacollegecourse.Inoneexample,thecollegeprofessortaughtthefirstsemesterofayearlongmathclasswhilethehighschoolteacherprovidedsupporttostudentsintheclass.Bythesecondsemester,thehighschoolteachertaughttheclasswithsupportfromthecollegeprofessor.
FacultyCol laboration
PartnersmayfindthatofferingDualEnrollmentcoursesincreasesthetypeandfrequencyoffacultycollaboration,particularlyforcomprehensiveorenhancedcomprehensiveprograms.CollaborationisbestfosteredwhenDualEnrollmentcoursesareofferedonthecollegecampus,whencollegeinstructorsteachcohortsofhighschoolstudents(AIR/SRI,2007,2008),orwhencollegecoursesareteam‐taught,astheexampleaboveillustrates.Facultycollaborationisoftenhinderedbyscheduling
difficulties,particularlywhenthehighschoolandcollegearelocatedindifferentareas,andteacherreluctancetoloseinstructionaltimetomeetings.Tofacilitatefacultycollaborationwithoutpullingtoomanyhighschoolteachersawayfromclassatonetime,oneECHShadteachersmeetweeklywithcollege
facultybutrotatedtheteachersthatmeteachweek.Asaresult,eachteachermetwithhisorhercollegecounterpartsevery3weeks.Alongwithcollaborationoninstructionandpreparation,practitionerscanofferjointprofessionaldevelopmentforbothhighschoolandcollegefacultytoencouragecross‐institutionconversation.Yet,evenintheECHSI,wherefosteringcollaborationisaspecificfocusoftheinitiative,suchworkisnotcommon(AIR/SRI,2009).Inprograms,particularlysingleton,wherecollegefacultymaynotevenknowtheyhavehighschoolstudentsintheirclasses,collaborationmaynotbearealisticexpectation.Also,itismoredifficultforadjunctsatthecollegetocollaboratebecausetheyarenotatthecollegeveryfrequently.
Dedicatedcollaborationtimeforcollegeandhighschoolfacultyfacilitatessolutionstoschedulingandinstructionaltimeconflicts,offersjointprofessionaldevelopment,andimprovescollegeinstructors’knowledgeofhighschoolstudents.
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Articulation
DualEnrollmentasastrategytoencouragecollege‐goingthroughlesstimetodegreecompletionandlessexpenseonlyworksifthecreditsstudentsearnaretransferableto
thecollegestheyattendafterhighschool.Articulationagreementsgoverntheequivalencyandtransferabilityofcoursesandcredits.Moststateshavearticulationagreementsbetweenallpublic(andsometimesprivate)2‐yearand4‐yearinstitutionsofhighereducation,typicallyforacademiccourses.Theseagreementsmayinclude
acommoncorelistofcourses,acommoncoursenumberingsystem,andrulesonhowcreditsaregivenandthetransferabilityofcollegecreditsbetweeninstitutions.Thecoursesoutlinedinarticulationagreementsfortransfertypicallyaregeneraleducationrequirements,andareoftenchosenforDualEnrollmentprograms.Theoreticallythen,DualEnrollmentcoursestakenatpublic2‐yearor4‐yearinstitutionsshouldbeacceptedfortransferbyotherpublicinstitutions.Asof2008,15statesclearlyrequiredallpublic2‐and4‐yearinstitutionstoacceptcollegecreditsearnedthroughDualEnrollmentprograms,15didnot,and2requireditforoneparticularstateprogramonly(theremainingstateswereunclear;ECS,2008b).Somestates,likeFlorida,havelistsofdualcreditclassesthatallpostsecondaryinstitutionsmustacceptaseitheranelectiveorgeneraleducationcourse.AFloridaStaterepresentativenoted,“Wearehopingtoget30coursesorso,[so]thatwecanuseitasanadvisingtoolforstudentstosay,‘Ifyoudon’tknowwhereyouwanttogotoschoolandyouwanttoexperiencesomegeneraleducation[courses]…here[is]thecourselistyoushouldreallychoosefromfirst.’”Suchlistsgenerallydonotincludecareerandtechnicaleducationclasses.Forcareerandtechnicaleducationclasses,secondaryschoolstypicallyhaveTechPrepagreementswithspecificpostsecondaryinstitutions.UnlikeDualEnrollment,inwhichstudentsenrolldirectlyincollegecourses,TechPrepusesa“2+2”sequenceinwhichstudentsfollowaparticularcareerandtechnicaleducationtrackinhighschoolfor2yearsandthencontinueonthattrackinthepartneringcollegefor2years.Intheend,theyearneitheranassociate’sdegreeoracertificate.Typically,toearnthecollegecredits,studentsmustenrollinthespecificpartneringcollegeandstudentsearncollegecreditretroactivelyforclassestakeninhighschooliftheyfollowaspecifictrackortakespecificcoursesincollege.Researchsuggeststhatfewstudentsearncollegecreditsinthismanner,however,leadingsomeTechPrepprogramstoshifttoDualEnrollment(GolannandHughes,2008).Somestatesallowpartnershipstoenterintolocalarticulationagreements.Withlocalarticulation,secondaryinstitutionsorlocaleducationagenciesandinstitutionsofhigher
Articulationagreementsgoverntheequivalencyandtransferabilityofcoursesandcreditsbetweeninstitutions.Statesvaryinwhetherstateorlocalpolicygovernstransferability.
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educationnegotiatewhichcourseswillbeofferedfordualcreditratherthanhavingasetlistoftransferablecourses.Somestateswithstatewidearticulationagreementsstillprovidesomeflexibilityforlocalsitestocreateprogramsthroughlocalarticulationagreementsthatsupersedethestatewideagreementandallowpartnershipstotakeintoaccountlocalcontextandeconomicneeds.ANorthCarolinapolicymakerexplainedthattheState“intentionallyleft[localadministrators]withsomelatitudesothatlocalentitiescandesignprogramsthatmeettheirlocalneeds,theneedsoftheirstudents,[and]theneedsofthebusinessindustryinthearea.”Incaseswherethestatewidearticulationagreementdoesnotofferawideenoughrangeofcoursestoelicittheinterestofallstudents,localschoolsanddistrictsmayconsiderinvestigatingtheiroptionsforenteringintolocallydevelopedarticulationagreements.Incaseswherearticulationagreementsarelocallynegotiated(e.g.,intheabsenceofexplicitstateguidelines),thelackofexplicitguidanceallowsformoreautonomyandflexibilityinthetypesofDualEnrollmentclasses.However,locallynegotiatedagreementsalsorequiremoretimeandattentionfromthepartneringinstitutionsand
canpotentiallyleadtoredundanteffortsacrossdistrictsandcolleges.Toreducethatrisk,localpractitionerscouldcommunicateandcollaboratewithothernearbyschoolsanddistrictstoidentifyanyDualEnrollmentcoursesthathavealreadybeennegotiatedwithlocalcolleges.Districtscould
facilitatethisprocessbynetworkingschoolswithinthedistrictorconsolidatingallDualEnrollmenteffortswithinthedistrict.Furthermore,thelocallynegotiatedcoursesforaparticularpartnershipmaynotnecessarilybetransferabletoothercolleges.Insuchcases,programdirectorsmaywanttofirstenrollstudentsinthegeneraleducationcoursesthataremorelikelytobetransferable.Whetherastatewideorlocalagreementisinplace,practitionersfaceanumberofchallengestoensurethatstudentscantakeavarietyofDualEnrollmentcourses,thatthecoursesdonotdetractfromtheirhighschoolgraduationplans,andthatthecreditscantransfertoavarietyofcolleges.Inmanycases,regardlessofstate‐orlocal‐levelagreement,aligningstandardsandhighschoolgraduationrequirementsischallenging.
DualEnrollmentcoursesmaynotcoverthestandardsstudentsneedtomasterforhighschoolachievementandgraduationtests,likeend‐of‐courseexams.ThisdisconnectisoftenthecasewhenDualEnrollmentcoursesaretaughtbycollegefaculty,whohavenoreasontoknowhighschoolstandards.Partnershipsmaywanttoconsiderbuildinginregularcollaborationbetweenhighschoolandcollege
facultyaroundcoursecontent.PractitionersalsomaywanttobemoredeliberateindirectingstudentstotakespecificDualEnrollmentcourses.Forexample,tomakesure
Wherearticulationislocallynegotiated,districtscanachieveeconomiesofscalebynetworkingallschoolsunderoneagreement.
Highschool‐collegecollaborationfocusedoncoursecontentmayhelpalignDualEnrollmentcoursestohighschoolstateexams.Alternatively,schoolscandirectstudentstoDualEnrollmentcoursesunaffectedbyhighstakesexams.
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studentsarepreparedforthestatetests,someschoolspreservecontroloverthestandardhighschoolcoursesandchanneldualenrolleesintocollegecoursesthatarenotincludedintheirstate’shigh‐stakeshighschoolassessmentsorintocoursesthatareatahighercontentlevelthanthatcoveredonthetests(Adelmanetal.,2008).StatepoliciesmayalsolimitthenumberofDualEnrollmentcoursesstudentscantake.SomecriticscontendthatstudentsshouldnottaketoomanyDualEnrollmentcoursesbecauseitdetractsfromtheirhighschoolexperienceorbecausethequalityandrigorofDualEnrollmenthasnotbeenproperlydocumented(ECS,2008a).Settinganexplicitlimitisrare,withonlyfourstatescappingthenumberofDualEnrollmentcreditsstudentscanearn(ECS,2008a).However,highschoolgraduationrequirements,includingstateassessments,maylimitthenumberofDualEnrollmentcoursesstudentscanfitintotheirschedules.Forexample,somestatesmandatethatstudentstakethehighschoolcoursesforwhichthereisanassociatedend‐of‐courseexam(i.e.,aDual
Enrollmentcoursecannotsupplantthem).Similarly,insomestatesDualEnrollmentcoursescanonlybecountedaselectivesintheirhighschoolplans;inotherwords,theycannotcounttowardthecoreacademiccoursesthatallhighschoolstudentsmusttakeinordertograduate.Insuchstates,somelocalprogramshavebeenableto
acquirewaiverstoallowDualEnrollmentclassestocounttowardgraduationrequirementsortoletstudentstakeanend‐of‐courseexamwithouttakingtheassociatedhighschoolcourse(theytakeaDualEnrollmentcourseinstead).Forexample,asdescribedbyastateadministrator,NorthCarolinaprovidesanexemptionprocessthroughitsInnovativeEducationInitiativesAct,underwhich“ourboards[theStateBoardofEducationandtheStateBoardofCommunityColleges]couldwaivestatutes,rules,andpoliciesthatinhibitedthegrowthanddevelopmentofinnovativeprogramsbetweenpublicschoolsand2‐and4‐yearcolleges.”Localpractitionersmaywanttochecktheiroptionsforexemptionsfromstatepolicies;exemptionsmaybeprecedentsettingsoifanotherschoolordistricthasreceivedawaiver,otherschoolsordistrictsshouldbeabletoreceivethatsamewaiveriftheyapplyforit.Otherwise,studentsmayhavetotaketheirDualEnrollmentcoursesafterregularschoolhoursinordertocompletealloftheirhighschoolrequirements.DespitestatepoliciesthatmayhindertheallowablenumberandtransferabilityofDualEnrollmentcourses,localpartnershipscanbecreativeintheirthinkingaboutDualEnrollmentofferings.Theymaybeabletonegotiateatthelocalandstatelevelstoprovideprogramsthatservetheirstudents’needs.
FundingDualEnrollment
KeytoofferingDualEnrollmenttoalleligiblestudentsarefundingmechanismsthatcoverthemyriadassociatedcosts.DualEnrollmentaddssignificantexpensestothe
WherestatepoliciesdeemDualEnrollmentcoursesaselectives,waiversmayallowthemtocounttowardhighschoolgraduationrequirements.
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traditionalhighschoolprogram,whichmustbepaidbythestate,thedistrict,thepartneringinstitutionofhighereducation,orthestudents.Thesecostsincludetuition,textbooks,andtransportation,aswellasotherexpensesincludingcollegeplacementtestsandlabfees.Programsalsomustconsidertheindirectcostsofhowstudents’attendanceiscalculated.Manyofthesefactorsaredeterminedbystatepolicy,butprogramsstillmustberesourcefulinhowtheypayforthevariouselementsofDualEnrollment.
Tuit ion
TuitionisthelargestexpenseassociatedwithDualEnrollmentcourses.Nationally,sixstatespaytuitionfordualenrollees(ECS,2008g).4Fifteenstatesrequiredistrictstopaytuitiononbehalfofdualenrollees,orthestateorcollegeswaivetuitionfordualenrollees.In22states,studentsarerequiredtopaytuition,andafewstatesmakenoprovisionfortuition,leavingittolocalinstitutionstodeterminewhethertopassthiscostontostudents(Karpetal.,2005).Atleasttwostates,GeorgiaandTennessee,have
extendedtheircollegescholarshipprograms(fundedthroughstatelotteryproceeds)toDualEnrollmentstudentswhomeetacademiceligibilitycriteria.5
Ofteneveninstateswithfavorablefundingpolicies,strictguidelinesexistaboutthetypeofDualEnrollmentcoursesthatwillbecovered.Forexample,inNorthCarolina,thestatedoesnotpayforcollegecoursesthatsupplanthighschoolacademiccoursesrequiredforgraduationorcoursesthatarealreadyofferedbyhighschoolsinthedistrict.ToincreasetheopportunityforstudentstoparticipateinDualEnrollmentprograms,collegescandevelopnichecoursesnottypicallyofferedatthehighschool.Forexample,staffatonecollegedevelopedacareerandtechnicaleducationprogrambasedonnationalsecurityissuesbecausenohighschoolinthepartneringdistrictofferedsuchcourses(Adelmanetal.,2008).IntheabsenceofstatefundingforcostsrelatedtoDualEnrollment,collegesanddistrictscanestablishagreementsatthelocalleveltoofferDualEnrollmentcourses.ResearchfromtheECHSIsuggeststhatcollegeleadersarewillingtowaivetuitionforDualEnrollmentcoursesforseveralreasons,whichincludetheneedto:
4Some states that do not fund Dual Enrollment will cover tuition costs for students attending middle college/early college programs and are not included in this count.
5High school students who take college courses are currently ineligible for federal financial aid. Postsecondary institutions cannot admit as regular degree-seeking students individuals that have not received a high school diploma or its equivalent or who are below the age of compulsory education. Institutions that do so risk jeopardizing their Title IV eligibility. Title IV‐eligible institutions participate in the Federal Student Financial Aid program.
Dependingonstatepolicy,localcollegesmaywaivetuitioncosts.
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• createapipelineofstudentswhowilllikelychoosetoremainatthecollegeafterhighschoolgraduationtocompletetheirdegree;
• garnerpositivepublicityaboutthecollege’scommitmenttothecommunity;
• fulfillmanypubliccolleges’missiontoenrollunderrepresentedstudents;and
• improvethepreparationofhighschoolstudentsfortherigorofcollege,andthusreducetheneedforremediationoncetheyareatthecollegefulltime(AIR/SRI,2009).
AnotherstrategythatsignificantlylowersthecostoftuitionistoofferDualEnrollmentcoursesonhighschoolcampusestaughtbyhighschoolteachers.Ifclassesaretaughtduringtheschooldayandarepartoftheteachers’workload,districtstypicallydonotincuranyadditionalsalarycostsfortheteachers.However,asmentionedpreviously,studentsmaymissoutonthebenefitsassociatedwithbeingonacollegecampus.
Textbooks
AlthoughcoveringtuitionisthemostsignificantchallengeinprovidingDualEnrollmentcourses,DualEnrollmentprogramsalsohaveaparticularlydifficulttimefinancingcollegetextbooks.Statestypicallydonotfundtextbooks,withonly12statesexplicitlyaddressingtextbookcostissuesinpolicy.Amongthose,threerequirestudentstocoverthesecosts,sixrequireeitherthedistrictorcollegetopaysomeportion,andthreeprovidesomestategrantfundstoprogramsorstudentstooffsettextbookcosts
(WICHE,2006).Districtsthatchoosetooraremandatedtocovertextbookcostsfordualenrolleesdosoatnotableandongoingexpense.Whereprogramsdonotcovertextbookcosts,requiringstudentstodosocoulddrasticallyreduceparticipation,particularlyamongtraditionallyunderrepresentedstudentswho
arelessaffluentthantypicalcollege‐boundstudents.Asuperintendentofadistrictthatcoverstextbooksthroughlocalfundssaid,“Mypointisthatifyouaregoingtotake[an]underprivilegedchildandgivethatchildanopportunity,Ithinkwhenyousaytothosekids,‘Noyou’vegottopayforthisoryou’vegottopaythat,’theywon’thaveresourcestodothatandtheywon’ttakethecourses.”SchoolsimplementingDualEnrollmentprogramshaveidentifiedseveralcost‐conservationstrategies.Someschoolsaskprofessorstoselectfromstate‐adoptedtextbooklists,becausethosebooksareoftencoveredbystatefunds.Othersaskfacultytousethesametextbookformultiplesemesterssothatbookscanbepassedalongto
Havingqualifiedhighschoolteachersoffercollegecoursesmaylowercostsbutmayreducebenefitsassociatedwithstudents’beingoncollegecampuses.
Usingstate‐adoptedtextbooksthatcarrystatefunding,maintainingthesametextsformultipleyears,orprovidingreferencecopiescanreducecostsforhighschoolsandfamilies.
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studentseachsemester.Stillotherschoolshavereducedthecostsforstudentsbykeepingtextbooksintheirlibrariesforreference.Oftenschoolleadersbecomecreativeinconsideringhowtodefraycostsandpursueoptionssuchaspurchasingbooksdirectlyfromthepublisherorbuyingusedbooksfromsourcesotherthanthelocalcampusbookstore.
Transportation
MoststatesdonotmandatewhereDualEnrollmentcoursesmustbeofferedorcovertransportationofdualenrolleesifcoursesareofferedoncollegecampuses.Only13stateshavepoliciesregardingthepaymentoftransportationcosts,andmostofthosespecifythatthestatebearsnoresponsibility.Afew,however,allowanyfamilytoapplytodistrictsforreimbursement,givegrantstodistrictsfortransportation,oracceptrequestsforreimbursementfromlow‐incomefamilies(WICHE,2006).ThelackoftransportationfundingisacentralfactorindesigningDualEnrollmentprograms.Whenhighschoolsarelocatedfarfromcolleges,accessishinderedfor
studentswhowanttotakeDualEnrollmentoncollegecampusesbuthavenomeansoftransportation.Asaresult,manyDualEnrollmentcoursesareofferedonhighschoolcampuses.AnotherincreasinglypopularoptionistheuseofonlineorvirtualDualEnrollmentcoursesthatareaccessiblefromthehighschoolcampus.Asof2008,17statesofferedDualEnrollmentcoursesonline(ECS,2008f).TheavailabilityofonlineDual
Enrollmentcoursestaughtbycollegefacultyisparticularlybeneficialforstudentswhomaybegeographicallylimitedintheirabilitytoaccesscoursesonacollegecampus.
Student Attendance
Inadditiontotuitionandtransportationcosts,practitionersmustconsidertheattendanceissuesassociatedwithstudentstakingcollegecoursesratherthanhighschoolclasses.Basedonstructuresoutlinedinstatepolicy,severalscenariosarecommon:
• BoththehighschoolandthecollegereceivestateAverageDailyAttendance(ADA)andFull‐TimeEquivalency(FTE,i.e.,theequivalentofastudent’sfulltimeparticipation)funds,respectively,forastudent’sattendanceinaDualEnrollmentcourse.
• OnlythecollegereceivesFTEfundingforthestudent’sactualtimeintheDualEnrollmentclass.
• Aproportionalformulasplitsthereimbursement,wherethehighschoolreceivesapercentageofADAfundsforthetimeastudentspendsatthehighschool(i.e.,
Transportationcostsaregenerallycoveredbystudents.OfferingDualEnrollmentcoursesatthehighschooloronlineeliminatestransportationissuesbutreducesstudents’exposuretocollegecampuses.
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thedistrictwouldlosesomeportionofADAforstudents’timeincollegeclassesduringtheschoolday)andthecollegereceivestheFTEassociatedwiththestudent’sattendance.
Apartfromtuition,10statesprovidefullADAandFTEfundingfordualenrollees(Karpetal.,2005).Thefundingformulascouldcreatepotentialbarrierstodistrictandcollegeinvolvement.Inastatewithproportionalfunding,oneDualEnrollmentprogramdirectornotedthatthedistrictoptednottoadoptanenhancedcomprehensiveprogrambecauseitwouldmeanlosingADA.Hereported:“Someofthe[enhanced
comprehensiveprogram]teachersoutthereareteachingtheveryminimumof180[minutesperday]…thedistrictthenisreceiving…reducedADA,andwecan’taffordthat.Wecan’taffordtodothat.”Instateswiththisfundingformula,theschoolscouldofferDualEnrollmentcoursesafterschool.ThisscheduleallowsschoolstoearnallADAforthestudents’timeinhighschoolduringtheregular
schoolday.ThecollegealsowouldreceiveFTEforstudents’timeincollegecourses.However,itmayinhibitparticipationbecausesomestudentshaveothercommitmentsafterschool.StatefundingpoliciesvarygreatlyandawarenessofhowtoleveragepoliciestolimitthecostsforstudentsisanimportantfactorinincreasingaccesstoandparticipationinDualEnrollmentcourses.Clearly,districtsandcollegesmustbearmuchoftheexpenseassociatedwithDualEnrollment,andintimesofsignificantfinancialstress,theymaybeforcedtomakebudgetarydecisionsthatlimitstudents’opportunitiesforDualEnrollment.ItisimportanttoseekalternativesolutionstodefraycostswhenestablishingDualEnrollmentprogramssothatprogramscanbesustainedandthecostsforstudentsandtheirfamiliesaremanageable.
StudentAdmissions,Access,andSupports
InclusiveDualEnrollmentprogramsaimtoexpandcollegeaccessfortraditionallyunderrepresentedstudentpopulationssuchaslow‐incomeandminoritystudents.Highschoolsandcollegesembarkingonsuchprogramsthusneedtoexaminetheiradmissionspoliciesandpracticestodeterminewhethertheyareindeedprovidingequitableaccessandsufficientsupportsforstudentstosucceedincollegecourses.
Fulfi l l ingEquityGoals
DualEnrollmentprogramsaimedatunderservedstudentspursue,atleastinpart,anequitygoal.Atthesametime,studenteligibilityforDualEnrollmentprogramsiscircumscribedbystatepolicyandmayinadvertentlyundermineequitableaccess.Inadditiontospecifyingaminimumageand/orgradelevelforparticipants,stateorlocalcollegepolicymayrequirestudentstotakeaplacementexam,attainacertainscoreon
StatepolicyspecifieshowhighschoolsandcollegesreceiveADAandFTEfundingforDualEnrollment,whichlocalprogrampartnershipsmusttakeintoaccount.
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stateexamsortheSAT/ACT,orachieveaminimumGPAtoqualifyforcollegeclasses.TwentystatesrequireDualEnrollmentstudentstobeingrade11or12;12statesallowyoungerstudentstoparticipatewith9allowingDualEnrollmentforany9th‐through12th‐grader(ECS,2008d).Although7statesstipulateaminimumGPA,manymorestates(22)requirewrittenpermissionorrecommendationbyteachers,principals,orpostsecondarystaff(ECS,2008d).Writtenpermission(asopposedtoGPArequirements)mayexpandopportunitiesforstudentswiththepotentialtoengageincollegeworkbutwhomightnothaveexcelledacademically.Atleast25statesdemandthatDualEnrollmentparticipantsearnminimumscoresoncollegeplacementexams(ACT/SAT/PSAT)orstateassessments(ECS,2008d).PassingcollegeplacementexamshasbeenacommonanddifficultbarriertoincreasingDualEnrollmentparticipation.ThedifficultiesareespeciallyprevalentwhenDualEnrollmentprogramstargetstudentswhodonotnecessarilyhaveastrongacademictrackrecordbutwhomightbegintoseethemselvesascollege‐goersiftheyhadsomefirsthandsuccessincollege‐levelcourses.Tohelpstrugglingstudentsovercomethishurdle,highschoolscanofferadditionaltutorialsorexampreparation.Forexample,inonehighschooldedicatedtoincreasing
DualEnrollmentforitspredominantlyLatinostudents,theprogramdirectorbeganrecruitinginterestedstudentsatthebeginningoftheirsophomoreyearinhighschool.Thesophomoresthenreceivedsemester‐longpreparationincludingplacementexamsupportandstudyskillsdevelopment.Theywerethenabletopasstheplacementexaminthe
springandwerereadyforcollegecoursesinthefalloftheirjunioryear.Asenhancedcomprehensiveprogramsinwhichcollegecoursesconstitutealargeproportionofstudents’highschoolexperience,ECHSsofferexamplesofstrategiestoincreasecollegeaccess.OneECHSapproachistofirstoffercollegecoursesthatdonotrequireplacementexamsorthatacceptalowerpassingscoreandthentointroducecoreacademicDualEnrollmentcourseslaterinstudents’highschoolcareers.Forexample,studentsmighttakephysicaleducation,finearts,ortechnologycoursesintheir1stor2ndyearofhighschool.Throughtakingthesecourses,studentsacclimatetothecollegeenvironmentanddeveloptheindependenceexpectedofpostsecondarystudents.Byexploringoptionsthatdonotrequiretheplacementtestorthatacceptalowerpassingscore,theECHSgivesaccesstoitsintendedstudentssooner,whilebuildingstudents’preparationandconfidencetotakeandsucceedinacademicDualEnrollmentcourses.
DualEnrollmentprogramsservingunderrepresentedstudentpopulationsmayneedtoprovideexplicitsupportsforstudentstopassthecollegeplacementtest,ortheymaywanttooffercollegecoursesexemptfromplacementtestsbeforeintegratingacademicDualEnrollmentcourses.
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Aswithotheraspectsofstatepolicy,collegeplacementexamsmightbelocallynegotiated.Schoolsmaybeabletoobtainwaiversforplacementtestrequirementsortosubstitutehighschoolstatetests.NorthCarolina,forexample,allowsstatepolicywaiverssothatlocalpartnershipscanfashionDualEnrollmentprogramstailoredtostudentneedsandlocalcontexts.Inanotherexample,aFloridadistrictworkedwithitscollegepartnertolowerthestate‐required3.0GPAto2.5toprovideDualEnrollmentopportunitiestostudents“who[inthepast]wouldnothave[had]achanceatcollege.”Incontrasttostateswitheligibilitypolicies,thoseofferinglittleguidancealsoriskinequitableaccessbecauselocalpartnershipscanvarywidelyinadmissionsrequirements.Althoughlocaldiscretionarguablyyieldsroomtoinnovate,thelackofclearstatepoliciesexpressinganequityprioritymeansthatlocalprogramsmaydifferintheextenttowhichtheytargetunderservedstudents.Insuchstatecontexts,accesstoDualEnrollmentvariesfromdistricttodistrict,andinsomecases,evenfromschooltoschoolwithinthesamedistrict.Forexample,inoneCaliforniadistrict,ahighschoolworkedcloselywiththelocalcommunitycollegetodevelopacomprehensiveprogramdesignedtoengageLatinostudents,itslargestsubpopulation,andtoraisetheireducationalaspirationsandcollege‐goingrates.Becausethisprogramexistedonlyatthathighschool,otherstudentsinthismainlyLatinodistrictdidnothavethissameopportunity.AnotherCaliforniadistrictguardedagainstthisunevenaccessbyimplementingadistrictwideDualEnrollmentprogram.Inadditiontoreapingcertaineconomiesofscale(e.g.,incurriculumplanningandarticulation),aconsistentdistrictwideprogramprovidedstudentsateveryhighschoolwithequalaccesstoDualEnrollment.DualEnrollmentprogramswithanequitygoalcanmonitorstudentparticipationtoassesswhetherthosegoalsarebeingmet.Forexample,theCaliforniahighschoolservingpredominantlyLatinostudentsconsistentlyrevieweditsDualEnrollmentrollstoseewhetherparticipationwasproportionatetoitsstudentdemographics.WhenthedatashowedthatLatinostudentswereunderenrolled,theschoolextendeditsoutreachtoattractmoreLatinosandincreasedacademicsupportstoimprovethestudents’chancesofbeingsuccessfulinthecollegecourses.
Student Supports
EquitableaccesstoDualEnrollmentprogramsonlyopensthedoorforstudentsiftheyareawareoftheopportunities.Twentystatesexplicitlyrequirelocalpartnershipstonotifystudentsand/orfamiliesaboutDualEnrollmentprograms,andinoneState,Georgia,interestedstudentsmustbecounseledoneligibilityrequirements,theprocessforearningcredits,andfinancialcosts(ECS,2008e).
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Oncetheyparticipate,studentswhoarefirst‐generationcollege‐goersorthosewhomaynothaveconsideredthemselvespotentialcollegestudentsoftenneedadditionalsupportstosucceed.ManyDualEnrollmentstudents—especiallythosefromtraditionallyunderrepresentedgroups—strugglewiththedifferentnormsandexpectationsatthecollegelevel.Forexample:
• Collegecoursegradestypicallycomprisefewertestsorassignmentssostudentshavefewerchancestoimprovetheirfinalresults.
• Studentsneedthedisciplinetomonitortheirownprogress,managetheirtime,andworkindependently.
• Collegeinstructorstypicallydonotseekoutstudentswhomightbestrugglingtoofferadditionalhelpandstudentsmustadvocateforthemselves.
• Collegecampusescanbebewilderingandintimidatingforstudentswithlittlepriorexposure.
• On‐campussupportssuchascounselingandtutoringcanbedifficulttofind.
Toequipstudentswiththeappropriateskillsandestablishtheirexpectationsforwhatcollegewillbelike,somehighschoolsofferregularlyscheduledadvisoriesorcounselingclasses.Withadvisories,ahighschoolteachercancompensateforalackofcollegeinstructorattentionbyfrequentlycheckinginwithDualEnrollmentstudentstomakesuretheyfeelcomfortableatcollege.Thehighschool
teachercanencouragethestudenttoattendthecollegeinstructors’officehoursorseekoutacademicsupportsonthecollegecampusifneeded.AtoneECHS,allstudentsparticipatedinanoncreditadvisoryclassonceaweeksothatatleastoneadultintheschoolcouldmonitortheacademicandemotionalneedsofeachstudent(AIR/SRI,2009).Insomecases,theadvisoryteacherobtainsthesyllabusforeverycollegeclassinwhichadvisorystudentsparticipatesoheorshecanmonitorwhetherstudentsarecompletingtheirassignmentsontime.Theadvisoryteachermayalsocontactthecollegeprofessortodiscussstudentprogress.Theadvisoriesorcounselingclassescanalsodevelopthespecificskillsnecessaryincollege.OneECHSofferedacourseteachingstudents“collegelifeskills,”whichincludedeffectivenote‐taking,test‐taking,andtimemanagement.Thatschoolalsorequiredallincomingstudentstopassaone‐creditAVID(AdvancementViaIndividualDetermination)coursetogainvaluablestudyhabitsbeforeenrollingincollegecourses(AIR/SRI,2009).OtherimportantskillsforDualEnrollmentstudentstobesuccessfulincludeappropriatewaystoapproachcollegeinstructorsandbeingabletomonitortheirownlearningandperformance.
Althoughtakingacoursewithaprofessorintroducesstudentstocollege‐levelacademicsandinteractionswithacollege
SupportssuchasregularlyscheduledadvisoriesensurethatahighschoolteacherisawareofhowwellDualEnrollmentstudentsarecopingwithworkload,rigor,andexpectationsforindependentlearningintheircollegeclasses.
Schoolscanalsoofferclasseson“collegelifeskills”toprepareDualEnrollmentstudents.
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professor,studentscanfinditchallengingbecauseprofessorstypicallyusedifferentinstructionalstrategiesfromhighschoolteachers.Collegeinstructorsexpectstudentstodomuchoftherealworkofthecourseoutsideoftheclassroom,eitherindependentlyorwiththeirpeers(Duffyetal.,2009).Advisoriesandcounselingclassescanalsosupportstudentsinorganizingtheirtimeoutsideoftheclassroomtocompleterequiredassignmentsandtostudyforexams.ToprovideDualEnrollmentstudentswithmoreacademicandemotionalsupport,ECHSsalsohaveengagedregularcollegestudentsasmentors.Thecollegestudentsarecloserinagetothehighschoolstudentsandmaybeabletorelatetothemmoresothanteachers.Thecollegestudentscanalsogivethehighschoolstudentsinsightsbasedontheirowntransitionstopostsecondaryeducation.Perhapsasimportantassettingstudents’expectationsaboutcollegelifeiscommunicatingwithparentsaboutthelikelycollegedemandsandthewaystheymighthelptheirchildren.Thisinformationisparticularlyvaluableforparentswhodidnotattendcollegethemselvesandhavefewconnectionsforfindingoutwhathappensoncollegecampuses.SomeECHSshavemandatoryparentnightstointroduceparentstotheprogram.Forfamiliesthatmightrelyontheirteenagechildrentoworkafterschoolortolookaftersiblings,itiscrucialtosetexpectationsfortheirchildren’sschoolworkandcollegeparticipationearlyon.
ConclusionAlthoughresearchontheeffectivenessofDualEnrollmentisstillfairlylimited,initialfindingssuggestsDualEnrollmentcanincreasehighschoolgraduationratesandcollegeenrollmentandpersistenceanddecreasethecostsofandtimetocompleteacollegedegree.Throughmorerigorouscourseworkandcourseoptions,itcangenerateandincreasehighschoolstudents’interestinschool.Byexposingstudentstothecollegeenvironmentandexpectations,itcanshowstudentsthattheycansucceedincollegeandencouragethemtocontinuetheireducation.Onceatcollege,studentswhoparticipatedinDualEnrollmentinhighschoolhaveaheadstartoncompletingtheirdegrees.PreliminaryresearchhasshownthatthesestudentsperformbetterincollegethantheirpeerswhodidnotparticipateinDualEnrollment;formerdual‐enrolleesneedlessremediation,havehigherGPAs,andaccruemorecredits.Giventheseresults,DualEnrollmentcanbeabeneficialprogramforstudents.However,localimplementationofDualEnrollmentprogramsisoftenchallengingandisnecessarilyinfluencedbystatecontext.PractitionersthinkingaboutstartingDualEnrollmentprogramsshouldbecomewellversedintheirstate’srespectivepolicies,whichvaryinhowexplicitorpermissivetheyareintheirguidance.Howprescriptivethepoliciesaredeterminestheamountoflocaldiscretionandnegotiationthatmusttakeplacebetweenhighschoolsordistrictsandinstitutionsofhighereducation.
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Acrossallcontexts,severalcomponentsarecriticaltosuccessfulimplementation—highschool‐collegepartnerships,articulation,funding,andstudentaccessandsupport.ExperiencesofothersinthefieldprovidecommonchallengesandpotentialsolutionsintheseareasthatcanassistpractitionersimplementingDualEnrollmentprograms.Highschool‐collegepartnershipsareattheheartofDualEnrollmentprograms.Schoolsordistrictsandinstitutionsofhighereducationmustnegotiateallcomponentsoftheprogram,suchasfinances,whereandwhatcourseswillbeoffered,andwhowillteachthem.Indevelopingpartnerships,thefollowingstepsareespeciallyimportant:
• Haveclearrolesandexpectationsforallpartnersanddesignateacollegeliaisontohandlethedailyoperationsoftheprogram.
• Includehighlevelleadershipandcollegefacultyfromthebeginningstagesofthepartnershiptoincreasebuy‐in.
• Haveadistrictorschoolcoordinatorruntheprogramonthehighschoolsideandensureequitableaccess,particularlyinstateswherepolicyguidanceisnotexplicit.
• DevelopMOUsthatprovidestabilityincaseofleadershipchangesandspecifyhowtuitionandassociatedcostswillbecoveredandsustained.
Articulationagreements,eitheratthelocalorstatelevel,outlinetransferabilityofDualEnrollmentcoursestootherinstitutionsofhighereducationandtheirapplicabilitytohighschoolgraduationrequirements.Theagreementsdeterminethetime‐andcost‐savingsfromwhichfamiliesmaybenefit.Articulationcanbeasignificantinvestmentforpartnershipsifstatewideagreementsarenotinplace.IndesigningDualEnrollmentprograms,practitionersmayconsider:
• becomingfamiliarwithstatearticulationandtransferagreements,iftheyexist,anddirectingstudentstothosecoursesthatbothareofinteresttothemandtransferabletoothercollegesinthestate;
• developinglocalagreementswithlocaleconomicneedsandstudentinterestsinmind,aswellasDualEnrollmentcoursesthatmayhavebeenalreadydevelopedbyotherschoolsordistrictswithlocalcolleges;and
• investigatingstatewaiversorexemptionstohighschoolgraduationorexamrequirementsiftheyposebarriersordisincentivestoDualEnrollment.
TheleveloffundingcanbeprohibitivetodevelopingorexpandingDualEnrollmentprograms.StatefundingpoliciesvaryinwhetherandhowcollegesanddistrictsarereimbursedforDualEnrollment,andaffecthowpartnershipsmightwanttostructuretheirprograms.Itisimportantforpractitionerstotakethefollowingsteps:
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• Bearinmindadditionalcostsassociatedwithcollegecoursetaking,suchastextbooks,transportation(ifapplicable),andlabandothercollegefees.
• Investigatefundingoptionsoutsideofstateprovisionstosupporttheprogram.
• Considercreativesolutionstochallengesincoveringsuchcostsastextbooks,likeencouragingprofessorstokeepthesametextbooksfromyeartoyearandhavingstudentssharethem.
StateorlocaleligibilitypoliciesinfluencewhocanparticipateinDualEnrollmentcourses.Ifaccessforstudentswhoaretraditionallyunderrepresentedincollegeisanexplicitgoal,programsmayneedtoprovideextrasupportstohelpthesestudentspassintoandsucceedincollegeclasses.Programsmightinclude
• additionaltutoringandpreparationclassesforcollegeplacementexams;
• advisories,collegelifeskillsclasses,andmentorprograms;
• tieredentrytocollegeclasses,beginningfirstwithcoursesthatdonotrequireplacementexamsorthatacceptalowerpassingscoreandthenenrollingstudentsincoreacademiccourseslaterinhighschool;and
• parentprogramstoinformparentsoftheexpectationsofcollegecourses.
AlthoughchallengesassociatedwithimplementingDualEnrollmentprogramsmayexist,thegrowingbodyofresearchsuggeststhatsuchprogramscanmakeadifferenceforstudentsineducationalengagement,persistence,andattainment.Practitioners’experiencesandtheirlessonslearned,whicharesummarizedinthispaper,maybehelpfultoothersembarkingontheirownprograms.
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