Giving Compass' Take:

• Dual enrollment programs are becoming more popular and more effective. However, policymakers should understand how to expand access to disadvantaged high school students and ensure that implementation helps these students thrive throughout college. 

• What are the ways that donors can help fund research on the implementation of these programs? 

• Read more about connecting high school students to opportunity through dual enrollment.

As the high school course selection period closes for next year, many students across the country are gearing up to add college courses to their time in high school. They will do this through dual enrollment courses operated by local colleges or through early colleges, special small schools that blend the high school and college experiences. Both options are designed to increase access to higher education, letting students earn a high school diploma while also earning college credits and working toward a postsecondary credential.

A number of policymakers are enthusiastic about the potential of these approaches to provide disadvantaged students early access to college.

With or without these new funding streams, the most recent statistics (PDF) show that dual enrollment programs are increasing in number and popularity. Approximately one-third of high school students (PDF) took a course for college credit while they were in high school. Given their growth, it is worthwhile to understand if and how these programs are worth investment of government funding and students' time. Who is currently benefiting from dual enrollment programs? And in the end, are they meeting the goal of expanding access to and improving success in higher education?

Digging deeper into recent statistics (PDF) suggests that access to these programs is not currently equally distributed. Overall, there are lower levels of dual enrollment participation for minority students and students whose parents have lower levels of education.

Access is better distributed within early colleges. Because most early colleges target students who are underrepresented in college, they generally serve higher proportions (PDF) of students who are low-income, minority or the first in their family to go to college.

The good news, however, is that dual enrollment is generally effective. There are numerous studies showing positive associations between participating in dual enrollment and postsecondary enrollment and degree attainment.

Read the full article about expanding access for dual enrollment programs by Fatih Unlu at RAND.