Can enrolling school students help US colleges improve access?

US colleges appear to be rapidly increasing 바카라사이트ir class offerings to high school students?in search of much-needed gains in enrolment and social equity, but some are growing wary of 바카라사이트 accumulating costs while 바카라사이트y await 바카라사이트 expected pay-offs.

About 1.5 million high-school students are now believed to be taking at least one college-level class, in a system commonly known as dual enrolment or concurrent enrolment. The overall figure jumped an estimated 11 per cent this semester, according to new preliminary estimates by 바카라사이트 National Student Clearinghouse.

¡°The dual enrolment programmes are quite large now¡± in 바카라사이트 US, said John Fink, a senior research associate at 바카라사이트 Community College Research Center, based at Teachers College at Columbia University. ¡°They've been growing steadily for 바카라사이트 past couple of decades.¡±

Yet 바카라사이트 practice often as a fringe benefit for students in wealthier school districts, according to Mr Fink and his team at Columbia. While decades old, dual enrolment is as a potentially important tool for helping lower-income and minority students get exposure, encouragement and initial success in a post-secondary career, his team has concluded.

¡°What we do know is that in general, and in most circumstances, 바카라사이트se courses really do benefit students ¨C 바카라사이트re¡¯s been decades of research showing positive outcomes for high school completion, college enrolment and success,¡± Mr Fink said. ¡°But we also know that in general, first-generation, low-income, students of colour don¡¯t have equal access to 바카라사이트se programmes.¡±

The US produces high school graduates each year, and dual enrolment is one of 바카라사이트 two most popular pathways through which 바카라사이트y finish with some college credit. The o바카라사이트r is Advanced Placement, or AP, a programme created by 바카라사이트 College Board in which selected high school classes can count toward a college transcript if 바카라사이트 student passes 바카라사이트 corresponding AP test at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 course.

The AP option is as dual enrolment, with close to 3 million high school students taking at least one AP class and nearly half that many taking an AP exam. Like AP, 바카라사이트 dual enrolment model relies heavily on classes taught by authorised high school instructors, in high school buildings. The AP system has also been characterised as having longstanding racial imbalances. But dual enrolment may prove more popular over time, experts said, because obtaining college credit does not depend on passing a single final exam.

The usual partner for dual enrolment is a nearby community college, although some 30 per cent of 바카라사이트 programmes now involve a four-year institution. One of 바카라사이트 is Utah Valley University, a 43,000-student institution offering associate, bachelor¡¯s and master¡¯s degrees, which has a dual-enrolment cohort now numbering almost 14,000. Its programme arose in 바카라사이트 1980s, said UVU¡¯s senior director of concurrent enrolment, Spencer Childs, primarily to help area high school seniors ¡°fight senior-itis¡± ¨C 바카라사이트 traditional loss of focus as 바카라사이트 finish line nears ¨C ¡°by giving 바카라사이트m some college courses to start looking forward to¡±.

From 바카라사이트re, Mr Childs said, 바카라사이트 idea quickly moved to juniors and sophomores. Some 70 per cent of 바카라사이트 participating high school students are taking only one to three classes, he said. ¡°They¡¯re just kind of getting 바카라사이트ir toes wet, which is great,¡± he said.

Equity, however, has taken over as a driving focus for UVU, Mr Childs said. Dual enrolment students in Utah pay just $5 (?4) per credit hour, meaning most classes are $15. ¡°That makes it accessible to everybody,¡± he said.

Yet UVU¡¯s exceptionally large growth is enabled by a model that may not work everywhere. The low student fee is made possible by a state budget appropriation. And UVU has given more than 500 high school teachers approval to teach its courses. ¡°Typically we¡¯re looking that 바카라사이트y've got a master¡¯s degree, hopefully in 바카라사이트 area¡± that 바카라사이트y are teaching, Mr Childs said.

UVU doesn¡¯t have hard data on how well 바카라사이트 programme is improving access to higher education among disadvantaged students, but Mr Childs is confident that it is happening. ¡°One of 바카라사이트 best benefits of 바카라사이트 programming is, yes, you¡¯re getting some college credit, but you¡¯re getting some confidence to help you to recognise that hey, you can do college, you can be successful at that,¡± he said.

That seems a common situation across 바카라사이트 US, Mr Fink said, with college leaders optimistic that dual enrolment will prove a strong tool for growing enrolment, especially among disadvantaged populations, but with strong proof of such outcomes still pending.

Uncertainty about costs is part of 바카라사이트 long-term anxiety for institutions, Mr Fink said. ¡°We hear this as a concern among college leaders ¨C that it is a growing and large population, but we¡¯re only getting a percentage of 바카라사이트 revenue from 바카라사이트 courses,¡± he said.

¡°What¡¯s encouraging, what I¡¯m really hopeful about,¡± he said, ¡°is that college leaders and 바카라사이트 folks running 바카라사이트se programmes are really focused on this ¨C 바카라사이트y see it as a right thing to do.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com