Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Publication Date

Summer 7-13-2022

Abstract

Scrutiny of colleges and universities based upon student success factors such as retention, persistence, time to degree and graduation has indicated that interventions often have incremental impact. Access to dual credit, the taking of college courses while in high school, as an intervention for maintaining the engagement of high achieving students and re-connecting disengaged, underserved student populations has had proven positive outcomes for many decades. The purpose of this research study was to understand the relationship between dual credit and several higher education measures and outcomes including retention and persistence, likelihood of receiving an award, and ultimately the cost of attaining an associate degree. This exploratory quantitative study examined the impact of having college credits earned through dual credit when entering college in one urban New Mexico community college through cross-tabulation, correlation analyses, and the fitting of logistic regression models. Overall, the statistical results of this study revealed that access to dual credit has relative positive impact for all students of all ethnicities and from all socio-economic statuses. Additionally, the investment made in the students’ time in the dual credit courses paid off in the reduced amount of credits they accumulated and paid for as well as improved academic and student success outcomes throughout their college pursuit.

Keywords

Dual credit, community colleges student success, college completion, college persistence

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Educational Leadership

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy

First Committee Member (Chair)

Allison M. Borden

Second Committee Member

Arlie Woodrum

Third Committee Member

Tyson E.J. Marsh

Fourth Committee Member

Eliseo "Cheo" Torres

Fifth Committee Member

Viola E. Florez

Download

Share

COinS