Thesis
Dual credit programs and their impacts on students and community colleges in the state of Washington
Washington State University
Master of Public Affairs (MPA), Washington State University
05/2020
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000004057
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/124745
Abstract
Partnerships between secondary and post-secondary institutions that allow high school students to earn college credit have become an important aspect of the American education system. These dual credit programs may help reduce the cost of college and the time it takes to complete a college degree. In the state of Washington, the enactment of ESSHB 1546 solidified dual credit programs as a legitimate piece of the state's education system. Policymakers advocate for dual credit programs as a means of introducing historically non-dominant populations to college (Taylor, 2015; Tobolowsky, 2016). For many post-secondary institutions, especially community colleges, this is enough reason to establish and offer dual credit programs. From a student success perspective, there are few demographic comparisons on who is utilizing these programs. From an institutional success perspective, there is limited information about whether students are using these programs as a stepping-stone to a 4-year university without completing a degree at the community college. This study is a quantitative evaluation of the impacts of dual credit programs on Washington community colleges and its students. The purpose is to assess relationships that may exist between dual credit programs and community college completion rates. The findings suggest that overall, dual credit programs have positive outcomes for both students and institutions. However, outcomes are not equitable among different demographics. These findings may lead to the consideration of additional or revised questions and further research, which may examine if anything were missing from current legislation.
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Details
- Title
- Dual credit programs and their impacts on students and community colleges in the state of Washington
- Creators
- Narek Daniyelyan
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, School of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Public Affairs (MPA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Identifiers
- 99900890792201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis