Dual enrollment programs that permit high school students to enroll in college courses for college credit may increase postsecondary access and success for minorities, males and low-income students, according to a recent report by Community College Research Center.
The CCRC’s report concluded that dual enrollment programs were useful for encouraging postsecondary success for all students, including those on a career and technical education track, by increasing academic rigor, providing more academic electives and helping students acclimate to college life.
The report, “Postsecondary Achievement of Participants in Dual Enrollment: An Analysis of Student Outcomes in Two States,” examines the effects of dual enrollment participation for students in Florida and New York City. “Both states had comprehensive databases that tracked students from high school through college,” says Melinda Karp, lead researcher for the report.
Researchers found that in Florida, which has a long-standing statewide dual enrollment program supported by state legislation, “dual enrollment participation increased the likelihood of initially enrolling in a four-year institution by 7.7 percent,” Karp says.
Low-income students participating in dual enrollment programs had an increased chance of 22 percent of enrolling in college compared to their non-enrolled peers. Lastly, the study found that students with lower grades participating in dual enrollment programs also enrolled in college at a higher rate than non-enrolled students with low grade point averages.
“The study indicates that for male and low-income students the impact of participating in dual enrollment is greater. These students are getting more bang for their buck,” says Karp
The New York analysis looked at the City University of New York’s a dual enrollment program, which serves nearly100,000 students annually, involving every institution in the CUNY system and nearly 300 high schools. College Now students are 9.7 percent more likely pursue a bachelor’s degree than their non-enrolled peer, according to the data.
