Helios study reveals dual enrollment access is inequitable
Excerpt from Arizona Capitol Times article on 02/09/2023
About half of Arizona schools do not offer dual enrollment, a program which allows high school students to enroll in and receive credit for college classes.
Dual enrollment leads to higher rates of success in post-secondary education, but access across the state remains inequitable, according to a new policy report by ASU Helios Decision Center for Educational Excellence.
Paul Perrault, senior vice president of community impact and learning for Helios Education Foundation, said dual enrollment is a “missed opportunity for so many.”
Dual enrollment allows for students to garner college credit through courses offered either on campus with a certified teacher or college faculty or on a college campus.
The report from Helios and ASU found students who participate in dual enrollment are about twice as likely to attend college. In 2020, 71,806 students, or about 27%, participated in a dual enrollment course.
The program differs from Advanced Placement as student success is contingent on a score on a final test, not their overall performance and grade. When comparing credit achievement in both programs, the report found students in dual enrollment saw a 95% success rate while AP students saw 37%.
But access to the program remains spotty, especially for low-income students and students in rural areas. The gaps are attributed to a lack of resources to help students and families pay for dual enrollment, standardized policy on eligibility and certified teachers to teach courses.