Dual enrollment as a credit-based transition-to-college mechanism operating through college exposure, early credit accumulation, and cost reduction¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 7 claims (6 for, 1 against) · 1 study (1 quant-synthesis), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 7 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The report describes dual enrollment programs as collaborations between secondary and postsecondary institutions that "allow high school students to take college courses and earn college credits while still attending high school." It proposes that such programs work "via at least three mechanisms": experiencing college-level coursework with high school supports, accumulating college credits early and consistently, and discounted or free tuition that reduces cost for low socioeconomic status students. The WWC review tests this program theory against five studies meeting group design standards.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• A collaboration between secondary and postsecondary institutions through which students can enroll in actual college courses, often on the postsecondary institution's campus and taught by a college instructor

Constraints¶

• The report notes the studies included in the review did not provide specific information about the costs of dual enrollment to the state or school district

Target Learners¶

• High school students in grades 9-12, including students typically underrepresented in higher education

Target Learning Objectives¶

• College access and enrollment, college credit accumulation, degree attainment, and college readiness

Claims¶

• Dual Enrollment Positive Degree Attainment [+M]
• Dual Enrollment Positive College Access Enrollment [+M]
• Dual Enrollment Positive Credit Accumulation [+M]
• Dual enrollment programs show no discernible effects on general academic achievement (college) [-W]
• Dual enrollment programs have positive effects on completing high school, with an average improvement index of +7 percentile points [+W]
• Dual enrollment programs have positive effects on general academic achievement (high school), with an average improvement index of +7 percentile points [+W]
• Dual enrollment programs have potentially positive effects on staying in high school, college readiness, and attendance (high school), each with a small extent of evidence [+W]

Related Theories¶

• Four-type taxonomy of college- and career-readiness interventions with ESSA-tier evidence

Examples¶

• Use dual enrollment and a shared pathway template so students complete prerequisites while still in high school
• Enroll college-ready high school students in rigorous dual enrollment college algebra classes to support college entry and completion
• Select dual enrollment courses without English language proficiency requirements or prerequisites to make Early College linguistically accessible
• Automatic enrollment of historically underrepresented students into dual enrollment as part of pathway sequences
• Early College
• OnRamps

Key Sources¶

• What Works Clearinghouse, U.S. Department of Education. (2017). Dual Enrollment Programs. WWC Intervention Report, Transition to College. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/InterventionReport/671