Increasing Student Access and Success in Dual Enrollment Programs

Posted by on February 24, 2014

For dual-enrollment to work

A new report from the Education Commission of the States offers 13 state-level policy components to increase student participation and success in dual-enrollment programs, which allow high school students to take postsecondary courses for college and high school credit simultaneously, and are currently offered in every state and the District of Columbia. The report stresses that all eligible students must be allowed to participate, with laws unequivocal on this point; eligibility must be based on demonstrated ability, not bureaucratic procedures or non-cognitive factors; and caps on maximum number of courses must not be overly restrictive. Students should earn both secondary and postsecondary credit for successful completion; all students and parents should be annually offered program information; and counseling must be available to students and parents before and during program participation. Responsibility for tuition should not fall to parents, and districts and postsecondary institutions should be fully funded or reimbursed for participating students. Courses and instructors must meet the same level of rigor as those for traditional students at partner postsecondary institutions; instructors must receive appropriate support and evaluation; districts and institutions must publicly report outcomes; and programs should be evaluated based on available data. Finally, postsecondary institutions must accept dual-enrollment credit as transfer credit, provided measures of quality are ensured.

http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/01/10/91/11091.pdf