Understanding the Concurrent Enrollment Instructor Credentialing Cliff from the Instructors’ Perspective: A Qualitative Study Utilizing Principal-Agent Theory

ABSTRACTA credentialing standard clarification brought forth by the Higher Learning Commission could result in the elimination of approximately half of the liberal arts concurrent enrollment instructors in Indiana, Minnesota, and other locations under HLC accreditation. Concurrent enrollment instructors who were affected by this evolution in credentialing and needed to complete additional coursework to retain their eligibility to instruct concurrent enrollment courses were interviewed for this research. Using the lens of principal-agent theory, the authors share the reasoning, factors, and commonalities behind the findings as to why concurrent enrollment instructors did or did not complete the required coursework before the upcoming credentialing deadline to maintain their eligibility as a concurrent enrollment instructor. Implications for the field and recommendations for policy changes further research are offered.PLAN LANGUAGE SUMMARYOne of the foundational blocks of concurrent enrollment (CE) programming are the high school teachers who are simultaneously college instructors, also known as CE instructors, in the classroom. However, a clarification and update to CE liberal arts credentialing standards set to come into effect in 2025, which requires many liberal arts CEinstructors to take additional graduate level coursework in their subject area, has the potential to disrupt CE programming in high schools. The loss of CE instructors and a reduction of CE programming would negatively impact students and instructors, and, even more broadly, negatively impact communities and states. We found that instructors who were not close to retirement were more likely to complete the additional coursework and maintain their CE credentials if their school administration, or a school administration who would hire them as a future CE instructor, was willing to increase CE instructor salaries compared to their teacher base pay. Increases in pay were viewed by instructors as the main avenue a school administration could recognize the additional work that goes into becoming a CE instructor by a high school teacher. Those who did not complete the additional coursework most often cited a lack of encouragement by their school district and not seeing the possibility of a return on their investment of time and energy to complete additional graduate coursework. With these findings and school administrators, higher education policymakers, and state policymakers in mind, financial incentives and policies school districts and state agencies could implement and offer to CE instructors to increase the supply of CE instructors are then discussed. Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).