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Helping high school students get ahead through dual credit

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Dual credit programs in Washington State offer a important opportunities for high school students to accelerate their education by earning both high school and college credits simultaneously. These opportunities are expressly designed to help high school students get ahead and include:

  1. Exam-based Programs
  2. Running Start
  3. College in the High School
  4. CTE Dual Credit

With substantial resources invested in these programs, the key question remains: How effective are they? To better understand the alignment between intent and impact, here are five critical questions to consider:

  1. Participation Rates: How many students in Washington engage with each dual credit program every year?
  2. Emerging Trends: What patterns are emerging regarding subject choices, demographic factors, student locations, school districts, high schools, transcribing colleges, and student socioeconomic backgrounds?
  3. Student Benefits: How do these credits enhance students' educational experiences by improving quality, saving time, and reducing costs?
  4. Post-secondary Success: How do these programs influence college enrollment, career focus, and the time and expense required to enter the workforce?
  5. Financial Investment: How much is spent for each successfully transcribed dual credit?

Finding reliable data to answer these questions is challenging but essential if we are serious about helping Washington's high school students get ahead. With the insights these answers would provide, policymakers can enhance the effectiveness of these programs, ensuring students maximize their educational opportunities and reach their goals more efficiently.