Rachel Steil
Educational Consultant
Over the past decade, information and advocacy around students taking Post Secondary Education Options has increased dramatically. While this option provides a huge gain (both financially and academically) for students, it can leave districts wondering how they can provide creative ways to entice students to stay on campus and participate in their full high school experience.
Articulated courses, Advanced Placement, and dual enrollment provide students a rigorous college experience, while still allowing them to stay at their high school to participate in athletics or activities, as well as socialize with their grade-level peers. There are several advantages for high schools to embed early college credit-earning options in their curriculum.
1. Research shows that students who enroll in college-credit earning classes are nearly two times more likely to attend college, stay in college, and complete an Associate’s degree or higher within six years. In addition, those students who participated in early college courses while in high school complete higher levels of post secondary education overall.
2. Adding a variety of college credit-earning college-level courses helps students’ readiness for college, no matter the student’s socioeconomic background. Bringing college-level classes onto campus ensures all low income and underrepresented students can benefit from these enriching experiences.
3. Offering college credit-earning classes provides an opportunity for high school staff and post-secondary staff to collaborate, share ideas, develop stronger alignment, and smoother transitions for students. These partnerships help create a richer experience for students and better prepare them for their classes once they transition to their post-secondary institution.
“STUDENTS WHO COMPLETED AT LEAST ONE COLLEGE COURSE THROUGH DUAL ENROLLMENT IN HIGH SCHOOL WERE 2.21 TO 2.30 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO ATTEND ANY TYPE OF COLLEGE THAN A SIMILAR STUDENT WHO DID NOT COMPLETE DUAL ENROLLMENT.” -WWW.JFF.ORG
4. Taking college-credit earning courses introduces students to the rigors of college-level work with the support of high school staff. Exposure to college-level classes increases academic confidence and gives students a head start towards a post-secondary degree or certification to help them succeed after high school.
5. The cost of college has skyrocketed over the last decade and it’s a significant investment for students. For some students, the cost of college is prohibitive without some type of assistance. Providing students opportunities to earn free college credits while in high school increases a student's chance of affording a postsecondary degree. Often, with the right planning, students can accelerate a 2 or 4-year degree and save significantly on tuition.
The benefits of offering college-credit options for students provides a financial and academic benefit for all students. District leaders need to be proactive in their approach to expanding the breadth of free access to early college credit options within their districts if they want to keep students on campus.
