For the past two decades, dual enrollment and early college have been among the fastest-growing sources of enrollment for community colleges. We know that dual enrollment is a powerful tool for increasing access to and equity in postsecondary education. However, recent research demonstrates that if these partnerships are not executed carefully, they may not yield their intended impact.

In April 2019, Gateway to College National Network merged with Achieving the Dream. As a result of this merger, ATD has expanded capacity to support colleges to develop and strengthen their K-12 pipelines with a focus on equity. This session focused on the transformative potential of dual enrollment and prompted colleges to reflect on whether their current practices achieve that potential. Research on dual enrollment across the country illustrated the achievements and the shortcomings of our current efforts, and innovative leaders shared their experiences fine-tuning dual enrollment and early college to create new pathways for young people who were not college-bound. Session participants also considered the current context for dual enrollment policy and discussed state and federal policy opportunities on the horizon.