Dual Enrollment and Postsecondary Outcomes for Rural Students: Implications for Social Reproduction

• In Event: Postsecondary Access, Aspiration, and Experience for Rural Youth

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between dual enrollment and postsecondary enrollment and persistence for subgroups of rural/town and city/suburb students. Analyzing data from the High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS) of 2009, I used multinomial logistic regression to determine whether dual enrollment participation was associated with increased odds of postsecondary enrollment and persistence. Regression results showed that dual enrollment was associated with increased odds of postsecondary enrollment for rural/town students, and increased odds of persistence for city/suburb students. The increase in probability of postsecondary enrollment was higher for rural students with lower socioeconomic status, as compared with their more affluent peers, suggesting that dual enrollment may be an effective strategy for disrupting the reproduction of social and economic inequality

Author

• Alana Althaus-Cressman, Golden Eagle Charter School