Dual Enrollment – How Opportunity and Participation is Distributed across Schools

• In Event: The Consortium of State and Regional Educational Research Associations Distinguished Paper Session 3

Abstract

California Educational Research Association - The California Legislature adopted Assembly Bill 288, College and Career Access Pathways, in 2015 to expand dual enrollment (DE) programs across the state through partnership agreements between K-12 school districts and community colleges. Although dual enrollment rates have risen, the opportunity to participate is not equally distributed. Most California public high schools (84%) have at least one student taking a community college course while in high school, though school-level participation rates vary dramatically from zero to over 95% of students. This work examines dual enrollment participation across California schools and the extent to which vulnerable student sub-groups have access to college-credit courses while in high school as measured by attending schools with various participation rates.

Author

• Joanna Mathias, University of California Davis