New Report Shows Gaps in Dual Enrollment Offerings From Arizona High Schools

<< Back to Latest

Author: Alyssa Bickle, Reporter, Copper Courier

Posted on: 03/01/2023

Excerpt from Copper Courier on 3/1/23

Students who participate in dual enrollment classes in high school are twice as likely to attend and stay in college than students who do not—but only about half of Arizona high schools offer these classes. 

The ASU Helios Decision Center for Educational Excellence, a partnership between ASU and Helios Education Foundation, found major gaps in dual enrollment offerings in the state. 

In 2020, only about 24% of high school graduates in Arizona took at least one dual enrollment course, according to a report the Helios Decision Center released in 2023. 

Identifying the Gap

Latino students are about half as likely to have taken a dual enrollment course as white students, and students from low-income households are only about half as likely to have participated in dual enrollment, Perrault said. 

One factor in Arizona students’ low dual enrollment numbers is lack of access. This can be resolved in three ways, according to Paul Perrault, senior vice president of community impact and learning at Helios Education Foundation: financial support for students from low-income backgrounds, financial incentives for schools, and expanded training for high school teachers to be certified to teach dual enrollment courses.