Through dual enrollment, California high school students earn college credits when they take and pass a college course. According to a February Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report, legislation, significant financial investments and advocacy have helped inform and support the growth of dual enrollment across the state.
The 2016 passage of Assembly Bill 288 launched College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP), which required dual enrollment courses to be offered at high schools, typically during regular school hours, and at no cost to students’ families — a shift from courses being held in person on a community college campus based on the college’s schedule. This shift opened opportunities for youth who may otherwise not be able to get the same jump start on their higher education.
Among math dual enrollees in California, 69 percent went on to college compared to 63 percent of all high school seniors. These students also tend to have higher grade point averages than their peers and are also more likely to earn an associate degree or transfer to a four-year college within three years.
Overall, the study found that providing access to dual enrollment math benefits the whole student population, but that it’s been particularly beneficial for student groups that have historically been underserved.
“With the support of state policy, funding, and coordination, California has built the foundation to use dual enrollment to improve access and success in math, one of the most challenging gatekeepers across the K–16 pipeline,” the report states. “As the law intended, CCAP is also increasing enrollment and completion of gateway math among students who have been underserved in higher education, including Latino, Black, and first-generation students. Still, while this means CCAP is closer to achieving equity in dual enrollment math access and success, more work is needed to fully close the equity gap.”
The number of students taking dual enrollment math has grown (up to about 20,000 in 2022–23 from 12,200 in 2016–17), as has the rate of students enrolling in transfer-level math — courses that earn credit at both two- and four-year colleges — which climbed from 69 percent to 91 percent. Between 80 and 90 percent of students who take a transfer-level math course will finish it. The rate of completion has also increased from 734 students the 2016–17 graduating class to 4,741 in 2022–23.
CCAP has made large steps toward equity in the share of who takes and completes dual enrollment math, according to the study, which found that more equitable shares of Latino, Black and first-generation students took math through CCAP.
Researchers did uncover some concerns with dual enrollment programs throughout the state, though. For example, dual enrollment courses guarantee community college credit, but they do not always award high school credit. At some high schools, dual enrollment math fulfills high school graduation requirements, but others may only award elective credit. Additionally, some districts grant GPA bumps for dual enrollment courses and others do not.
The report lays out several recommendations to expand access to math dual enrollment and help ensure implementation is centered around equity for students. Researchers call on local educational agencies and community college partners to use data to recruit students and improve representation among CCAP’s focus populations, including students who are not already college-bound or who are underrepresented in higher education, as well as to maximize efficacy and efficiency of programs.
Recommendations also call for both high school and college counselors and instructors to do more to promote tutoring and student services at both the high school and the college levels by including links to the resources on the course syllabus or its online learning management site, and offering free, robust online tutoring and counseling to help address logistical concerns.
