Dual Enrollment in California: The Public Policy Institute of California released a report examining access, equity and success in dual enrollment programs in California. Researchers studied 3,000 high schools and nearly 440,000 dual enrollment students. The following summarizes a few key findings from the report:
- The percentage of high schools that offered dual enrollment increased from 10% in 2016-17 year to 36% in 2018-19. Participation in dual enrollment also increased from about 72,000 participants in the 2015-16 graduating class to 112,000 in the 2019-20 class.
- While participation for all major racial/ethnic groups increased over time, Black and Latino students were still underrepresented, had lower dual enrollment GPAs, and earned fewer units than Asian and white students.
- Approximately 81% of all dual enrollment students enrolled in a postsecondary institution within one year of graduation, 19 percentage points higher than the statewide rate for all graduates. College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) participants were more likely to enroll in two-year institutions.
- Roughly 20% of all dual enrollment courses and 29% of CCAP courses focused on career and technical education.
Benefits of Early College Programs: A report by JFF shows how early college programs are improving student outcomes at Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The early college program was introduced at the high school in 2017, allowing students who apply and meet assessment standards to complete courses in high-demand career fields for credit at local community and four-year colleges. By 2020, the school’s overall graduation rate improved from 71% to 80% and recent early college student cohorts were twice as likely to enroll in a postsecondary institution after graduation. The high school plans to expand the program to all students within five years.
Equity Gaps in Dual Enrollment: While dual enrollment has proven benefits for student outcomes, according to a data tool by the Community College Research Center, not all learners have equitable access to these programs. Using the 2017-18 Civil Rights Data Collection, the tool identifies nationwide representation and accessibility gaps in dual enrollment and AP coursework for different student demographic groups. The following are a few key findings on dual enrollment:
- The biggest representation gap existed for students with disabilities, who make up 13% of the overall school population, but accounted for 4% of dual enrollment students.
- English language learners and Black and Hispanic students, especially males within these groups, were underrepresented while white students were overrepresented in dual enrollment courses.
- Many schools that offer dual enrollment opportunities have no underrepresented students participating. For instance, 27% of schools attended by Black students offer dual enrollment courses but did not enroll any Black students in these courses.
In response to equity gaps in dual enrollment programs, the College in High School Alliance released a guide designed to help states collect, report and use dual enrollment access and success data to improve equity. The resource highlights examples of states engaging in this work and outlines a framework for state policymakers to utilize when developing dual enrollment data reporting systems.
Improving Pathways Data: As states develop policies to improve the school-to-workforce pipeline, K-12 leaders need access to data on the postsecondary and workforce outcomes of former students. In response, Chiefs for Change created a brief discussing obstacles and steps to improving pathways data. Informed by interviews with state education and local agency leaders, the following are four strategies the brief outlines that state leaders can use to increase access to pathways data:
- Build a cross-agency data governance body that is aligned with K-12 leaders’ needs and follows privacy and security best practices.
- Ensure data systems are modernized and updated regularly by advocating the value of pathways data, securing state funding support and creating interstate data-sharing compacts.
- Create user-friendly data by identifying local leaders’ needs, ensuring existing linked data is accessible to districts and schools, and utilizing federal funding to build and modernize tools.
- Increase capacity for pathways data analysis and use by disseminating best practices among districts and coordinating statewide data conferences.
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