Dual Enrollment for English Learners: How Dual-Credit Coursework Can Close Gaps in College Access

• In Event: Academic Transitions Among College Students and Community Colleges

Abstract

English Learner students (ELs) comprise 10 percent of K-12 students nationally but remain underrepresented in higher education, especially 4-year institutions. Although prior research suggests dual enrollment (DE) boosts postsecondary academic momentum, no prior studies examine how DE shapes ELs’ college-going behavior. This study explores how participation in DE informs ELs’ high school graduation and college matriculation. Using multilevel modeling to account for the nesting of students in high schools, we find DE may equalize postsecondary outcomes of EL and non-EL students. Whereas ELs are initially more likely to enroll in 2-year institutions and are less likely to enroll in 4-year institutions than non-ELs, as ELs take more DE courses, they narrow the gap between the two groups.

Authors

• Kimberly Pack-Cosme, University of Texas at Austin
  Presenting Author

• Lauren Schudde, University of Texas at Austin
  Non-Presenting Author

• Rebecca M. Callahan, University of Vermont
  Non-Presenting Author