Dual credit programs have been around for decades, allowing a large body of evidence to emerge. The evidence from the past twenty years have also permitted longitudinal studies that reveal the efficacy of dual credit programs in promoting models for peace in higher education. Dual credit programs are executed differently in different states. Program feature diversity and results from empirical literature also permits the body of literature to inform best practices for administration, management, and program assessment in Hawaii. Themes in the literature include a historical overview showcasing the practically incontrovertible evidence in support of dual credit programs, with recent literature trending towards specific elements of program design, implementation, and assessment. Other trends include the ability of dual credit programs to promote equity through the promotion of minority students in higher education and to increase the representation of minority students and faculty in institutes of higher learning. The literature, particularly focused on Hawaii, shows how some dual credit programs may be failing to reach objectives due to a lack of supports for students during their critical transition from high school to university. Implications for future research are also covered in the literature. Major trends in the literature are as follows.
General Support for Dual Credit Programs
The literature overall indicates “strong support” for dual credit programs since they have become more commonplace (Marshall & Andrews, 2002, p. 237). In states like Illinois, dual credit programs have paralleled legislation designed to promote social justice and advocacy in education (Andrews, 2001). Since the late 1990s, official and formal measures of dual credit program outcomes have taken into account student and parent reactions and perceptions, as well as those from educators and administrators (Marshall & Andrews, 2002). The literature on dual credit programs also demonstrates the need to engage community organizations and the media in promoting dual credit in a positive light, which raises awareness and increases parental involvement in student education too (Andrews, 2001). A holistic approach to dual credit programs has elicited substantial general support for the integration of these programs throughout a state’s educational system (Andrews, 2011; Tobolowsky & Allen, 2016).
Leadership is a key to providing the structural and institutional support pathways for dual credit course options. Literature also shows how dual credit programs have universally been “state-driven” initiatives in postsecondary reform, indicating the fusion of educational philosophies and educational practices (Walsh, Brake & Choi, 2005, p. 199). While federal funding is critical, state-driven support for dual credit programs remains the most important source of revenue and philosophical support (Tobolowsky & Allen, 2016). Increased collaboration and formalized strategic partnerships between public school systems and colleges and universities of all types have also been the cornerstone of dual credit programs, which could just as easily have been linked more to the private sector (Walsh, Brake & Choi, 2005). While each state handles the funding for dual credit programs differently, and offers different types of financial aid options, the body of literature shows that the most critical elements with regards to state and federal support include tuition support, reimbursement for transportation and books, and need-based aid (Tobolowsky & Allen, 2016). Therefore, there is great consensus in the literature related to the genesis and orientation of dual credit programs as being driven by top-down practices in government and educational leadership. Future research will reveal ways of improving the efficacy of strategic partnerships.
Goal of Increasing Enrollment
Another overarching theme in the literature is related to the ways dual credit programs almost instantly lead to increased enrollment in colleges and universities among underserved populations. In fact, increasing enrollment rates in colleges and universities is a stated goal in dual credit program development at the state level. The Andrews (2001) research on Illinois is one of the earliest studies to document enrollment trends in a single state, with the Welsh, Brake & Choi (2005) research on the state of Kentucky also using raw data to indicate the successful integration of educational policy and practice: “ to help institutions meet the state's reform goals for access and achievement in higher education,” (p. 199). Similarly, the Chatman & Smith (1998) research shows how dual credit programs are linked with a number of measurable outcomes both at the student and the administrative level. Overall, then, the research has been promising showing that participation in these programs is a “strong predictor” of student enrollment in and completion of college education (Hoffman, Vargas & Santos, 2009, p. 44).
Research conclusively demonstrates the relationship between dual credit program participation and enrollments in community colleges, colleges, and...
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