March 2017
What’s Happening
Earning college credits
in high school: Options,
participation, and outcomes
for Oregon students
Ashley Pierson
Michelle Hodara
Jonathan Luke
Education Northwest
Key findings
•
Oregon’s public colleges offer many accelerated college
credit options for high school students, but the cost,
eligibility requirements, and geographic coverage vary greatly
across institutions.
•
Oregon’s rate of community college dual credit participation
is higher than the national average.
•
Community college dual credit students are more likely to
be White, female, high achievers, and not economically
disadvantaged.
•
Oregon high school students who take community college
dual credit courses enroll and earn credit in an average of
three dual credit courses.
At Education Northwest
U.S. Department of Education
U.S. Department of Education
Betsy DeVos, Secretary
Institute of Education Sciences
Thomas Brock, Commissioner, National Center for Education Research
Delegated Duties of the IES Director
National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
Audrey Pendleton, Acting Commissioner
Elizabeth Eisner, Acting Associate Commissioner
Amy Johnson, Action Editor
Ok-Choon Park, Project Ofcer
REL 2017–216
The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) conducts
unbiased large-scale evaluations of education programs and practices supported by federal
funds; provides research-based technical assistance to educators and policymakers; and
supports the synthesis and the widespread dissemination of the results of research and
evaluation throughout the United States.
Ma rch 2017
This report was prepared for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) under Contract
ED-IES-12-C-0003 by Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest administered by Edu-
cation Northwest. The content of the publication does not necessarily reect the views
or policies of IES or the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names,
commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
This REL report is in the public domain. While permission to reprint this publication is
not necessary, it should be cited as:
Pierson, A., Hodara, M., & Luke, J. (2017). Earning college credits in high school: Options,
participation, and outcomes for Oregon students (REL 2017–216). Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Educa-
tion Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest.
Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs
This report is available on the Regional Educational Laboratory website at http://ies.ed.gov/
ncee/edlabs.
Summary
Oregon’s postsecondary attainment goal for 2025, adopted in 2011, calls for 40 percent
of Oregon adults to have a bachelor’s degree or higher, 40 percent to have an associ-
ate’s degree or postsecondary certicate, and the remaining 20 percent to have a high
school diploma or equivalent (S. 253, Or. 2011). As in other states a central strategy for
increasing postsecondary attainment in Oregon is to promote accelerated college credit
options—such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, dual credit, and dual
enrollment courses—that enable high school students to earn college credit. Oregon has
invested heavily in the accelerated college credit strategy, with particular attention to
student groups that have historically not had access to these courses.
The study focuses on options offered between 2005/06 and 2012/13 through Oregon com-
munity colleges, including dual credit (in which high school students earn both high
school and college credit by taking a college course at their high school) and dual enroll-
ment (in which high school students earn both high school and college credit by taking a
college course at the college campus or online), and on the characteristics of the students
who enroll in these classes. The study also explores the relationship between students’ par-
ticipation in dual credit and later education outcomes, including high school graduation,
postsecondary enrollment, and postsecondary persistence.
Key ndings include the following:
• Oregon public colleges have many accelerated college credit options, but their cost,
eligibility requirements, and geographic coverage vary greatly across institutions.
• Oregon’s rate of community college dual credit participation is higher than the
national average.
• Oregon students taking dual credit courses through a community college enroll
and earn credit in an average of three dual credit courses during their time in high
school.
• More than 90percent of students pass the community college dual credit courses
in which they have enrolled.
• Community college dual credit students are more likely to be White, female, high
achievers, and not eligible for the federal school lunch program.
• Male students in all racial/ethnic groups participate in community college dual
credit at lower rates than female students do, and in each racial/ethnic group the
gender gap in participation is similar.
• In each racial/ethnic group students eligible for the federal school lunch program
participate in community college dual credit at lower rates than students who are
not eligible.
• The rates at which students who participate in dual credit programs graduate from
high school, enroll in college, and persist in the rst year of college are higher
than the state average.
• At the ve community colleges examined in a dual enrollment analysis, participa-
tion in dual enrollment was low but grew over time. Dual enrollment students had
lower achievement on state math and reading tests and higher rates of eligibility
for the federal school lunch program than dual credit students had.
Oregon stakeholders can use the study results to better understand the breadth and char-
acteristics of accelerated college credit options in the state; dual credit programs’ equity
i
gaps—which can inform outreach efforts to students participating at lower rates, such
as rural, economically disadvantaged, and racial/ethnic minority students; and data that
should be reported to the state to conduct analyses that improve monitoring and evalu-
ation of accelerated college credit programs. Nationally, this study offers an example to
other states of potentially useful analyses to inform improvements to these programs.
ii
Contents
Summary i
Why this study? 1
Accelerated college credit in Oregon 2
National research 4
What the study examined 4
What the study found 6
What accelerated college credit options are offered through Oregon public colleges? 6
Who participates in dual credit options at all Oregon community colleges? 8
What are the outcomes for dual credit students at all Oregon community colleges? 14
How do participants in dual credit and dual enrollment programs differ at selected Oregon
community colleges? 16
Implications of the study ndings 17
Limitations of the study 18
Appendix A. Literature review A-1
Appendix B. Data and methods B-1
Appendix C. Detailed accelerated college credit program information C-1
Appendix D. Detailed results D-1
Appendix E. Dual credit courses by subject E-1
Notes Notes-1
References Ref-1
Box
1 Data and methods 5
Figures
1 Dual credit participation by Oregon high school students increased over time, by
expectedyear of graduation 9
2 Math was the most popular dual credit subject among Oregon high school students
over2005/06–2012/13 10
3 Some student groups were underrepresented or overrepresented in the population of
dualcredit students compared with their representation in the overall population of
Oregonhigh school students expected to graduate in 2012/13 12
4 In all racial/ethnic groups male high school students in Oregon participated in dual
credit at lower rates than female students, 2005/06–2012/13 13
iii
5 In all racial/ethnic groups high school students in Oregon who were eligible for the
federalschool lunch program participated in dual credit courses at lower rates than
studentswho were not eligible, 2005/06–2012/13 13
6 Among high-achieving high school students in Oregon, participation in dual credit
coursesvaried by race/ethnicity, with the largest gap being between White and Black
students, 2005/06–2012/13 14
7 Participation in dual enrollment at ve community colleges increased among Oregon
highschool students who were expected to graduate in 2008/09 to 2012/13 17
D1 The percentage of Oregon dual credit students eligible for the federal school lunch
programhas increased over time, by expected graduation year 2008/09–2012/13 D-3
D2 Dual credit participation varied among middle-achieving high school students in
Oregon, by race/ethnicity over 2005/06–2012/13 D-3
D3 Demographic and academic characteristics of Oregon high school students in
grade 12 in 2012/13 differed for dual credit and dual enrollment participants D-4
Maps
1 Oregon public colleges and accelerated college credit options as of July 2015, with
fall 2014 district enrollment in grades 9–12 7
2 The rate of participation in dual credit by Oregon high school students who were
expectedtograduate in 2012/13 varied by district 11
Tables
1 Accelerated college credit programs available in Oregon as of January 2016 3
2 Accelerated college credit programs offered by Oregon public colleges as of July 2015 7
B1 Research questions, variables, and data sources for accelerated college credit programs
in Oregon B-2
D1 Characteristics of Oregon high schools by dual credit participation, 2005/06–2012/13 D-1
D2 Characteristics of Oregon high school students by dual credit participation,
2005/06–2012/13 D-2
D3 Logistic regression of likelihood of Oregon high schools offering dual credit courses,
2007/08–2012/13 D-5
D4 Marginal effects at the means of student characteristics on likelihood of Oregon
high school students enrolling in dual credit, 2005/06–2012/13 D-6
D5 Logistic regression of likelihood of Oregon high school students enrolling in dual credit,
2005/06–2012/13 D-7
D6 Logistic regression of likelihood of passing all attempted dual credit courses among
Oregonhigh school students taking any dual credit courses, 2005/06–2012/13 D-8
D7 Logistic regression of Oregon high school students ever participating in dual credit on
highschool graduation, college enrollment, and college persistence from the rst to the
secondterm, 2005/06–2012/13 D-9
E1 Five most popular dual credit courses in each subject among Oregon high school
dual credit students, 2005/06–2012/13 E-1
iv
Why this study?
In 2009 President Obama called for an increase in the number of college graduates by 2020
to match the postsecondary attainment growth in other countries and increase overall
U.S. economic competitiveness. Many states have developed similarly ambitious post-
secondary degree–attainment goals in recent years. In 2011 Oregon adopted its 40–40–20
goal for 2025, calling for 100percent of Oregon adults to hold a high school diploma or
equivalent, with 40percent of them also holding a bachelor’s degree or a higher degree and
40percent having an associate’s degree or postsecondary certicate (S. 253, Or. 2011).
Accelerated college credit options, which enable high school students to earn college
credit, have been a popular strategy for increasing postsecondary school access, both in
Oregon and nationally. These programs take many forms but can be grouped into four
primary categories: Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate courses,
dual credit courses (in which students receive high school and college credit for college
courses taken at their high school), and dual enrollment courses (in which students receive
high school and college credit for courses taken at a college or online through a college).
Accelerated college credit programs aim to improve students’ secondary and postsecond-
ary education outcomes by increasing the rigor of the courses they take in high school;
preparing students for college through information and direct experiences with college
coursework, administrative systems, and campus interactions; and reducing the time to
complete a postsecondary degree and college costs by accumulating postsecondary credits
while in high school. Few rigorous studies have examined whether accelerated college
credit programs achieve these objectives. However, a small but growing body of research
highlights the potential of accelerated college credit to improve education outcomes such
as high school grades and high school graduation (Karp, Calcagno, Hughes, Jeong, &
Bailey, 2007), postsecondary attainment (An, 2013), and time to complete a postsecondary
degree (Adelman, 2004). (See appendix A for a detailed review of the literature.)
Despite the growing popularity of accelerated college credit programs and the urgency to
increase the postsecondary attainment of all students, Oregon, like many other states, has
little information about the accelerated college credit options its schools offer, the students
these programs serve, and the education outcomes of participating students. To address this
gap, the Oregon College and Career Readiness Research Alliance (which is composed of
members from the Oregon Department of Education, Ofce of Community Colleges and
Workforce Development, Higher Education Coordinating Commission, Chief Education
Ofce, and school districts and public colleges) asked Regional Educational Laboratory
Northwest to conduct a descriptive study of accelerated college credit options, participa-
tion, and outcomes in the state.
This report also addresses stakeholders’ research priorities by presenting ndings on equity
in participation rates. Oregon’s Chief Education Ofce adopted a vision statement “to
clearly articulate the shared goals for our state, the intentional investments we will make
to reach our goals of an equitable educational system, and to create clear accountability
structures to ensure that we are actively making progress and correcting where there is not
progress” (Oregon Education Investment Board, 2013, p. 4). The state has invested exten-
sively in accelerated college credit programs that seek to increase the number of underrep-
resented students earning college credit. Thus a key priority of the Oregon College and
A small but
growing body of
research highlights
the potential
of accelerated
college credit to
improve education
outcomes such
as high school
grades and high
school graduation,
postsecondary
attainment, and
time to complete
a postsecondary
degree
1
Career Readiness Research Alliance is to identify participation gaps for underrepresented
student groups and then address these gaps with targeted outreach strategies and programs.
Accelerated college credit in Oregon
Dual credit programs in Oregon were developed independently at various colleges begin-
ning in the 1970s (Oregon Joint Boards of Education, 2000) and were supported by leg-
islative mandate as early as 1997 through a bill that called for exploration of accelerated
learning models (S.919, Or.1997). Such programs are now widespread in the state. As of
February 2011 all 17 Oregon community colleges and four of the seven four-year institu-
tions in the former Oregon University System were offering dual credit courses to Oregon
high school students (Oregon Department of Education, 2011).
1
Oregon again increased its investment in accelerated college credit programs in 2005 with
passage of the Expanded Options Bill, which requires all high schools to offer dual enroll-
ment opportunities (S. 300, Or. 2005; Oregon Department of Education, 2010). The bill
established the Expanded Options program, which allows eligible high school students to
take postsecondary courses at Oregon public colleges and community colleges. Students
are eligible if they are 16 or older, in grades 11 or 12, have an education learning plan
detailing how the accelerated courses are relevant for meeting their education and career
goals, and have not successfully completed four years of high school.
In 2012 the Eastern Promise program began providing another accelerated college
credit option for high school students in eastern Oregon. Eastern Promise is a collabo-
ratively developed accelerated learning opportunity similar to dual credit programs that
involves collaboration between several high schools and colleges in eastern Oregon. In
both 2014 and 2015 the Oregon Department of Education awarded grants to expand or
develop similar programs in other state regions, indicating the state’s continuing interest
in expanding accelerated college credit programs and in increasing access to accelerat-
ed college credit for historically disadvantaged groups. The expansion of collaboratively
developed accelerated learning opportunities was part of a series of strategic investments
to help Oregon reach its 40–40–20 goal. For more details on accelerated college credit
programs in Oregon, as well as common terminology used in the state, see table 1.
In 2013 the state established an Accelerated Learning Committee to make recommenda-
tions for legislation on accelerated college credit (S. 222, Or. 2013). In a report submitted
in October 2014, the committee recommended that the state invest at least $15million in
2015–17 to provide accelerated college credit access to students at all Oregon high schools,
align high school and college curricula, and engage students and families in building a
college-going culture (Chief Education Ofce, 2014).
To date, research on accelerated college credit participation in Oregon has been limited
to two reports on dual credit conducted by the Oregon University System (North &
Jacobs, 2008; 2010) and several reports on Advanced Placement using College Board data
(College Board, 2014). According to the Oregon University System research, participation
in dual credit by Oregon high school students grew from 11,855 students in 2006/07 to
15,707 students in 2007/08, an increase of 32percent (North & Jacobs, 2010). On average,
these students completed 8.5 hours of dual credit work in 2007/08. Oregon high school stu-
dents who participated in dual credit courses were more likely than students who did not
As of February
2011 all 17
Oregon community
colleges and four
of the seven four-
year institutions in
the former Oregon
University System
were offering dual
credit courses
to Oregon high
school students
2
-
Table 1. Accelerated college credit programs available in Oregon as of January 2016
Program Oregon -specific term Definition Included in this study
Dual credit Dual credit Courses with credit awarded through a
community college or four-year institution offered
in a high school during regular school hours,
and taught by approved high school teachers to
award secondary and postsecondary credit. This
may include lower division collegiate courses,
career and technical education courses, and
online courses. Eligibility requirements vary by
college and school/district.
Dual enrollment (also
referred to as early or
middle college programs)
Expanded Options Courses offered at an eligible postsecondary
institution (either on campus or online) for
high school students to complete high school
graduation requirements and earn college credits
with costs paid by the local school district.
In Oregon the Expanded Options program is
available to students in grades 11 and 12 who
are age 16 or older, have an education learning
plan, and have not successfully completed
four years of high school to earn high school
and college credits at the same time by taking
courses at the postsecondary institution.
Yes. Dual enrollment
offered through a public
Oregon community
college or four-year
institution is included in
research question 1. Dual
enrollment offered at ve
participating community
colleges is included in
research question 4.
Fifth-year program Fifth-year/ advanced
diploma programs
College-credit-bearing courses offered to
high school students who have completed
requirements for a high school diploma but have
not yet received their diploma. Courses are
taken at the college campus, and the student
is typically enrolled full time in these college-
credit courses; this is sometimes known as
Yes. Fifth-year programs
offered through a public
Oregon community college
or four-year institution
are included in research
question 1.
an “advanced diploma” program. Eligibility
requirements vary by college, high school, and
district but all students in these programs have
successfully completed diploma requirements.
Collaboratively developed
accelerated learning
opportunity
Eastern Promise or
Regional Promise
Courses offered in a high school during regular
school hours that are developed collaboratively
between a high school and college and evaluate
prociency at a college level (such as Eastern
Promise credit-by-prociency courses). These
courses are taught during regular school hours
by high school teachers who are authorized by
the college to offer the course, for the purpose
of awarding both secondary and postsecondary
credit. Eligibility requirements vary by college,
high school, and district.
Yes. Programs offered
through a public Oregon
community college or
four-year institution are
included in research
question 1.
Advanced Placement and
International Baccalaureate
Advanced Placement
and International
Baccalaureate
Courses in which students receive college
credit or alternative college placement based
on exam results. These are also known as
No.
formalized programs. Eligibility requirements
for course participation vary by high school and
district. Credits are awarded by the college in
which a student later enrolls after high school;
credit determination is at the discretion of this
enrolling college.
Yes. Dual credit offered
through a public Oregon
community college or four-
year institution is included
in research question
1. Community college
dual credit is included in
research questions 2 and
3.
Note: The classications and descriptions date from January 2016.
Source: Adapted from denitions created by the Accelerated Learning Committee (a seven-member task force charged with examining
accelerated college credit) with input from the Oregon College and Career Readiness Research Alliance.
3
to enroll and persist in postsecondary education and earn a higher grade point average.
However, the study did not control for key differences such as difference in academic per-
formance between students who participated in dual credit courses and those who did not.
As these differences could also inuence education outcomes, the study did not estimate
the causal impact of the courses.
National research
National and state research also indicates that participation in accelerated college credit
programs has been increasing (Thomas, Marken, Gray, & Lewis, 2013). Some studies
show that students who participate in accelerated college credit differ signicantly from
their peers who do not. For example, a Florida study concluded that accelerated college
credit program participants were more likely to be female and White and less likely to
be economically disadvantaged and English learner students (Estacion, Cotner, D’Souza,
Smith, & Borman, 2011). These differences may be a result of variation in access to accel-
erated college credit options across schools. For example, small, rural, and low-income
high schools are much less likely than large, urban, and high-income schools to have the
capacity to offer accelerated college credit options (particularly Advanced Placement and
International Baccalaureate; Klopfenstein & Lively, 2012; Thomas etal., 2013). These dif-
ferences may also stem from eligibility criteria, which vary across programs and states and
may restrict participation to higher achieving students. For example, Florida, Maine, and
North Carolina have established eligibility requirements at the state level. These require-
ments typically include a minimum high school grade point average of 3.0 (a B average) to
participate in certain accelerated college credit options (Zinth, 2015).
What the study examined
This study expands the knowledge base on accelerated college credit in Oregon and
nationally by describing the accelerated college credit options available through public
colleges across the state; investigating the characteristics, contexts, and outcomes of stu-
dents who participate in dual credit at all Oregon community colleges and in dual enroll-
ment at ve community colleges; and examining the relationship between participation
in a dual credit course at an Oregon community college and high school and college out-
comes. Examining accelerated college credit options, participation, and outcomes to iden-
tify opportunity gaps among student demographic groups is important for informing state
efforts to promote equitable access to accelerated college credit options. This report does
not examine Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate participation or out-
comes because of data unavailability and looks only at programs available through public
colleges in Oregon (see table 1).
Four research questions guided the study:
1. What accelerated college credit options are available through Oregon public colleges,
and what are their key features?
2. Which students participate in community college dual credit programs, and what are
their demographic, academic, and school characteristics and outcomes (passing dual
credit courses, graduating from high school, enrolling in college, and persisting in
college)?
This study expands
the knowledge base
on accelerated
college credit
in Oregon and
nationally by
describing the
accelerated college
credit options
available through
public colleges
across the state,
investigating the
characteristics
and outcomes
of students who
participate in
dual credit and in
dual enrollment,
and examining
the relationship
between
participation in a
dual credit course
and high school and
college outcomes
4
3. What is the relationship between participation in dual credit programs in Oregon
community colleges and outcomes such as high school graduation, college enrollment,
and college persistence?
4. How do participants differ between dual enrollment and dual credit programs at select-
ed Oregon community colleges?
The analysis for research question 1 summarizes website and interview information on accel-
erated college credit programs offered by public colleges. The analysis for research questions 2
and 3 linked statewide data from the Oregon Department of Education and all 17 community
colleges to study community college dual credit participation and outcomes for ve cohorts of
students who attended an Oregon public high school and were expected to graduate between
2008/09 and 2012/13. Statewide data are available only for dual credit courses offered by the
community colleges and not for other accelerated college credit options. Research question
4 compared students who participated in dual enrollment with students who participated in
dual credit at ve community colleges that provided institutional data for this study. The
data and methods are summarized in box 1, and a full description is in appendix B.
Box 1. Data and methods
To address research question 1 on the landscape of accelerated college credit in Oregon, the study team gathered
and synthesized information from two sources: online sources on available accelerated college credit programs from
the websites of Oregon public colleges and semistructured interviews with dual credit coordinators at four communi-
ty colleges. Appendix C describes the interviews and their ndings.
To address research questions 2 and 3 the study team analyzed administrative data from secondary and post-
secondary sources on ve cohorts of students who attended grade 9 at an Oregon public high school in 2005/06
through 2009/10 and were expected to graduate from high school between 2008/09 and 2012/13. The study team
created a single statewide database by linking high school data from the Oregon Department of Education data to
community college data from Oregon’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission Ofce of Community Colleges
and Workforce Development. Oregon Department of Education data also include college enrollment data from the
National Student Clearinghouse.
For research question 2 the study team identied which high school students took dual credit courses offered
by Oregon community colleges and compared the characteristics (for example, race/ethnicity, gender, eligibility for
the federal school lunch program, school locale, and state assessment scores) and outcomes (passing dual credit,
graduating high school, enrolling in college, and persisting in college) of high school students who took dual credit
courses and those who did not. Because high school grade point average data are not collected at the state level
in Oregon, state assessment scores in math and reading (on the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) were
used as the student academic characteristics for this study.
For research question 3 the study team compared the outcomes of participants in dual credit with nonpartici-
pants using regression analysis to adjust for students’ demographic and academic characteristics.
For research question 4 the study team also linked individual community college data from ve participating
colleges
1
to the statewide database to identify which students took dual enrollment courses offered by these ve
colleges and compare dual enrollment participants to dual credit participants.
The study sample included 233,573 students for the dual credit portion (between 45,500 and 48,600 in each cohort)
and 14,187 students for the dual enrollment portion. Appendix B has more details on the study data and methodology.
Note
1. All community colleges in Oregon were invited to participate in the study; of those invited ve provided data and are considered to be
participating colleges in the study.
5
What the study found
The study found that accelerated college credit options in Oregon vary widely among col-
leges, that a higher proportion of students participate in community college dual credit in
Oregon than in the country overall, and that participants have higher rates of graduating
high school and enrolling and persisting in college than the state average, although the
study cannot determine whether participation in dual credit contributed directly to these
outcomes. This section summarizes key ndings related to the accelerated college credit
landscape in Oregon, dual credit at all community colleges, and dual enrollment at select-
ed community colleges. More detailed results are described in appendixes C and D.
What accelerated college credit options are offered through Oregon public colleges?
This section explores accelerated college credit options that are offered through Oregon
public community colleges and four-year universities as of July 2015.
Most public colleges in Oregon offer dual credit and dual enrollment programs, but
program features such as instructor qualications, cost, and eligibility requirements
vary. The number of accelerated college credit programs offered at each of Oregon’s 24
public colleges ranges from two to as many as seven programs (gure 1), with 22 institutions
offering dual credit and 23 offering dual enrollment as of July 2015. While exact offerings
were unique to each college, most public colleges (21 of 24) offered at least one dual credit
and one dual enrollment accelerated college credit program; community colleges in Oregon
are required by law to offer dual enrollment (S. 300, Or. 2005; Oregon Department of Edu-
cation, 2010). Some colleges offer multiple programs of the same type (such as multiple
dual credit or dual enrollment programs). These programs may consist of particular course
offerings, target different student groups, or partner with selected high schools. Specically,
22 colleges (of the 24 public colleges in the state) offer 34 different dual credit programs,
while 23 colleges offer 50 different dual enrollment programs (table 2). Some colleges offer
additional program options, including fth year, advanced diploma, and collaboratively
developed accelerated learning opportunities (such as Eastern Promise; see table 1).
More accelerated college credit programs offered through public Oregon colleges are taught
by a college instructor than by a high school teacher. Specically, as of July 2015, 30 pro-
grams were taught by high school teachers (mostly dual credit), 58 were taught by college
faculty, and 5 were taught by both in a co-teaching model or a mix of high school teachers
and college faculty, depending on the course and program (see table 2).
High school student enrollment in Oregon as of fall 2014 was higher in regions with nearby
college campuses, which tend to be located in more densely populated areas of the state
(map 1). In contrast, large and sparsely populated areas of the state, such as southeastern
Oregon, have lower populations of high school students and no nearby colleges, indicating
less access to certain forms of accelerated college credit such as dual enrollment.
Eligibility requirements vary within each program and across colleges, but many col-
leges have minimum age or grade restrictions that allow access only to older high school
students. For all programs, students are generally required by the postsecondary institution
to have completed prerequisite coursework or to take placement tests, similar to require-
ments for regular college students, with the exception of certain entry-level courses that
Most public
colleges (21 of
24) offered at
least one dual
credit and one
dual enrollment
accelerated college
credit program
6
Table 2. Accelerated college credit programs offered by Oregon public colleges as
of July 2015
Program
Number of
colleges
offering
program
Total number
of programs
Taught by
high school
teacher
Taught by
college
instructor
Taught by either
high school
teacher or college
instructor or both
Dual credit 22 34 22 9 3
Dual enrollment/Expanded
Options 23 50 4 45 1
Fifth year/advanced diploma 5 5 0 4 1
Collaboratively developed
accelerated learning opportunities 4 4 4 0 0
Total 24 93 30 58 5
Note: Programs are dened by the college and may include multiple types (for example, a college may offer
three different dual credit programs each with a different name and focus). Each program may offer multiple
courses to students. Twenty-one colleges offered both a dual credit and a dual enrollment option.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from Oregon public college websites; see appendix B.
Map 1. Oregon public colleges and accelerated college credit options as of July
2015, with fall 2014 district enrollment in grades 9–12
Enrollment in grades 9–12
5,000−12,107
2,500−4,999
1,000−2,499
500−999
0−499
No data
College type
Four-year
Two-year
Source: Authors’ construction based on data described in appendix B.
do not require prior coursework. Many programs also have other eligibility requirements,
such as minimum age, grade level (typically grades 11 and 12), grades in prerequisite course
(for example, earning a B or higher grade in an earlier course in a sequence), or minimum
grade point average. In many cases these additional eligibility requirements, such as age
and grade point average, are set by the high school or the school district, and college staff
are unaware of the exact requirements.
The cost of accelerated college credit to students varies from free to full tuition, with
many programs—particularly dual credit programs—offering a reduced rate. Overall,
dual credit programs tend to be more affordable per credit than dual enrollment pro-
grams, but specic costs vary by college and program. For dual credit programs students
7
typically pay a small fee per course and an application or transcript fee. For dual enroll-
ment programs, which can include both in-person and online courses, high schools often
pay tuition for students through enrollment-based funding, and colleges frequently offer a
reduced tuition rate to schools.
Specically, at least 32 programs (35percent) are offered by the college for free, while others
are offered at a reduced tuition ($10–$73 per credit) or at a at fee for the term or year
(for example, a $25 transcript fee). Two dual enrollment programs require students to pay
full tuition. In most cases high schools and colleges work together to ensure that students
can afford accelerated college credit options, with both institutions sharing costs. Col-
leges frequently offer discounted tuition rates to high school students, which high schools
often (but not universally) pay for the student. Some programs use enrollment-based state
funding provided through the high school, the college, or both.
Who participates in dual credit options at all Oregon community colleges?
This section and the next discuss results for dual credit courses offered at all 17 Oregon
community colleges. Data on other accelerated college credit options, including dual
enrollment offered at Oregon community colleges, is not available at a statewide level. In
analyses that compare students who take community college dual credit with those who
do not, it is possible that the students who do not take community college dual credit
courses may take other forms of accelerated college credit (for example, Advanced Place-
ment, International Baccalaureate, or dual enrollment) for which data were not available
for this study.
From 2005/06 to 2012/13, nearly all Oregon high school students attended high schools
that offered community college dual credit. Ninety-eight percent of students in grades 11
and 12 attended a high school that offered community college dual credit courses during
the study period (2005/06–2012/13; students were in grades 11 and 12 in 2007/08–2012/13).
2
School characteristics that are positively related to dual credit participation include having
a higher number of students scoring in the top 25percent on the Oregon Assessment of
Knowledge and Skills in math, higher graduation rate, higher percentage of American
Indian/Alaska Native or female students, higher rate of in-school suspensions and expul-
sions, and higher attendance rate. School characteristics that are negatively related to dual
credit participation include being a charter school, being located in a suburban or rural
locale (rather than an urban locale), having a higher percentage of students who have ever
switched schools, and having a higher percentage of students who were ever English learn-
ers, had ever received special education services, or were ever eligible for the federal school
lunch program (a proxy for economic disadvantage). All predictive factors were statistically
signicantly related to offering dual credit at the 5percent or better level of signicance.
(Descriptive statistics regarding school characteristics are found in table D1 in appendix
D; table D3 in appendix D contains more information on these predictive characteristics.)
Only a small percentage of students attend high schools that do not offer dual credit
courses, and these percentages vary slightly by school locale: 4percent of students who
ever attended high school in a rural locale do not have access to dual credit courses at
their schools compared with 1percent of students in urban locales and 2percent of stu-
dents in suburban and town locales.
Only a small
percentage of
students attend
high schools that
do not offer dual
credit courses
8
Oregon’s rate of dual credit participation is higher than the national average, and the
state rate has increased slowly over time. Twenty-nine percent of Oregon students who
were expected to graduate in 2012/13 (that is, who were in the grade 9 cohort of 2009/10)
participated in dual credit courses during high school. Participation increased over time
compared with earlier cohorts (gure 1). These participation rates were much higher than
the national rate of approximately 14percent of high school students in the 2010/11 school
year (Snyder & Dillow, 2015; Thomas etal., 2013). By grade level, 34percent of dual credits
attempted are taken in grade 11 and 42percent in grade 12. Over the ve cohorts exam-
ined, 53percent of dual credit attempts were in grade 12 for students expected to graduate
in 2008/09 (the grade 9 cohort of 2005/06) compared with 42percent for students expect-
ed to graduate in 2012/13 (the grade 9 cohort of 2009/10), indicating a rising trend toward
more dual credit coursetaking prior to grade 12.
Dual credit courses were offered and taken in a range of subjects from 2005/06 to
2012/13. Oregon community colleges offer dual credit courses in many subjects, including
agriculture, art, business, education, English, health, history, math, science, social science,
technology, vocational education (such as construction, mechanics, and welding), and
world languages (table E1 in appendix E lists the top ve courses in student enrollment
overall and for each subject). Math is the most popular dual credit subject, with 18percent
of dual credit students enrolling in at least one math dual credit course (gure 2). From
2005/06 to 2012/13 College Algebra was the most popular dual credit course taken by
Oregon public high school students (see table E1 in appendix E). The second most popular
subject was technology, with 16percent of dual credit students enrolling in a technology
course such as computer fundamentals or keyboarding. The third most popular subject was
Figure 1. Dual credit participation by Oregon high school students increased over
time, by expected year of graduation
Percent of dual credit students
100
0
25
50
75
28.9
28.1
27.0
26.1
22.7
2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13
Expected high school graduation year
Note: n = 48,597 for 2005/06 (expected graduation year 2008/09); 47,487 for 2006/07 (2009/10); 46,302
for 2007/08 (2010/11); 45,557 for 2008/09 (2011/12); and 45,630 for 2009/10 (2012/13). Dual credit
participation rate refers to the percentage of all students in the expected high school graduation years that
enrolled in a dual credit course through a community college during their time in high school. Figure includes
all Oregon public high school students in the expected high school graduation years.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development; see appendix B.
Twenty-nine
percent of Oregon
students who
were expected
to graduate
in 2012/13
participated in
dual credit courses
during high school
9
Figure 2. Math was the most popular dual credit subject among Oregon high school
students over 2005/06–2012/13
Math
Technology
Business and management
World languages
Health professions
English composition
Construction, welding, or mechanics
Science
History
Education
Social sciences
English literature
Agriculture and natural resources
Arts
College and career skills
Fitness
Criminal justice
0.7
1.1
1.7
3.3
3.6
4.8
4.9
6.7
7.3
10.3
10.7
11.1
11.3
12.7
13.9
16.0
17.6
0
5
10 15 20
Percent of dual credit students who took a dual credit course in this subject
Note: n = 11,060 for 2005/06 (expected graduation year 2008/09); 12,362 for 2006/07 (2009/10); 12,468
for 2007/08 (2010/11); 12,782 for 2008/09 (2011/12); and 13,209 for 2009/10 (2012/13). Figure includes
all Oregon public high school students in the years indicated who attempted at least one dual credit course.
Values do not sum to 100percent as students can take coursework in multiple subjects. See table E1 in
appendix E for a list of the top courses for each subject.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development; see appendix B].
English (English composition and English literature combined), at 16percent of dual credit
students, with 11percent of dual credit students taking an English composition course and
5percent of dual credit students taking an English literature course.
Dual credit participation by students expected to graduate in 2012/13 varied widely by
district and high school. Oregon school districts vary widely in the percentage of students
in the grade 9 class of 2009/10 (expected to graduate in 2012/13) who took at least one
dual credit course at any time in high school (map 2). Many of the districts with the lowest
participation are concentrated along the coast in the westernmost part of the state, outside
of major metropolitan areas in the northwest corner of the state, and in rural regions in
the central and eastern parts of the state, particularly to the north. Only 2.5percent of
students took dual credit courses in districts in the lowest 5percent of participation, com-
pared with more than 58percent of students in districts in the highest 5percent of partici-
pation (not shown in map). The median district participation rate was 26percent.
Similarly, examination of participation by high school shows that in schools in the lowest
5percent of participation, less than 2.4percent of students took dual credit courses com-
pared with more than 64percent of students in high schools in the highest 5percent of
participation. The median school participation rate was 28percent.
White students, female students, high achieving students, and students who were not
eligible for the federal school lunch program were overrepresented among dual credit
students compared with their representation in the general student population. On the
basis of the student characteristics for which data were available for this study (eligibility for
Many districts with
low dual credit
participation are
concentrated
along the coast in
the westernmost
part of the state,
outside of major
metropolitan areas
in the northwest
corner of the
state, and in rural
regions in the
central and eastern
parts of the state
10
Map 2. The rate of participation in dual credit by Oregon high school students who
were expected to graduate in 2012/13 varied by district
District dual credit
participation rate (percent)
0−19
20−39
40−59
60−79
80−100
Null
Suppressed
Note: n = 38,331 students. Null districts did not have dual credit participation data because they only had
elementary schools or were missing from the dataset. To protect student privacy, data were suppressed for
districts with fewer than 10 students who attempted dual credit.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development; see appendix B.
the federal school lunch program, achievement, gender, and race/ethnicity), some student
groups were underrepresented in dual credit programs in Oregon community colleges
compared with the groups’ representation in the general population of students. The gap
was largest for students eligible for the federal school lunch program. Of high school stu-
dents expected to graduate in 2012/13, 64percent were eligible for the federal school lunch
program, but only 52percent of dual credit students were eligible for the program, a differ-
ence of 12percentage points (gure 3). Although students who were eligible for the federal
school lunch program were underrepresented in all years, the percentage of students eligi-
ble for the federal school lunch program who took dual credit courses increased over time
—up 17percentage points between expected graduation years 2008/09 and 2012/13 (see
gure D1 in appendix D). For students expected to graduate in 2012/13, male students and
American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, and Hispanic students were also underrepresented
among the dual credit population compared with their representation among all students.
Some other groups were overrepresented among the dual credit population. Female stu-
dents made up 49percent of high school students but constituted 56percent of dual credit
students, a 7percentage point difference (see gure 3). White and Asian/Pacic Islander
students were the only racial/ethnic groups that were overrepresented among dual credit
students. White students made up 75percent of dual credit students but 68percent of all
students, while Asian students made up 6percent of dual credit students but 5percent of
all students.
Gaps in participation among student groups persist even when participation is measured
using methods that compare students with similar background and education charac-
teristics. Female, White, and high-achieving students and those with higher attendance
rates are more likely to take dual credit. On average, female students have a 6.5percent
Some student
groups were
underrepresented
in dual credit
programs in
Oregon community
colleges compared
with the groups’
representation
in the general
population of
students. Some
other groups were
overrepresented
among the dual
credit population
11
Figure 3. Some student groups were underrepresented or overrepresented in the
population of dual credit students compared with their representation in the overall
population of Oregon high school students expected to graduate in 2012/13
Underrepresented Overrepresented
higher probability of enrolling in dual credit compared with male students, while His-
panic students have a 2.9percent lower probability of enrolling and Black students have
a 6.5percent lower probability compared with White students (see table D4 in appendix
D). For each percentage point increase in attendance rate, students are 116percent more
likely to enroll in dual credit. Students with a history of switching schools or with past dis-
ciplinary incidents (expulsions or suspensions) are less likely to enroll in dual credit, as are
students who were ever eligible for the federal school lunch program, English learner stu-
dents, and students who had ever received special education services. (All of these results
are statistically signicant at the 5percent level or better; see table D5 in appendix D.)
Within each racial/ethnic group, male students participated in dual credit at lower
rates than female students and students eligible for the federal school lunch program
participated at lower rates than their peers who were not eligible. The gender gap in
participation was similar within each racial/ethnic group, with a 7–9percentage point dif-
ference in participation between female and male students over 2005/06–2012/13. However,
Black and Hispanic male students participated in dual credit at lower rates than other
racial/ethnic groups by gender, while White and Asian/Pacic Islander female students
participated at higher rates (gure 4).
Participation in dual credit courses differed by racial/ethnic group both for students who
were eligible for the federal school lunch program and for students who were not eligible
–15 –10 –5 0
5
10
Eligible for the federal school lunch program
Male
Hispanic
Black
American Indian/Alaska Native
Multiracial
Asian/Pacic Islander
White
Female
–12.4
–7.0
–5.7
–1.3
–0.7
–0.3
1.1
6.8
7.0
Difference between dual credit population and overall
student population (percentage points)
Note: Of 45,630 high school students expected to graduate in 2012/13, 13,202 took dual credit courses.
This gure shows the difference between the percentage of a student group among all dual credit students
compared with the percentage of that student group in the overall student body. Female students are 56per-
cent of the dual credit population compared with 49percent of the overall population; White students, 75 to
68; Asian students, 6 to 5; Multiracial students, 2 to 2; American Indian/Alaska Native students, 1 to 2; Black
students, 2 to 3; Hispanic students, 15 to 21; male students, 44 to 51; and students eligible for the federal
school lunch program, 52 to 64.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development; see appendix B.
Female, White,
and high-achieving
students and
those with higher
attendance rates
are more likely to
take dual credit
12
Figure 4. In all racial/ethnic groups male high school students in Oregon
participated in dual credit at lower rates than female students, 2005/06–2012/13
Percent of student group participating in dual credit
0
10
20
30
40
Male students (n = 120,607) Female students (n = 112,966)
10.5
14.0
15.8
20.4
25.7
28.5
17.4
21.0
23.6
29.3
33.3
35.5
Asian/ White Multiracial American Indian/ Hispanic Black
Pacic Islander Alaska Native
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development; see appendix B.
over 2005/06–2012/13 (gure 5). Black and Hispanic students who were eligible for the
federal school lunch program participated in dual credit courses at lower rates than stu-
dents in other racial/ethnic groups. White and Asian/Pacic Islander students eligible
for the federal school lunch program participated at the highest rates. The largest gaps
Figure 5. In all racial/ethnic groups high school students in Oregon who were
eligible for the federal school lunch program participated in dual credit courses at
lower rates than students who were not eligible, 2005/06–2012/13
Percent of student group participating in dual credit
40
Eligible for the federal school luch program (n = 135,812) Not eligible (n = 97,761)
30
20
10
0
White Asian/ Multiracial American Indian/ Hispanic Black
Pacic Islander Alaska Native
12.4
20.1
22.9
35.8
16.0
26.0
16.2
29.9
20.2
30.7
29.9
34.3
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development; see appendix B.
13
between dual credit students eligible for the federal school lunch program and those who
were not were for American Indian/Alaska Native students (14 percentage points) and
for White students (13percentage points); the smallest gap was for Asian/Pacic Islander
students (4percentage points).
Among high and middle achievers there was a gap in dual credit participation between
White and Black students. Students who exceeded prociency on the Oregon Assess-
ment of Knowledge and Skills in math and reading had higher participation in dual credit
courses in Oregon community colleges over 2005/06–2012/13, though there were also some
gaps between racial/ethnic groups. Among students who scored in the top quartile in both
math and reading, 35percent of Black students participated in dual credit compared with
50percent of White students (gure 6). The participation gaps between high-achieving
White students and high-achieving students of other racial/ethnicity groups were small, at
5percentage points or less. Middle-achieving students—those who scored in the second
or third quartile in math and reading assessments—had a smaller gap of 8 percentage
points in dual credit participation between White and Black students (see gure D2 in
appendixD).
What are the outcomes for dual credit students at all Oregon community colleges?
This section explores credits earned, high school graduation, college enrollment, and
college persistence for students who enrolled in dual credit courses at Oregon community
colleges and were expected to graduate in 2008/09–2012/13.
Among students
who scored in the
top quartile in both
math and reading,
35percent of
Black students
participated in dual
credit compared
with 50percent
of White students.
Middle-achieving
students had a
smaller gap in dual
credit participation
between White and
Figure 6. Among high-achieving high school students in Oregon, participation in
Black students
dual credit courses varied by race/ethnicity, with the largest gap being between
White and Black students, 2005/06–2012/13
Percent of high-achieving students who participated in dual credit
White American Indian/ Multiracial Hispanic Asian/ Black
Alaska Native Pacic Islander
Note: n = 33,038. High-achieving students are those who scored in the top 25percent of students in both
math and reading on the high school Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills). Students who did not par-
ticipate in dual credit might have participated in other accelerated college credit options for which data were
not available.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development; see appendix B.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
34.8
45.2
46.2
46.7
49.4
50.1
14
Oregon dual credit students typically enrolled in and earned 11 college credits through
dual credit courses. On average, among all Oregon high school students, each student
attempted and earned close to three college credits through community college dual credit
programs—equivalent to passing one college course, as each course is typically three or
four credits. Among only students who have taken at least one dual credit course, the
average jumps to more than 11 college credits, equivalent to passing about three college
courses. Across all cohorts the average credits earned among dual credit students tends to
be stable, ranging from 10.3 to 12.3.
More than 90 percent of students passed the community college dual credit courses
in which they enrolled. A large majority (93 percent) of students passed all the dual
credit courses in which they enrolled. Some student groups passed dual credit courses less
frequently than their peers, including Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, and
multiracial students; students who switched schools at least once; students who had an out-
of-school suspension; and students who are eligible for the federal school lunch program.
The low rate of students who do not pass their dual credit courses (7percent) may be
partly due to not counting those who withdraw from a course after registering (which is
not separately identied because of a lack of data) or who enroll in a dual credit course
without registering to earn college credit. In many high schools, students can take a dual
credit course for high school credit only.
When comparing students with similar background characteristics, the study nds that
students who are female, are Asian/Pacic Islander, had high rates of attendance in grades
10–12, or attended a rural school for all or part of high school were more likely than their
peers to pass all attempted dual credit courses. In contrast, Hispanic, American Indian/
Alaska Native, and multiracial students and students who switched schools at least once,
had an out-of-school suspension, were English learners, or were eligible for the federal
school lunch program were less likely than their peers to pass all attempted dual credit
courses. While these groups have dual credit pass rates above 90percent, those rates were
lower than those of their peers by 1–5percentage points. Additionally, students attempting
to take a higher number of dual credits are less likely to pass all courses (see table D6 in
appendix D).
The rates at which students who participated in dual credit programs graduated from
high school, enrolled in college, and persisted from the rst to second term of the rst
year of college were higher than the average rates for all students in Oregon. On average,
students who participated in dual credit courses over 2005/06–2012/13 were more likely to
graduate high school, enroll in college, and persist from the rst to the second term of
college than were all students in Oregon, although this study cannot determine whether
dual credit participation contributed directly to these outcomes. Simple percentages
reveal that 92percent of dual credit students graduated from high school compared with
68percent of all students (see table D2 in appendix D). Seventy-one percent of dual credit
students who graduated from high school enrolled in college compared with 59percent of
all graduates. Seventy-two percent of dual credit students who enrolled in college persisted
to the second term compared with 70percent of all graduates who enrolled in college.
3
A second analysis accounted for differences in cohort, gender, race/ethnicity, eligibility for
the federal school lunch program, special education status, English learner status, school
locale, expulsion and suspensions, math and reading assessment scores, average high
A large majority
(93percent) of
students passed
all the dual credit
courses in which
they enrolled
15
school attendance rate, and moving to another school. These adjusted results show that
participation in dual credit courses is positively and statistically signicantly related (at
the 0.1percent level) to high school graduation, college enrollment, and persistence in
college
4
(see table D7 in appendix D). This relationship holds true at all levels of math
and reading achievement on the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (results not
shown in table D7). Similarly, the more dual credit courses a student takes and passes, the
higher the likelihood of high school graduation and of college enrollment and persistence
(controlling for the same factors as above). However, other factors remain unaccounted for
in these analyses, including those related to accelerated college credit participation and
student outcomes. This study is not able to attribute outcome differences to dual credit
participation.
How do participants in dual credit and dual enrollment programs differ at selected Oregon
community colleges?
Understanding differences in dual credit participation (analyzed in the preceding section)
and dual enrollment participation (analyzed in this section) is essential for considering
program expansion and for setting accelerated college credit–related policy. However,
because data on dual enrollment programs were not available at the state level, this section
compares dual credit and dual enrollment participation and outcomes at 5 community
colleges instead of at all 17. Only students in the Oregon Department of Education data-
base who were expected to graduate in 2008/09–2012/13 and who could be matched with
administrative data at the ve participating community colleges were included.
In the ve community colleges in the study, participation in dual enrollment was low
but grew over time. At the ve participating community colleges, fewer students in accel-
erated college credit courses participated in dual enrollment than in dual credit (gure
7). The number of participants in dual enrollment grew from 135 in 2008/09 to 252 in
2012/13. The number of participants in dual credit also increased during this time period,
from 2,122 in 2008/09 to 2,698 in 2012/13. The share of dual enrollment participants as a
percentage of students in accelerated college credit programs increased from 6percent to
8percent.
At the ve community colleges in the dual enrollment analysis, dual enrollment stu-
dents differed from dual credit students in achievement and eligibility for the federal
school lunch program. Among students expected to graduate in 2012/13, 8percent of dual
enrollment students scored in the top quartile of the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge
and Skills in math compared with 47percent of dual credit students. The percentages were
similar for scores on the state reading test, at 11percent for dual enrollment students and
41percent for dual credit students (see gure D3 in appendix D). Dual enrollment stu-
dents had higher rates of eligibility for the federal school lunch program than dual credit
students.
Even after
differences
in student
characteristics
are accounted for,
participation in
dual credit courses
is positively
and statistically
signicantly
related to high
school graduation,
college enrollment,
and persistence
in college
16
Figure 7. Participation in dual enrollment at five community colleges increased
among Oregon high school students who were expected to graduate in 2008/09 to
2012/13
Distribution of students in accelerated college credit programs at five community colleges (percent)
Dual credit Dual enrollment Other accelerated college credit programs
100
75
50
25
0
87.4
88.6
90.090.1
90.3
8.27.0
5.8
4.4
5.7
4.44.44.2
5.5
4.0
2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13
Note: Of 14,187 matched students with a record of taking accelerated college credit at one of the ve partic-
ipating community colleges from 2008/09 to 2012/13, 12,653 students participated in dual credit, 892 in
dual enrollment, and 642 in other accelerated college credit programs over ve years. Percentages may not
sum to 100percent because of rounding.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education, the Oregon Ofce of Com-
munity Colleges and Workforce Development, and ve participating community colleges; see appendix B.
Implications of the study findings
This study responds to growing national and state interest in accelerated college credit
programs by providing a better understanding of options, access, and outcomes for Oregon
public high school students participating in accelerated college credit programs offered
through or at Oregon public colleges and community colleges. This study is the rst to
provide detailed and synthesized information on accelerated college credit options in the
state and may inform state educators and policymakers looking to improve or expand
current accelerated college credit programs. Descriptions of how the programs are imple-
mented in Oregon may be of interest to decisionmakers in other states as well (see appendix
C). A variety of accelerated college credit options are available in Oregon, which suggests
that policymakers may want to shift their focus from expanding the number of participat-
ing schools and districts to increasing equitable student access within schools that offer
these programs. Increasing equitable student access may require a better understanding
of student eligibility requirements and how different requirements set by programs and by
schools can affect participation in accelerated college credit.
First, stakeholders may want to use this report as a baseline picture of dual credit partic-
ipation to understand equity in dual credit participation and to compare against recent
expansions in dual credit and other accelerated college credit options. The nding that
dual credit students are more likely to be White, female, high achieving, and not eligible
for the federal school lunch program shows that there are persistent gaps in equity in dual
credit participation, a nding that may spur outreach programs and innovative options to
Increasing
equitable student
access may
require a better
understanding of
student eligibility
requirements and
how different
requirements set
by programs and
by schools can
affect participation
in accelerated
college credit
17
increase the eligibility and participation of students in underrepresented groups. Addition-
ally, the ndings on the distribution of dual credit participation across Oregon districts
may prompt state, district, and community college leaders to target dual credit programs
to high schools and students in districts less served by college campuses and with low
participation rates, such as those in the southeastern portion of the state. Districts in these
regions tend to have lower student populations and lower participation rates than more
urban locales.
Second, this study highlights the need for additional research on possible causal links
between accelerated college credit and student success. Dual credit students tend to gradu-
ate from high school and enroll and persist in college, but it is unclear whether dual credit
courses have a causal impact on education outcomes. Students are participating in dual
credit programs and earning college credits in relatively large numbers in Oregon. Thus,
dual credit and other accelerated college credit programs merit further investigation to
understand their direct contribution to high school graduation and postsecondary enroll-
ment and persistence.
Finally, this study highlights the need for improved data collection that would allow for
standardized monitoring of overall accelerated college credit participation rates, participa-
tion rates by credit type, and gaps in equity in participation across the state and student
groups. Currently, statewide participation rates can be easily calculated only for Advanced
Placement exams and dual credit. Changes in data collection might include the following:
• The Oregon Department of Education might have school districts ag their
Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate, dual credit, dual enrollment,
and other accelerated college credit courses in the course enrollment data they
report to the state so that data on multiple types of accelerated college credit
courses can be tracked and compared.
• The Higher Education Coordinating Commission might have community col-
leges and universities ag their dual enrollment and other accelerated college
credit courses in the data they report to the state, as they already do for dual credit
courses.
• The longitudinal database system operated by the Higher Education Coordinat-
ing Commission could be expanded to incorporate data on dual credit and dual
enrollment from four-year public colleges in Oregon. This would give the state a
more comprehensive picture of accelerated college credit participation, since the
four-year colleges do not consistently report dual credit or dual enrollment at the
state level.
Statewide data collection on accelerated college credit at both the high school and college
levels would allow for periodic analysis of accelerated college credit participation at the
state level and monitoring of improvements in access and participation in college-credit
courses. These analyses could then reveal trends in accelerated college credit participation
and inform outreach to districts, schools, and student groups with low accelerated college
credit participation.
Limitations of the study
This study has four limitations. First, data on dual enrollment were not available from all
Oregon community colleges. Differences in program denition and reporting structures
Dual credit
students tend to
graduate from
high school and
enroll and persist
in college, but it
is unclear whether
dual credit
courses have a
causal impact
on education
outcomes
18
impeded state-led efforts to collect these data from all institutions. These gaps in the data
limit the generalizability of the results on dual enrollment beyond the institutions pro-
viding data. However, because information on dual enrollment has not previously been
available for any institutions in Oregon, the results can help stakeholders understand dual
enrollment participation at the ve community colleges that were able to provide data.
Second, data on dual enrollment participation from the ve community colleges in the
study were not standardized across institutions and may be of varying quality, making it
challenging to compare participation across community colleges. This variation in data
quality can inform statewide data collection efforts by identifying essential data needed to
answer questions of interest.
Third, because students were not randomly assigned to participate in accelerated college
credit courses, all results should be considered exploratory. The study cannot provide evi-
dence of a causal link between accelerated college credit participation and student char-
acteristics, secondary school characteristics, student performance, or students’ high school
and postsecondary institution outcomes. Unobserved or unmeasured differences between
students who choose to participate in accelerated college credit programs and those who
do not, such as student motivation and drive to succeed, may explain the observed differ-
ences in outcomes rather than participation in accelerated college credit programs.
Finally, the National Student Clearinghouse does not collect data for all U.S. colleges, and
it provides data for only a few colleges in other countries. The National Student Clearing-
house collects data on nearly 96percent of domestic colleges, but it is possible that stu-
dents who attend a college that is not included are incorrectly recorded as not enrolling in
college and are wrongly excluded from the college persistence analysis (Newbaker, 2013).
If the number of students outside the dataset who are attending college is substantial, the
observed relationship between accelerated college credit participation and college enroll-
ment may be over- or understated.
Although gaps in
the data limit the
generalizability of
the results on dual
enrollment beyond
the institutions
providing data,
the results can
nonetheless help
stakeholders
understand
dual enrollment
participation at
the ve community
colleges that
were able to
provide data
19
Appendix A. Literature review
Historically, accelerated college credit (ACC) programs such as dual credit and Advanced
Placement (AP) have only been available to high-performing, college-bound students
(Bailey & Karp, 2003). More recently, however, educators have increasingly implemented
ACC programs to support the postsecondary preparation and success of lower achieving
students (Lerner & Brand, 2006).
States are adopting a range of ACC programs, which include AP, International Bacca-
laureate (IB), dual credit, and dual enrollment courses. Dual credit is typically dened as
a course taught at the high school for which a student earns both high school and college
credit. Dual enrollment is often dened as a course taught at the college for which the
student earns both high school and college credit. However, these terms are used different-
ly by various programs and states.
Regardless of how ACC options are dened, the percentage of public high schools that
offer such courses is increasing dramatically. For example, during the 2010/11 school
year, 82 percent of U.S. high schools reported having students enrolled in dual credit,
69percent reported enrollments in AP or IB courses, and 59percent reported enrollments
in both dual credit and AP/IB courses (Thomas, Marken, Gray, & Lewis, 2013). Funding
for ACC programs varies by state, with students, school districts, colleges, and private
sources all contributing to some degree. The cost of participation may deter some students
from taking ACC courses, while lack of funding options or funding instability may restrict
the ACC options available.
Dual credit and dual enrollment options
Regarding taking college-level courses while in high school, a number of descriptive studies
from individual states suggest promising correlations between student participation and
outcomes. A North Carolina study found that racial/ethnic minority students who par-
ticipated in dual enrollment programs had a higher rst-year college grade point average
than students who did not participate; among female students, participants had higher
college graduation rates than nonparticipants (Ganzert, 2012). In Texas, high school stu-
dents who completed at least one college-level course while in high school were signi-
cantly more likely to attend college, to persist to the second year of college, and to earn a
college degree in Texas (within six years of high school graduation) than students who did
not earn ACC. These effects existed for economically disadvantaged students and for all
racial/ethnic groups (Struhl & Vargas, 2012).
A Florida study found that enrollment in dual credit courses was positively related to
earning a high school diploma, enrollment in college, full-time enrollment in college, and
college persistence, and students who participated in dual credit had a higher grade point
average than nonparticipating peers (Karp etal., 2007). Meanwhile, participants in a dual
enrollment program in New York City were more likely to pursue a bachelor’s degree and
earn signicantly more college credits over the long term than their peers who did not
participate in the program (Karp etal., 2007).
Nationally, a study using data from the National Education Longitudinal Study found
that participation in dual enrollment signicantly increased degree attainment (both any
A-1
degree and bachelor’s degree), particularly for students from lower income backgrounds
(An, 2013). This study, in contrast to the New York City study, did nd differences based
on the number of courses: Students earning six or more credits were more likely to earn a
degree while those with only three credits (typically one course) were not. A Washington
state study found that students who participated in dual enrollment were less likely to
graduate high school but more likely to attend college, though it found no effect on attend-
ing college full time as opposed to part time or attending four-year colleges as opposed
to two-year colleges (Cowan & Goldhaber, 2013). In that study dual enrollment students
participating in the federal school lunch program were more likely to graduate high school
and attend college.
A causal evaluation of dual enrollment in Florida used a regression discontinuity design
to compare the outcomes of students who scored near the grade point average eligibility
requirement for participation in dual enrollment (Speroni, 2011a). The study found that
taking a dual enrollment course did not improve students’ high school graduation rate,
postsecondary enrollment, or completion. However, specically taking college algebra
through the dual enrollment program improved students’ likelihood of college enrollment
and completion. This indicates that certain ACC courses may have a stronger link with
postsecondary outcomes.
A quasi-experimental evaluation of dual credit and dual enrollment in Texas employed
a propensity score matching technique in which students who took dual credit courses
were compared with academically and demographically similar students in districts that
did not offer dual credit options (Giani, Alexander, & Reyes, 2014). The study found that
enrollment in dual credit courses in grades 11 and 12 signicantly increased the odds that
a student attended college, persisted, and completed a postsecondary degree. The ndings
also suggest that taking more dual credit courses further increased the odds of completing
postsecondary outcomes and that taking dual credit courses in core subjects had stronger
effects.
Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate course enrollment and exams
The most common way of earning college credit after taking an AP or IB course is by
passing an AP or IB exam. However, nationally only a small proportion of AP coursetak-
ers ever pass the AP exams (Handwerk, Tognatta, Coley, & Gitomer, 2008). A review of
the evidence found that students who take AP courses (particularly those who earn AP
credit by passing the exams) are more successful in college, but many studies were not
rigorous and the evidence is not conclusive (Pope & Levine, 2013). One study found that
earning AP credit, typically by achieving a score of 3 or higher, was positively related
to college grades and completion but that students who took the AP exam and did not
receive credit did not perform better than those who did not take the exam (Ackerman,
Kanfer, & Calderwood, 2013). Similarly, descriptive studies for California and Texas found
a positive relationship between passing the AP exam and college enrollment, persistence,
and grades but no relationship between taking AP courses in high school and success in
college (Geiser & Santelices, 2004; Dougherty, Mellor, & Jian, 2005).
Together, these results indicate that the AP exam score may have a stronger relationship
with postsecondary performance than enrollment in an AP course. However, another
study found that while students scoring 3 or higher on AP exams persisted to the second
A-2
year of college at higher rates than students earning a 1 or 2 and those who did not take
the exam, students earning a 1 or 2 still beneted and persisted to the second year of
college at higher rates than students who did not take the exam (Mattern, Shaw, & Xiong,
2009).
Less research is available on IB programs, perhaps because they are not as commonly
offered in U.S. high schools. However, research indicates that IB participation has a pos-
itive effect on high school grade point average and graduation (Cortes, Moussa, & Wein-
stein, 2013). Both positive and negative socioemotional aspects were found to be associated
with AP and IB participation. Students enjoyed the challenge of the work but disliked
their peers’ negative perception of AP and IB participation, as well as the stress and fatigue
(Foust, Hertberg-Davis, & Callahan, 2009). This indicates that AP and IB participation
may provide more challenging coursework for students but that some students may not
participate in these options because of perceived negative aspects.
Finally, a Florida study comparing the effect of AP and dual enrollment found that AP
students were less likely than dual enrollment students to attend college after high school
but were more likely than dual enrollment students to enroll rst in a four-year college
(Speroni, 2011b). The effect of dual enrollment and AP participation on bachelor’s degree
attainment was almost equally positive between the two options. Additionally, any posi-
tive effect of dual enrollment was driven by coursetaking at a local community college—
dual credit courses taken at a high school had no effect on the outcomes analyzed.
A-3
Appendix B. Data and methods
This appendix details the data and methodology used in the analysis.
Data
To address research question 1 on the accelerated college credit (ACC) landscape, this
study used information from Oregon college websites and dual credit coordinators and
administrative data from two statewide databases—one from the Oregon Department of
Education and one from the Oregon Ofce of Community Colleges and Workforce Devel-
opment. In addition, the study used data from ve participating community colleges (pur-
posefully not identied) to help address research question 4.
Accelerated college credit landscape data. To address research question 1, the study team
collected data by reviewing the information available on college websites for all public
colleges in Oregon. Dual credit coordinators were then asked to review the information
for accuracy. Most coordinators responded to conrm and correct this information. To get
additional detail regarding the formation of partnerships between high schools and col-
leges, program costs, and typical program development, the study team spoke informally
with dual credit coordinators at four colleges. Summaries of that information (with college
names suppressed) are in appendix C.
Quantitative data. The study team used statewide data from the Oregon Department
of Education on students who attended an Oregon high school from 2005/06 to 2012/13
(focusing on the grade 9 cohorts of 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, and 2009/10,
which correspond to the expected graduation years of 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12,
2012/13). These data include information from the National Student Clearinghouse on
the college-going behavior of all students (regardless of whether they attended an Oregon
community college). These data were matched to statewide community college data (from
the Oregon Ofce of Community Colleges and Workforce Development) to create a single
database and identify Oregon students who enrolled in dual credit courses at Oregon’s
17 public community colleges while in high school. This database was used to answer
research questions 2, 3, and 4. However, this database has information only on dual credit
participation, as other types of ACC are not included in statewide data collections. To
help understand dual enrollment (Expanded Options) participation (research question 4),
another statewide ACC option, ve community colleges agreed to provide administrative
data on participation in dual enrollment programs. This allowed the study team to conduct
a small analysis on dual enrollment at these institutions.
All data sources were linked either through a common student identication number (for
example, between the Oregon Ofce of Community Colleges and Workforce Development
and community college data) or through matching that was performed on student name,
birthdate, and demographic characteristics (for example, between the Oregon Department
of Education and the Oregon Ofce of Community Colleges and Workforce Development/
community college data). The data sources and elements that were used to answer each
research question are listed in table B1.
B-1
Table B1. Research questions, variables, and data sources for accelerated college credit programs in
Oregon
Research question Key variables Data sources
1. What are the accelerated • Program information, including student eligibility • Publicly available websites
college credit options available requirements (information veried by all dual
from public colleges in Oregon • Course cost and tuition information credit coordinators across Oregon)
and what are their key features? • Instructor information • Information provided by dual credit
coordinators at four colleges
implementing accelerated college
credit programs
2. Which students participate • Demographics (gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic • Oregon Department of
in community college dual status) Education and National Student
credit programs and what are • School location Clearinghouse
their demographic, academic, • High school performance (Oregon Assessment of
and school characteristics and Knowledge and Skills scores)
outcomes (passing dual credit • High school outcomes (graduation)
courses, high school graduation, • Postsecondary outcomes (enrollment, persistence in
college enrollment, and college college)
persistence)? • Cohort year (grade 9 year/expected graduation year)
• Term-by-term dual credit course enrollment • Oregon Ofce of Community
• Credits attempted in dual credit courses taken Colleges and Workforce
• Credits earned in dual credit courses taken Development
3. What is the relationship • Demographics (gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic • Oregon Department of
between participation in dual status) Education and National Student
credit programs in Oregon • School location Clearinghouse
community colleges and • Discipline data
outcomes such as high school • Special education and English learner student status
graduation, college enrollment, • High school performance (Oregon Assessment of
and college persistence? Knowledge and Skills scores)
• High school outcomes (graduation)
• Postsecondary outcomes (enrollment, persistence in
college)
• Cohort year (grade 9 year/expected graduation year)
• Term-by-term dual credit course enrollment • Oregon Ofce of Community
Colleges and Workforce
Development
4. How do participants differ • Demographics (gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic • Oregon Department of
between dual enrollment and status) Education and National Student
dual credit programs at selected • School location Clearinghouse
Oregon community colleges? • Discipline data
• Special education and English learner student status
• High school performance (Oregon Assessment of
Knowledge and Skills scores)
• High school outcomes (graduation)
• Postsecondary outcomes (enrollment, persistence in
college)
• Cohort year (grade 9 year/expected graduation year)
• Term-by-term dual credit course enrollment • Oregon Ofce of Community
Colleges and Workforce
Development
• Term-by-term dual enrollment course enrollment • Postsecondary institution data
from ve community colleges
B-2
The analysis sample included all students who were enrolled in an Oregon high school
between the 2005/06 and 2009/10 school years (more than 200,000 students). The study
team reports participation rates by high school cohort year (expected graduation year,
based on the year of grade 9 entry) because ACC participation has changed considerably
over time in Oregon (North & Jacobs, 2010).
Methods
Data were matched by student identication number when available and by student name,
birthdate, and demographic characteristics when a common identication number between
datasets was not available. Data were matched between the Oregon Department of Educa-
tion, National Student Clearinghouse, and the Oregon Ofce of Community Colleges and
Workforce Development for other Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest studies and
the study team began with the data les used for other studies that had successful matches.
The postsecondary institutional data were then matched to the statewide database.
Data from the sources were of mixed quality. Because not all data provided by the colleges
were used for external reporting, each individual college’s administrative data were not as
standardized as the statewide databases. With input from the data staff at the participating
institutions, the study team cleaned the data, paying particular attention to the coding of
ACC participation indicators.
Missing data. Missing demographic data were minimal. Longitudinal data were used to
ll in missing values for time-invariant variables such as race/ethnicity and gender, apply-
ing the methods described above as necessary for conicting data. Students in the Oregon
Department of Education data who were still missing demographic information (after an
attempt to ll in missing values) were dropped from the analysis. If high school scores
on the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) reading or math tests were
missing, students were coded as missing the test score and analyses were conducted using
mutually exclusive categories of missing test score and test score quantiles. OAKS scores
were standardized with a mean of zero and a standard deviation of one within a school
year.
Quantitative analysis. Descriptive statistics to address research questions 2, 3, and 4 were
calculated using tabulations of demographic and academic characteristics and outcomes
of interest with other key variables (for example, ACC participation). To address research
question 3, the study team conducted regression analyses (using a logistic regression model)
of high school graduation, college enrollment at any time after high school, immediate
enrollment in college, and persistence to the second term of college on dual credit partic-
ipation and controlling for student demographic and academic characteristics, behavior,
attendance, school mobility, and most common high school locale (urban, suburban, town,
or rural).
The study did not attempt to establish causality between dual credit participation and
the outcomes analyzed but used regression analysis to provide a more nuanced picture of
dual credit participation than is possible with descriptive statistics. The results will inform
more rigorous analyses anticipated in the future when more comprehensive data become
available.
B-3
With regression analysis, certain factors could be held constant in examining the rela-
tionship of dual credit participation and the outcome of interest. Regression analysis can
also be used to identify the relationship between student characteristics and dual credit
participation. However, this regression analysis method does not account for unobserved
variables, such as student motivation to attend college, which probably is highly positively
related to participation in dual credit and to enrolling in college. This suggests that the
observed relationships may have a positive bias, be larger in magnitude, or have greater
statistical signicance than might be expected if data were available on the unobserved
variables and included as controls to the model.
For the binary outcomes examined here—high school graduation, college enrollment, and
college persistence—the study team conducted logistic regression analyses to examine
how participation in dual credit is related to the likelihood of achieving each outcome
(for example, whether earning dual credit is related to the likelihood of completing high
school). These regression models controlled for various student- and school-level character-
istics, such as gender, race/ethnicity, OAKS scores, and school location in a rural locale.
The following equation describes the basic logistic regression model for these analyses:
ϕ
is
log = β X + β HighSchool + β ACC
1 is 2 s 3 is
1 – ϕ
is
where ϕ
i
is the probability that student i achieves the binary outcome (for example, grad-
uates high school), given X, a set of variables for student i’s characteristics (for example,
female, race/ethnicity, OAKS scores), where student i is in school s, HighSchool is a set of
variables for school and district characteristics of school s, and ACC is an indicator vari-
able for whether student i in school s participated in an ACC program (that is, dual credit).
Overall, these descriptive and exploratory regression analyses provided useful information
about the relationships between dual credit participation, student characteristics, and high
school and postsecondary student outcomes.
B-4
Appendix C. Detailed accelerated college credit program information
This appendix provides detailed results of the interviews conducted with staff members
at four community colleges, complementing the results presented in the study ndings
section in the main report on the accelerated college credit (ACC) landscape in Oregon.
The four colleges are referred to as College A, College B, College C, and College D, as
college names were suppressed.
The characteristics of accelerated college credit programs varied substantially between Oregon’s
community colleges and four-year institutions, and the large number of ACC programs available to
high schools led to colleges having unique sets of offerings that varied in number and type
In addition to the information gathered from all public colleges in Oregon, four commu-
nity colleges provided detailed information on ACC programs and characteristics through
semistructured interviews in 2014 and 2015. College A, for example, offered two programs:
a dual credit program and a dual enrollment program. College B offered six programs: one
dual credit program and ve individual dual enrollment (Expanded Options) programs,
ranging from early college to extended campus. In general, a college’s offerings tended to
arise from spontaneous relationships with individual high schools, purposeful expansion to
certain high schools, or both. Most dual enrollment programs offered by College B were
individual partnerships with specic high schools or school districts. Staff at multiple col-
leges, including College B, also described designing ACC offerings to meet the specic
goal of increasing student completions in both high school and college.
Most accelerated college credit offerings through community colleges allowed students to receive
both high school and college credit
In dual credit programs, both high school and college credit was awarded to students,
although the logistics of recording credit may differ between programs. In dual enrollment
programs built around specic college–high school partnerships, students usually received
both high school and college credit. However, in some dual enrollment programs in which
high school students enrolled directly with the college, students may not have received
high school credit as their high school was not necessarily involved or in partnership with
the postsecondary institution.
Student outreach, targeting, and support services varied between colleges
Most staff members interviewed said that their college did not have marketing, recruit-
ment, or student targeting practices in place. A notable exception was College C, which
employed a recruiter for each high school partner and asked all grade 9 students in each
partner school to register at College C. Although the other colleges did not formally target
students, some staff members believed that programs were targeted to high-achieving stu-
dents by design, primarily because lower achieving students tended to self-select out of
program participation. In one case at College D, career and technical education ACC
programs were being developed to explicitly target lower achieving students to increase
access: for example, a new program at this college handpicked students who did not other-
wise express an interest in ACC offerings. In most cases, either programs had open-ended
access, or access was controlled by the high schools.
C-1
Among the four community colleges interviewed, only College B provided additional
support services for ACC students. Specically, College B provided orientations and advis-
ing for ACC students and hired an advisor for each major high school partner. These advi-
sors received weekly success tracking from instructors and coordinated with high school
advisors.
Many accelerated college credit partnerships between high schools and community colleges were
initiated by the high school
All staff members interviewed described partnerships as usually being initiated by inter-
ested high schools. The level of coordination between colleges and high school partners
varied. At College A, college staff received no records of a student’s activity at the high
school (except proof that a student is not truant, required as an eligibility condition). In
contrast, College B required ACC instructors to perform weekly success tracking (for
example, reporting substantial absences in a week) to the college; the college then passed
that information on to high school advisors. For dual credit programs, the college either
provided qualied instructors or approved high school teachers that applied to teach ACC
courses.
College cost data on accelerated college credit was not widely available
At all four colleges interviewed, high school partnerships were described as cooperative
relationships in which both institutions were focused on student success and less con-
cerned with revenue generation. Some staff members interviewed did not believe that the
ACC programs brought in more revenue for the college than they cost to run or did not
believe that the college had any metrics on costs. Cost data were not available for analysis,
but costs may be a pertinent topic for future research.
The cost of offering accelerated college credit to students was typically supported by both the high
school and college
Cost-sharing structures between high schools and colleges varied widely. In some cases,
colleges took advantage of enrollment-based state funding at the high school, the college,
or both. This resulted in many programs being offered free to students. Other programs
offered a discounted credit cost that is typically designed to cover administrative costs
such as registration and processing. Some programs required students to cover more than
50percent of regular tuition or to pay at the regular tuition rate. At College B, high schools
entered into contracts with the college in which the high school paid a portion of its
state funding for a student to cover ACC tuition costs. The college then provided support
services and instruction for dual enrollment in addition to collecting some state funds for
the student’s college enrollment.
The availability of state funding appears sometimes to have led colleges to develop
unofcial advanced diploma programs even though they did not formally offer the
program. Because students could choose not to graduate high school even after fulll-
ing graduation requirements, colleges and high schools may have allowed students to dual
enroll in college courses and cover costs using the student’s state funds. The result resem-
bles existing fth-year and advanced diploma programs.
C-2
=
=
Appendix D. Detailed results
This appendix provides detailed results of the descriptive statistics and regression analysis.
Descriptive statistics
Descriptive statistics of school characteristics by whether students participated in dual
credit are provided in table D1.
Table D1. Characteristics of Oregon high schools by dual credit participation,
2005/06–2012/13
School characteristic
Schools with
dual credit
participation
(n 1,921)
Schools with
no dual credit
participation
(n = 1,776)
Percent of all
schools
(n 3,697)
Charter, as percentage of schools with dual 6.2 14.1 10.0
credit participation
Urban, as percentage of schools with dual 20.2 15.9 18.4
credit participation
Suburban, as percentage of schools with dual 14.4 15.7 14.9
credit participation
Town, as percentage of schools with dual 29.8 25.5 28.1
credit participation
Rural, as percentage of schools with dual 35.6 42.9 38.6
credit participation
Average attendance rate 89.2 87. 3 88.3
Percentage of students who are eligible for 42.7 43.6 43.2
the federal school lunch program
Percentage of students who are English 3.1 3.0 3.1
learner students
Percentage of students who are in special 19.8 24.7 22.2
education
Percentage of students who are female 46.2 43.1 44.7
Percentage of students who are American 2.9 3.8 3.3
Indian/Alaska Native
Percentage of students who are Black 2.5 3.0 2.7
Percentage of students who are Hispanic 15.6 16.2 15.9
Percentage of students who are White 74.8 73.3 74.1
Average number of students 381.5 86.7 239.9
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development; see appendix B.
Detailed descriptive statistics of the demographic and academic characteristics of students
participating in dual credit are provided in table D2.
D-1
= = =
=
=
=
Table D2. Characteristics of Oregon high school students by dual credit participation,
2005/06–2012/13
Student characteristic
Percent of
students taking
dual credit
(n 61,921)
Percent of
students not
taking dual credit
(n 171,652)
Percent of all
students
(n 233,573)
Female 55.4 45.8 48.4
American Indian/Alaska Native 1.5 2.3 2.1
Asian/Pacic Islander 5.3 4.1 4.4
Black 1.6 3.5 3.0
Hispanic 12.2 20.9 18.6
Multiracial 1.8 2.0 1.9
White 77.6 67. 3 70.0
Ever eligible for the federal school lunch program 45.2 62.8 58.1
Ever received special education services 7.9 20.2 17. 0
Ever an English learner student 6.7 13.7 11.9
Ever attended school in rural locale 30.9 30.0 30.2
No Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and
Skills (OAKS) math score 8.5 19.6 16.7
OAKS math score in quartile 1 5.6 20.2 16.3
OAKS math score in quartile 2 10.5 17. 2 15.4
OAKS math score in quartile 3 31.8 24.3 26.3
OAKS math score in quartile 4 43.5 18.7 25.3
No OAKS reading score 8.0 19.4 16.4
OAKS reading score in quartile 1 5.1 18.0 14.6
OAKS reading score in quartile 2 16.2 20.4 19.3
OAKS reading score in quartile 3 31.6 23.9 25.9
OAKS reading score in quartile 4 39.1 18.4 23.9
Ever expelled 0.5 2.5 2.0
Ever had in-school suspension 7.9 19.1 16.2
Ever had out-of-school suspension 9.6 22.8 19.3
Average high school attendance across all
years above 95percent 57.7 32.3 39.1
Ever switched schools during high school 17. 4 40.2 34.2
Graduated from high school 92.4 59.4 68.1
Dropped out of high school 1.5 12.1 9.3
Enrolled in college after high school 67. 4 38.4 46.1
Persisted rst to second term of college 47. 9 24.0 30.3
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development; see appendix B.
The percentage of Oregon dual credit students eligible for the federal school lunch program
over time is shown in gure D1.
Figure D2 examines the dual credit participation of middle-achieving high school students
in Oregon by race/ethnicity.
Figure D3 shows the demographic and academic characteristics of Oregon high school
students in grade 12 in 2012/13 and compares dual enrollment students with dual credit
students.
D-2
= ==
Figure D1. The percentage of Oregon dual credit students eligible for the federal
school lunch program has increased over time, by expected graduation year
2008/09–2012/13
Percent of dual credit students who were eligible for the federal school lunch program
60
40
20
0
2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13
Expected high school graduation year
34.5
51.8
49.8
46.7
41.4
Note: 61,921 students in the sample were eligible for the federal school lunch program.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development; see appendix B.
Figure D2. Dual credit participation varied among middle-achieving high school
students in Oregon, by race/ethnicity over 2005/06–2012/13
Percent of middle-achieving high school students who participated in dual credit
0
10
20
30
40
21.5
22.8
25.1
28.3
28.7
32.3
Asian/ White Multiracial American Indian/ Hispanic Black
Pacic Islander Alaska Native
Note: 62,777 students were considered middle-achieving students (scored in the second or third quartile, or
25th to 75thpercentile of students in both math and reading on the high school Oregon Assessment of Knowl-
edge and Skills) in the sample.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development; see appendix B.
D-3
Figure D3. Demographic and academic characteristics of Oregon high school
students in grade 12 in 2012/13 differed for dual credit and dual enrollment
participants
Percent
100
75
50
25
0
Eligible for the Female Male Hispanic White High High
federal school achieving in achieving in
lunch program reading
a
math
a
64.1
66.6
51.2
Percentage of all students Percentage of those
taking dual enrollment taking dual credit
Percentage of those
7.6
10.5
78.9
19.0
35.4
64.6
30.8
27.3
70.1
23.4
51.1
48.9
47.0
40.7
77.7
15.8
44.1
55.9
Note: 2,532 students enrolled in dual credit and 237 in dual enrollment. All students (11,447) included
students in high schools where 5percent or more of students had taken accelerated college credit from one
of the ve participating colleges. This analysis focuses only on students in grade 12 in the 2012/13 school
year who entered grade 9 in the 2009/10 school year. Students in high schools with fewer than 5percent of
students participating in accelerated college credit at the ve colleges were excluded from the comparison
group of all students, as accelerated college credit programs were not widely available from these colleges at
these schools.
a. Students who scored in the fourth quartile (76–100percentile) on the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge
and Skills.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education, the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development, and postsecondary institution data from ve community
colleges; see appendix B.
D-4
=
Regression analysis
Detailed results of the regression analyses are provided in tables D3–D7. Results are pre-
sented in odds ratios (except in table D6), which represent the strength of the relationship
between the variable and the outcome. Odds ratios below 1 indicate a negative relation-
ship (an increase in the variable corresponds to a decrease in likelihood of the outcome),
while odds ratios above 1 indicate a positive relationship (an increase in the variable corre-
sponds to an increase in likelihood of the outcome). Odds ratios of 1 indicate no relation-
ship between the variable and the outcome.
Table D3. Logistic regression of likelihood of Oregon high schools
offering dual credit courses, 2007/08–2012/13
Variable
Offering dual credit
(odds ratio)
(n 1,806)
Robust
standard error
2008/09 school year 1.617* 0.361
2009/10 school year 1.988** 0.459
2010/11 school year 1.447 0.364
2011/12 school year 1.595 0.498
2012/13 school year 1.04 0.483
Charter 0.184*** 0.0332
Percent of students in the top quartile of Oregon
Assessment of Knowledge and Skills math scores 41.39** 58.83
Percent of students in the top quartile of Oregon
Assessment of Knowledge and Skills reading scores 0.0918 0.125
Percent of high school graduates 9.192*** 5.726
Suburban locale 0.583* 0.136
Town locale 0.691 0.155
Rural locale 0.369*** 0.0849
Percent of students ever expelled 0.217* 0.145
Percent of students ever given an in-school suspension 2.859*** 0.721
Percent of students ever given an out-of-school suspension 1.249 0.294
Percent of students who had ever switched schools 0.446*** 0.0733
Average attendance rate 3,098*** 3,294
Percent of students ever eligible for the federal school
lunch program 0.457* 0.148
Percent of ever English learner students 0.0425** 0.0517
Percent of students ever receiving special education
services 0.155* 0.127
Percent of female students 4.103* 2.355
Percent of American Indian/Alaska Native students 53.36* 94.27
Percent of Black students 4 4.74 106.10
Percent of Hispanic students 13.59 21.51
Percent of White students 18.45 28.80
Constant 0.000228*** 0.000416
* Signicant at p < .05; ** signicant at p < .01; *** signicant at p < .001.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development; see appendix B.
D-5
=
Table D4. Marginal effects at the means of student characteristics on likelihood of Oregon high school
students enrolling in dual credit, 2005/06–2012/13
Student characteristic
Marginal effect
of characteristic
at the mean Interpretation for average student
Female (compared with male) 0.065 The probability of a female student enrolling in dual credit is 6.5percent
higher than the probability of a male student enrolling.
Black (compared with White) –0.065 The probability of a Black student enrolling in dual credit is 6.5percent
lower than the probability of a White student enrolling.
Hispanic (compared with White) –0.029 The probability of a Hispanic student enrolling in dual credit is
2.9percent lower than the probability of a White student enrolling.
Third quartile of Oregon Assessment –0.054 The probability of a student who scored in the third quartile of the state
of Knowledge and Skills in math math assessment enrolling in dual credit is 5.4percent lower than the
(compared with fourth quartile) probability of a student who scored in the fourth quartile enrolling.
Third quartile of Oregon Assessment –0.024 The probability of a student who scored in the third quartile of the state
of Knowledge and Skills in reading reading assessment enrolling in dual credit is 2.4percent lower than the
(compared with fourth quartile) probability of a student who scored in the fourth quartile enrolling.
Average high school attendance rate 1.160 For each 1percent increase in average high school attendance, the
probability of that student enrolling in dual credit increases by 116percent.
Mobility –0.027 Each time a student switches schools, the probability of that student
enrolling in dual credit decreases by 2.7percent.
Ever expelled –0.052 The probability of a student who was ever expelled enrolling in dual
credit is 5.2percent lower than the probability of a student who was
never expelled enrolling.
Ever had an in-school suspension –0.056 The probability of a student who ever had an in-school suspension
enrolling in dual credit is 5.6percent lower than the probability of a
student who has never had an in-school suspension enrolling.
Ever had an out-of-school suspension –0.026 The probability of a student who ever had an out-of-school suspension
enrolling in dual credit is 2.6percent lower than the probability of a
student who never had an out-of-school suspension enrolling.
Ever eligible for the federal school –0.005 The probability of a student who was ever eligible for the federal school
lunch program lunch program enrolling in dual credit is 0.5percent lower than the
probability of a student who was never eligible enrolling.
Ever an English learner student –0.038 The probability of an English learner student enrolling in dual credit is
3.8percent lower than the probability of a student who never received
those services enrolling.
Ever received special education services –0.070 The probability of a student who ever received special education
services enrolling in dual credit is 7percent lower than the probability of
a student who never received special education services enrolling.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of Community Colleges and
Workforce Development; see appendix B.
D-6
=
Table D5. Logistic regression of likelihood of Oregon high school students enrolling
in dual credit, 2005/06–2012/13
Variable
Enrolled in dual credit
(odds ratio)
(n 226,670)
Robust
standard error
First entered grade 9 in 2006/07 0.993 0.0169
First entered grade 9 in 2007/08 1.009 0.0174
First entered grade 9 in 2008/09 0.97 0.0169
First entered grade 9 in 2009/10 1.026 0.0178
Female 1.480*** 0.0158
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.985 0.0395
Asian/Pacic Islander 0.904*** 0.0226
Black 0.685*** 0.0266
Hispanic 0.844*** 0.0152
Multiracial 0.877*** 0.0339
Ever eligible for the federal school lunch program 0.968** 0.0112
Ever received special education services 0.654*** 0.0118
Ever an English learner student 0.795*** 0.0182
Suburban school locale 0.743*** 0.0107
Town school locale 1.084*** 0.0148
Rural school locale 0.977 0.0153
Ever expelled 0.734*** 0.0451
Ever had in-school suspension 0.705*** 0.0130
Ever had out-of-school suspension 0.860*** 0.0149
OAKS math: no score 0.465*** 0.00987
OAKS math: quartile 1 0.371*** 0.00883
OAKS math: quartile 2 0.495*** 0.00919
OAKS math: quartile 3 0.726*** 0.00965
OAKS reading: no score 0.478*** 0.0105
OAKS reading: quartile 1 0.521*** 0.0130
OAKS reading: quartile 2 0.729*** 0.0121
OAKS reading: quartile 3 0.862*** 0.0117
Average high school attendance rate 1,120*** 115.6
Most school switches in a year 0.847*** 0.00644
Constant 0.00155*** 0.000160
* Signicant at p < .05; ** signicant at p < .01; *** signicant at p < .001.
OAKS is Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development; see appendix B.
D-7
=
=
Table D6. Logistic regression of likelihood of passing all attempted dual credit
courses among Oregon high school students taking any dual credit courses,
2005/06–2012/13
Variable
Passing all
attempteddual credit
(odds ratio)
(n 58,457)
Robust
standard error
First entered grade 9 in 2006/07 1.039 0.0563
First entered grade 9 in 2007/08 1.162** 0.0635
First entered grade 9 in 2008/09 1.295*** 0.0718
First entered grade 9 in 2009/10 1.394*** 0.0787
Female 1.397*** 0.0490
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.672*** 0.0787
Asian/Pacic Islander 1.235* 0.109
Black 0.99 0.134
Hispanic 0.849** 0.0481
Multiracial 0.733** 0.0833
Most school switches in a year 0.889*** 0.0190
Ever expelled 0.779 0.154
Ever had in-school suspension 0.948 0.0595
Ever had out-of-school suspension 0.730*** 0.0402
Average high school attendance rate in grade 9 1.887 0.737
Average high school attendance rate in grade 10 3.528*** 1.311
Average high school attendance rate in grade 11 7.670*** 2.513
Average high school attendance rate in grade 12 5.505*** 1.257
Ever eligible for the federal school lunch program 0.683*** 0.0261
Ever received special education services 1.058 0.0805
Ever an English learner student 0.666*** 0.0374
Ever attended a rural high school 1.241*** 0.0480
Total number of dual credits attempted 0.973*** 0.00152
Constant 0.107*** 0.0365
* Signicant at p < .05; ** signicant at p < .01; *** signicant at p < .001.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of
Community Colleges and Workforce Development; see appendix B.
D-8
=
=
=
=
Table D7. Logistic regression of Oregon high school students ever participating in dual credit on high
school graduation, college enrollment, and college persistence from the first to the second term,
2005/06–2012/13
Variable
High school
graduation
(odds ratio)
(n 226,670)
Robust
standard
error
College
enrollment
among
high school
graduates
(odds ratio)
(n 155,645)
Robust
standard
error
Persistence
among
students who
enrolled
(odds ratio)
(n 91,249)
Robust
standard
error
Ever took dual credit 3.068*** 0.0565 1.927*** 0.0263 1.205*** 0.0217
First entered grade 9 in 2006/07 0.534*** 0.0114 0.916*** 0.0190 1.145*** 0.0289
First entered grade 9 in 2007/08 0.437*** 0.00978 0.823*** 0.0179 1.076** 0.0288
First entered grade 9 in 2008/09 0.326*** 0.00730 0.547*** 0.0119 1.138*** 0.0318
First entered grade 9 in 2009/10 0.225*** 0.00505 0.0749*** 0.00177 0.00924*** 0.000628
Female 1.499*** 0.0191 1.577*** 0.0198 1.344*** 0.0235
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.844*** 0.0351 1.002 0.0488 1.053 0.0720
Asian/Pacic Islander 0.951 0.0310 1.547*** 0.0468 1.318*** 0.0529
Black 1.115** 0.0399 2.030*** 0.0840 1.201*** 0.0632
Hispanic 1.105*** 0.0217 0.895*** 0.0182 0.903*** 0.0255
Multiracial 0.852*** 0.0373 1.120* 0.0514 0.986 0.0619
Ever eligible for the federal school lunch
program 0.752*** 0.0107 0.680*** 0.00917 0.654*** 0.0123
Ever received special education services 0.757*** 0.0120 0.796*** 0.0156 0.842*** 0.0252
Ever an English learner student 1.237*** 0.0282 0.797*** 0.0198 0.996 0.0368
Suburban school locale 0.752*** 0.0126 1.057*** 0.0175 0.961 0.0221
Town school locale 0.839*** 0.0136 0.816*** 0.0130 0.801*** 0.0179
Rural school locale 0.824*** 0.0154 0.887*** 0.0162 0.915*** 0.0233
Ever expelled 0.821*** 0.0366 0.956 0.0637 0.974 0.108
Ever had in-school suspension 1.095*** 0.0187 0.772*** 0.0152 0.734*** 0.0223
Ever had out-of-school suspension 0.943*** 0.0154 0.769*** 0.0146 0.801*** 0.0235
OAKS math: no score 0.186*** 0.00453 0.707*** 0.0183 0.853*** 0.0273
OAKS math: quartile 1 0.306*** 0.00755 0.397*** 0.0101 0.507*** 0.0193
OAKS math: quartile 2 0.495*** 0.0116 0.509*** 0.0107 0.571*** 0.0170
OAKS math: quartile 3 0.783*** 0.0167 0.692*** 0.0111 0.719*** 0.0159
OAKS reading: no score 0.213*** 0.00527 0.711*** 0.0191 0.746*** 0.0246
OAKS reading: quartile 1 0.441*** 0.0110 0.535*** 0.0143 0.585*** 0.0226
OAKS reading: quartile 2 0.917*** 0.0203 0.667*** 0.0129 0.655*** 0.0181
OAKS reading: quartile 3 1.015 0.0210 0.788*** 0.0130 0.774*** 0.0175
Average high school attendance rate 43,074*** 3,837 70.13*** 8.829 605.5*** 113.3
Most school switches in a year 0.741*** 0.00522 0.894*** 0.00737 0.840*** 0.0105
Constant 0.00178*** 0.000156 0.102*** 0.0127 0.0156*** 0.00288
* Signicant at p < .05; ** signicant at p < .01; *** signicant at p < .001.
OAKS is Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Ofce of Community Colleges and
Workforce Development; see appendix B.
D-9
= ==
-
Appendix E. Dual credit courses by subject
This appendix describes the top ve dual credit courses taken by Oregon high school stu-
dents from 2005/06 to 2012/13 by subject and across all subjects (table E1). Courses were
categorized by subject based on the course names and names of the departments in which
the dual credit courses are housed at each community college. Table E1 lists the most com-
monly used name of the course, with course department abbreviation and course number
in parentheses.
Table E1. Five most popular dual credit courses in each subject among Oregon high
school dual credit students, 2005/06–2012/13
Subject Course name, number, and top five courses
All subjects • College Algebra (MTH 111)
• English Composition I (WR 121)
• Trigonometry/Elementary Functions (MTH 112)
• English Composition II (WR 122)
• History of the United States (HST 201)
Agriculture and natural • Animal Science (ANS 121)
resources • Computers in Agriculture (AG 111)
• Introduction to Animal Science Operations (ANS 122)
• Plant Propagation (HT 137)
• Sustainable Ecosystems (CSS 205)
Arts • Photoshop (VC 130)
• Ceramics (ART 250)
• Fundamentals of Acting (TA 141)
• Introduction to Drawing (ART 131)
• Graphic Design (ART 225)
Business and management • Computer Typing (BT 120)
• Introduction to Business Computing (BA 131)
• Introduction to Business (BA 101)
• Personal Finance (BA 218)
• Restaurant Operations (HR 105)
College and career skills • College Survival and Success (CH 100)
• Study Skills for College Learning (CG 111)
• Career and Life Planning (CG 140)
• Early College Odyssey (EL 120)
• Career Exploration (HD 140)
Construction, welding, and • Basic Drafting (DRF 142)
mechanics • Introduction to AutoCAD (DRF 130)
• Construction Orientation and Environment (CST 111)
• Shielded Metal Arc Welding (WLD 121)
• Engine Repair (AM 145)
Criminal justice • Survey Criminal Justice System (CJ 100)
• Introduction to Law Enforcement (CJ 110)
• Introduction to Criminal Justice System—Courts (CJ 112)
• Introduction to Criminal Justice System—Police (CJ 111)
• Introduction to Criminal Justice System—Corrections (CJ 113)
Education • Introduction to Early Childhood Education & Family Studies (ECE 120)
• Early Childhood Development (ECE 125)
• Introduction to Education (ED 100)
• Introduction & Observation in Early Childhood Education (ECE 150)
• Introduction to Early Childhood Education (ECE 140)
(continued)
E-1
-
Table E1. Five most popular dual credit courses in each subject among Oregon high
school dual credit students, 2005/06–2012/13 (continued)
Subject Course name, number, and top five courses
English composition • English Composition I (WR 121)
• English Composition II (WR 122)
• Introduction to Composition (WR 115)
• English Composition – Research Writing (WR 123)
• Elements of the Essay (WR 60)
English literature • Introduction to Literature: Fiction (ENG 104)
• Introduction to Literature: Drama (ENG 105)
• Introduction to Literature: Poetry (ENG 106)
• Survey of American Literature (ENG 253)
• American Literature from 1865 (ENG 254)
Fitness • Volleyball (PE 5)
• Soccer (PE 5)
• Yoga (PE 85)
• Physical Conditioning (PE 185)
• Sports Conditioning (PE 5)
Health professions • CPR (HE 261)
• Emergency First Aid (HE 167)
• First Aid Basics and Beyond (HE 252)
• Human Body Systems I (HO 150)
• Medical Terminology (HM 120)
History • History of the United States I (HST 201)
• History of the United States II (HST 202)
• History of the United States III (HST 203)
• History of Western Civilization I (HST 102)
• History of Western Civilization II (HST 103)
Math • College Algebra (MTH 111)
• Trigonometry/Elementary Functions (MTH 112)
• Calculus I (MTH 251)
• Calculus II (MTH 252)
• Introduction to Contemporary Math (MTH 105)
Science • General Biology I (BI 101)
• General Biology II (BI 102)
• General Biology III (BI 103)
• Elementary Anatomy and Physiology (BI 121)
• Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology I (BI 171)
Social sciences • American Government & Politics I (PS 201)
• Introduction to Economics (EC 115)
• American Government & Politics II (PS 202)
• Introduction to Psychology (PSY 201)
• American Government & Politics III (PS 203)
Technology • Computer Fundamentals (CIS 101)
• Keyboarding (CA 121)
• Beginning Word (CAS 216)
• Basic Computer Skills/MS Ofce (CA 133)
• Beginning Keyboarding (CAS 121)
World languages • First-Year Spanish, Term 1 (SPN 101)
• First-Year Spanish, Term 3 (SPN 103)
• First-Year Spanish, Term 2 (SPN 102)
• Second-Year Spanish (SPN 201)
• Second-Year French (FRA 202)
Note: Courses are listed in order of enrollment, with the highest-enrollment course listed rst and the next
four in descending order.
Source: Authors’ analysis based on data from the Oregon Ofce of Community Colleges and Workforce Devel-
opment; see appendix B.
E-2
Notes
1. The Oregon University System formerly governed the seven public four-year univer-
sities in the state but was dissolved in 2015 after all universities formed individual
governing boards.
2. This analysis was conducted by including schools in which no students appeared to
enroll in dual credit courses in the data. It is possible that these high schools do offer
dual credit courses through a community college, but no students took advantage of
these programs.
3. A total of 159,139 students in the study graduated from high school, 93,116 of those
graduates enrolled in college, and 65,005 of those college enrollees persisted to the
second term of college. Among dual credit students in the study, 57,175 graduated from
high school, 40,383 of those graduates enrolled in college, and 29,010 of those college
enrollees persisted to the second term of college.
4. Regressions for college enrollment were restricted to high school graduates and regres-
sions for college persistence were restricted to college enrollees.
Notes-1
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education for success for all students. Washington, DC: American Youth Policy Forum.
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credit in high school in 2005–2006 with subsequent performance in college. Eugene, OR:
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North, T., & Jacobs, J. (2010). Dual credit in Oregon: An analysis of students taking dual credit
in high school in 2007–2008 with subsequent performance in college. Eugene, OR: Oregon
University System, Ofce of Institutional Research.
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Ref-4
The Regional Educational Laboratory Program produces 7 types of reports
Making Connections
Studies of correlational relationships
Making an Impact
Studies of cause and effect
What’s Happening
Descriptions of policies, programs, implementation status, or data trends
What’s Known
Summaries of previous research
Stated Briefly
Summaries of research ndings for specic audiences
Applied Research Methods
Research methods for educational settings
Tools
Help for planning, gathering, analyzing, or reporting data or research