Through dual enrollment, California high school students earn college credits when they take and pass a college course. When students take math courses through dual enrollment, they can jump-start their progress toward a degree in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, and math) or complete coursework necessary for most college degrees.

Underserved students, including those not on a path to college, gained greater access to dual enrollment after California passed Assembly Bill 288 (2016)—which launched College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP). Better access happens with better logistics: before CCAP, dual enrollment courses were often held in-person on a community college campus, based on the college’s schedule. CCAP courses are offered at high schools, typically during regular high school hours, and at no cost to students’ families.

How have the numbers of students taking and completing dual enrollment math changed?

Each year, the number of California high school students taking dual enrollment math has grown—rising from about 12,200 in the class of 2016–17 to roughly 20,000 in 2022–23. Over those six years, the share enrolling in transfer-level math—a course that earns credit at both two- and four-year colleges—shot up from 69 percent to 91 percent. About a quarter of all high school students take dual enrollment courses; under a fifth of those students take math.

About 80 to 90 percent of students who take a transfer-level math course will finish it. In the 2016–17 graduating class, 734 CCAP students completed transfer-level math; that number exploded to 4,741 in 2022–23. In non-CCAP math, students completing transfer-level math rose from 6,389 to 10,460.

Furthermore, while the numbers still vary among student groups, CCAP has made large steps toward equity in the share who take and complete dual enrollment math. Namely, more equitable shares of Latino, Black, and first-generation students took math through CCAP than through non-CCAP programs. Underserved students in CCAP also completed transfer-level math at higher rates than those not in CCAP.

What are the benefits for students who take dual enrollment math?

High school students can gain a head start with college and reduce the time and cost to earn a degree when they complete transfer-level math. Among math dual enrollees in California, 69 percent go on to college as compared to 63 percent of all high school seniors.

In community college, math dual enrollees tend to average higher GPAs by their first year than non-dual enrollees—a pattern that holds true across demographic groups; they are also more likely to earn an associate degree or transfer to a four-year college within three years. CCAP math students earn associate degrees at higher rates but transfer at lower rates than those in non-CCAP programs.

What are the concerns around dual enrollment programs?

While dual enrollment courses guarantee community college credit, they do not always award high school credit. At some California high schools, dual enrollment math fulfills high school graduation requirements, but others may award only an elective credit. Some districts grant GPA bumps for dual enrollment courses and others do not.

Differing calendars can also lead to conflicts around coordinating schedules, according to interviews with high school and college stakeholders. To meet the unit hours for a college course, dual enrollment instructors work around different academic breaks. The semester courses for college also run up against year-long classes for high school, leaving high schools to fill the remaining time after students complete their college courses.

How can dual enrollment programs be more effective?

A dual enrollment course that counts toward both high school and college graduation has fiscal and academic benefits: the state does not pay twice for the same course, and students do not repeat a course in college that they completed in high school. Under a shared data system, schools could automate enrollment, standardize the awarding of dual credit and GPA bumps, and ensure that courses fulfill high school graduation requirements.

Counselors and instructors at the high school and the college level could better promote tutoring and student services by highlighting links on the course syllabus or on online learning management sites. These academic supports are vital tools that can help students complete the courses they take.

Amid concerns that dual enrollment may dilute teaching jobs, collaborative approaches can help support high school and college instructors. For every dual enrollment course that awards high school credit, both a high school teacher and qualified dual enrollment instructor could work together to meet instructor minimum qualifications and boost student success.

Source

About the Authors

Olga Rodriguez is director of the PPIC Higher Education Center and a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, where she holds the Thomas and Marilyn Sutton Chair in Higher Education Policy. As center director, she works with a team of researchers to identify programs and policies to help make the state’s higher education system more successful, equitable, and sustainable. Her own research focuses on college access and success among underserved students. Her recent work has examined statewide reforms to developmental education, English as a second language, dual enrollment, and assessment and placement systems in California’s community colleges. Before joining PPIC, she was a postdoctoral research associate at the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. She holds a BA in economics/mathematics and Spanish from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an MA and PhD in economics and education from Columbia University.

Daniel Payares-Montoya is a research associate at the Public Policy Institute of California. He is a member of the PPIC Economic Policy Center, and he also contributes to the PPIC Higher Education Center. His research focuses on expanding economic opportunity through the labor market, the relation between the labor market and higher education, income inequality, climate-related jobs, and economic development. Before joining PPIC, he worked as a consultant for the World Bank, concentrating on green growth and green finance in developing countries, and as a researcher at the Center for Latin American Studies, University of California Berkeley, focusing on the socio-economic impact of globalization and industrialization in the Americas. He has also conducted research on productivity, education, and labor markets for Fedesarrollo, the Private Council on Competitiveness, and Proantioquia Foundation in Colombia. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from Universidad de Chile and a master’s degree in development practice from the University of California, Berkeley.

Rachel Yang Zhou is a research fellow at the PPIC Higher Education Center. Her research lies at the intersection of higher education and labor economics, with a focus on financial aid, community colleges, and the college-to-workforce transition. Before joining PPIC, she was a research data specialist at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, a postdoctoral scholar at the Golub Capital Social Impact Lab at Stanford University, and a quantitative researcher at the Community College Research Center. She holds a PhD in economics and education from Columbia University and a master’s degree in economics from Duke University.

Hoyun Kim is a research associate at the PPIC Higher Education Center. She is also a PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley, studying policy and politics in higher education. Her research interests include equity and accessibility, student agency and adjustment, and organizational behaviors of postsecondary institutions and the roles they play in student experiences. Prior to working for PPIC, she served as a researcher on faculty and student support at Handong Global University in South Korea. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s degree in education from the University of California, Berkeley.

Eric Assan is a research associate at the PPIC Higher Education Center, where he researches PK–12 and higher education policy. His work focuses on educational equity, dual enrollment, college and career pathways, the impacts of COVID-19, and digital transformation to improve California’s education system. Prior to joining PPIC, he was a graduate teaching assistant at the Berkeley School of Education. He holds a BS in social sciences education from the University of Cape Coast (Ghana), an MEd in educational administration from Huzhou University (China), and an MA in education from the University of California, Berkeley. He also holds a Graduate Certificate in applied data science from the Berkeley School of Information.

Stephanie Barton is a senior editor at the Public Policy Institute of California. She edits research reports, blog posts, and other publications, working with staff to communicate complex messages to a wide readership. Before joining PPIC, she was a developmental editor for Sage Publications and for Wiley Publishing, and a technical writer for the Department of Energy. Early in her career, she worked as a book designer for Doubleday Books. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a BA in studio art from Pomona College.