Abstract
Dual enrollment programs have become mandatory in about half the states. Although Hawaii is not one of those 25 states with mandatory dual enrollment programs, the state does have some comprehensive solutions for providing all high school students with the benefits of dual enrollment programs. Through policies and programs like GEAR UP, Running Start, and Early College, the Department of Education of Hawaii has made dual enrollment a reality for many students. By opting out of some of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) provisions, the state Department of Education has also liberated resource for developing its own programs, which are much more relevant to the population of Hawaii. The Running Start is the most renowned of all the Hawaiian dual enrollment programs because it was jointly initiated by the University of Hawaii system. Moreover, all state universities in Hawaii participate in Running Start. Running Start mandates that the high school students receive their college credit classes at the university—rather than through their high school. This is the main difference between Running Start and Early College/Early Admission, and also between Running Start and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. As successful as Running Start has been in Hawaii, there are some drawbacks that need to be overcome. One is that rural residents of the state do not have access to the university courses, with limited transportation options. Another is that low-income residents do not have access to the university courses because students are actually required to pay for their tuition, books, and other costs. GEAR UP is a federally funded, state-run project that ameliorates the financial strain placed on low income families, but more work is needed. Teachers are not able or willing to offer the dual credit/dual enrollment classes at the rural schools for the Early College program. Finally, the success of Project Ho‘oku‘i. shows that dual enrollment programs need to be more culturally relevant. Suggestions for future educatonal policy are offered.
Introduction
Dual credit programs have been well established throughout United States public schools. According to Hodara & Wang (2015), 25 states now require all of their public school districts to offer some type of dual credit program. By 2011, as many as 82% of all American public schools had students enrolled in dual credit programs, not even including Advanced Placement (AP) course enrollment (Hodara & Wang, 2015). However, Hawaii is not one of the 25 states that requires school districts to offer dual credit programs. Whether Hawaii’s dual credit programs need to be strengthened or not is the subject of this research. Through policies other than mandated dual credit access, the state is “committed to the availability of dual credit through a number of statewide dual-credit programs,” (Hodara & Wang, 2015, p. 1). More importantly, Hawaii has reconsidered its approach towards funding dual enrollment programs. In 2013, the State of Hawaii received approval to waive certain provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), a federal policy that was not specifically geared towards improving college preparedness. Instead, a team of Hawaiian stakeholders including educators, parents, community groups, and members of the state’s higher education network collaborated for a solution. The result was the Strive HI Performance System, which has an express goal of improving or assuring “readiness for community, college, and careers,” (Hawaii State Department of Education, 2017). These should be the goals of high school already. Hawaii has taken responsibility for student outcomes by rejecting unworkable federal education policies and adopting plans and programs that work to improve educational outcome for all residents of the state.
Access
Access issues entail cost accessibility, logistics issues such as transportation, admissions policies and barriers to enrollment, and possibly also linguistic and cultural barriers. Another important barrier in service delivery with regards to dual enrollment programs in Hawaiian public schools is information. Osumi (2010) reports that once school-based notifications were distributed throughout the state, counselors “relied on students to self-identify” as interested in Running Start (p. viii). Asking students to self-identify is not a culturally relevant or effective method of attracting attention and interest in dual enrollment programs. Students need more information about the programs, how to enroll, what the programs mean, and how dual enrollment fits into their lifestyle. The students also need to have a clear and easy pathway of enrollment, and understand the meaning of college education overall.
Economic Issues
The two most notable dual credit programs in Hawaii now are called Early College and Running Start. Running Start is a state-specific program, “a partnership between the Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE) and University of Hawai‘i (UH) system that allows...
References
Dounay, J. (2014). Dual Enrollment: A Strategy to Improve College-Going and College Completion among Rural Students. College and Career Readiness Center. 13 June, 2014. https://ccrscenter.org/blog/dual-enrollment-strategy-improve-college-going-and-college-completion-among-rural-students
Dual Credit (2017). Website: https://www.hawaii.edu/dualcredit/
Halagao, P.E. (n.d.). Exposing K–12 Filipino Achievement Gaps and Opportunities in Hawai‘i Public Schools. Educational Perspectives 48(1-2): https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1143598.pdf
“Hawaii 'dual credit' high schoolers more likely to go to college,” (2016). Hawaii News Now. 6 Sept 2016, http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/33054195/hawaii-high-schoolers-who-get-college-credit-more-likely-to-seek-higher-education
Hawaii State Department of Education (2017). Strive HI Performance System. http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/VisionForSuccess/AdvancingEducation/StriveHIPerformanceSystem/Pages/home.aspx
Hodara, M. & Wang, C. (2015). Expanding Opportunities to Earn College Credit at Rural Title I High Schools in Hawai’i: A Case Study of Dual-Credit Programs. Education Northwest.
Kana‘iaupuni, S.M. & Ledward, B.C. (2013). Ho‘opilina: The Call for Cultural Relevance in Education. Hülili: Multidisciplinary Research on Hawaiian Well-Being 9 (2013): http://www.kpublishing.org/_assets/publishing/hulili/Hulili_Vol9_7.pdf
Osumi, J.M. (2010). The influence of counselors and high school organization on the selection of participants for a dual credit program. Dissertation for University of Southern California. https://search.proquest.com/openview/afd899fb14a0d88debedc31b34ee1417/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
“Running Start,” (n.d.). https://www.hawaii.edu/dualcredit/running-start/
Takayama, B. (2008). Academic Achievement Across School Types in Hawaii: Outcomes for Hawaiian and Non-Hawaiian Students in Conventional Public Schools, Western Focused Charters, and Hawaiian Language and Culture-Based Schools. Hulili 5(2008): http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.520.4101&rep=rep1&type=pdf
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
The Challenges of Dual Credit: A Research Proposal Problem Statements Dual credit or dual enrollment programs “are designed to boost college access and degree attainment, especially for students typically underrepresented in higher education,” (United States Department of Education, 2017, p. 1). With this lofty goal set, it should seem that dual credit programs would be reducing the educational achievement gap. After all, dual credit programs by definition allow all students the opportunity
Problem Statement Dual credit (dual enrolment) programs have met with tremendous success in the state of Hawaii and elsewhere. These programs, which include GEAR UP, Running Start, and Early College, allow students at high school level to attain college credit, thereby easing the financial burden they will face in university. Moreover, the dual credit programs have also increased college enrollment rates among Hawaii students (Inefuku, 2017). Not only do Dual Credit
A similar trend was seen in many areas of U.S. society, such as the restriction of medicinal claims on products and other trends that began in the same decade. It was very interesting to find that the U.S. Armed Forces had any part in distance education, and specifically how broad the areas of study offered by the U.S. Armed Forces Institute. The student base of about 500,000 is also interesting
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