“College in high school” programs see great results, but more to do to achieve equitable outcomes

Posted on July 20, 2022

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College in high school programs, like dual enrollment and early college high school, help bridge the divide between high school and college by allowing high school students to earn college credit. The programs help lower the cost of college and get student populations historically underrepresented in higher education on the path to college success.

Dual enrollment offerings are growing exponentially across the country, and the body of research focused on their value is growing. However, questions remain on how to expand access to these programs to make them more equitable and effective.

Dr. Julie Edmunds at UNC Greensboro was one of a group of 10 researchers and 12 national policy and practice leaders that spent two years taking stock of existing research and determining what we still need to know to close equity gaps in participation and completion of these programs.

Their results are in the newly released national report, “Research Priorities for Advancing Equitable Dual Enrollment Policy and Practice,” published by the University of Utah.

“This report provides a comprehensive summary of the existing research in dual enrollment and early college,” says Edmunds. “It will be an indispensable resource for policymakers and researchers interested in opportunities for students to take college courses in high school.”

Edmunds, a national expert on early colleges, served as a co-author on the report led by Dr. Jason Taylor at the University of Utah. Edmunds is a program director for secondary school reform at the UNCG SERVE Center, which works with practitioners and policy makers and provides research, evaluation, and technical assistance to improve education. She is also an adjunct associate professor in the UNCG’s Department of Educational Research Methodology.

Her body of work, supported by over $20 million in research funding, includes a 17-year national study of the impact of early colleges on student outcomes and a five-year study of North Carolina’s dual enrollment program.

“The evidence demonstrates that dual enrollment helps increase high school graduation, college enrollment, and college completion,” Edmunds says.

“While it’s clear impacts of dual enrollment are not always equitable, recent advancements in policy and practice have the potential to equalize opportunities for dual enrollment access and success.”

The project was supported by the Joyce Foundation.

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