ORCID Identifier(s)

0000-0002-9034-4653

Graduation Semester and Year

2019

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Department

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

First Advisor

W. Bradley Davis

Abstract

Dual credit is a rapidly-expanding coursework option for high school students that provides a means to early college credit and is also touted as a strategy to increase postsecondary readiness. However, existing studies that tie dual credit to college preparation rely upon indicators such as enrollment, achievement, and completion of degrees; they stop short of a full evaluation of readiness by not including the variety of competencies that are necessary for college success. This dissertation presents three studies that seek to explore links between dual credit participation and an established framework for college readiness. The first is a quantitative analysis of grades in college courses after prerequisites were obtained through dual credit or other methods. The second is a qualitative examination of the lived experience of dual credit instructors who work within the high school campus. The final article is a mixed methods case study that explores an innovative dual credit program designed to facilitate an associate degree while students attend a comprehensive high school. Through the three studies, I tie dual credit participation to numerous college readiness proficiencies, and I discuss possible areas of improvement for the consideration of practitioners and areas suggestions for the future work of researchers.

Keywords

Dual credit, College readiness, Embedded dual credit, Follow-on course, Postsecondary readiness, Associate degree

Disciplines

Education | Educational Leadership

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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