Resources that Support Dual Enrollment Course Innovation

• In Event: Improving Student Success in Online Dual Enrollment Courses through the Increasing College Access Network

Abstract

Objectives
This presentation explores the design elements of a comprehensive Blueprint that supports secondary and postsecondary education leaders in increasing authentic learning for students in online dual enrollment (DE) courses. Built upon lessons from the Increasing College Access Network (ICAN) project and field-tested best practices for successful DE models, the comprehensive Blueprint serves as a guide for education leaders to use for designing and implementing new innovations in online DE courses, grounded in examples from the social-emotional learning strategies integrated into courses in the ICAN project. The Blueprint was designed to facilitate and support the scaling of high-quality, online DE instruction across college and state contexts.

Perspective
Efforts to develop innovative DE practices are driven by The Big Blur (Hoffman et al., 2021), a theoretical perspective that argues for the evolution of schooling such that students’ secondary and postsecondary educational experiences blend together. By reenvisioning and smoothing the transition between K-12 and higher education, there is an opportunity to construct pedagogy and educational experiences that prepare students for college and the workforce.
The Blueprint also draws from theories of systems change as described in the Water of Systems Change (Kania, Kramer, & Senge, 2018). Following the model shown in Exhibit 1, sustainable systems change requires change at different levels of implementation including structural, relational, and transformative change.

Methods and Techniques
The Blueprint was created by drawing upon evidence of effective practices and policies that support DE from leading national organizations, including research from the Community College Research Center, the national standards for quality from the National Association for Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships, recommendations from the College in the High School Alliance, and practitioner insights.


Materials
The Blueprint includes three components/tenants:
• A foundational overview of research highlighting the key benefits of DE and elements of successful models;
• Recommended evaluation activities and tools, guided by research conducted by an independent evaluator for the ICAN project; and
• Strategies for successful partnerships between secondary and postsecondary institutions, including approaches for equitable recruitment, student success practices, and instructor training and support.

Results
Through the first four years of the ICAN project, the Blueprint was developed and refined based on the experiences of intervention developers, college leaders, school and school district leaders, and course instructors. Because the project took place in Minnesota, statewide education policy regarding DE funding practices introduced challenges to some of the structural (e.g., resource flows) and relational (e.g., power dynamics) changes that are ideal for implementation of innovative DE practices. However, working closely with five participating college instructors, the project was able to achieve changes in instructors’ mental models as they re-conceptualized their role as a college instructor to more closely focus on student well-being and social-emotional growth.
Scholarly Significance
This presentation will highlight how the Blueprint was leveraged by two community colleges that collectively partnered with over 50 school districts. Attendees will leave with insights on how to design and implement innovative online DE models and how a resource like a Blueprint can support effective planning and practice.

Author

• Leah Eggers, Jobs for the Future