Different Approaches to Dual Enrollment: Understanding Program Features and Their Implications

In 2008, The James Irvine Foundation launched the Concurrent Courses initiative, which provided about three years of support for eight secondary-postsecondary partnerships in California offering career-focused dual enrollment programs targeting populations historically underrepresented in higher education. This report, informed by qualitative data gathered by the Community College Research Center on the Concurrent Courses initiative, provides detailed information to practitioners who wish to implement or enhance dual enrollment. The report describes the diverse program models implemented by each of the eight partnerships, and the policies and community contexts that shaped them. The authors explain why a careful consideration of program configuration is particularly important when attempting to engage disadvantaged, underachieving and/or underrepresented students, and discusses the challenges and potential benefits presented by variations in program configuration. Additionally, the authors present findings and broad recommendations both for facilitating access to dual enrollment and for supporting participating students.