Dual Enrollment, Performance-Based Funding, and the Completion Agenda: An Analysis of Post-Secondary Credential Outcomes of Dual Enrollment Students by Credential Type

Objective: Dual enrollment has become a significant portion of community college enrollment throughout the country. Some scholars have argued that dual enrollment implementation can be used as a viable policy lever to achieve the certificate and associate degree obtainment outcomes identified in Reclaiming the American Dream, a large-scale policy framework driving the community college completion agenda. However, research on dual enrollment participation and credential completion is just starting to emerge with little focus on associate degree and certificate obtainment. To fill this gap, this study investigates the relationship between dual enrollment and credential completion, paying close attention to associate degree and short-term certificate obtainment. Methods: A quantitative analysis was conducted with data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to ascertain the relationship between taking college classes in high school and post-secondary credential obtainment. Disaggregated completion percentages were collected both 3 and 5 years after students began at a post-secondary institution, and binary logistic regression models were constructed to calculate the odds of post-secondary credential obtainment when taking dual enrollment courses. Results: Overall, dual enrollment students have increased odds of completing any post-secondary credential compared to non-dual enrollment students. When disaggregated by credential type, dual enrollment students have diminished odds of completing an associate degree or certificate, compared to increased odds of completing a bachelor’s degree. Contributions: This study adds to the growing literature surrounding dual enrollment and post-secondary credential obtainment by demonstrating that dual enrollment is not a viable policy lever to achieve the credential obtainment goals of the completion agenda.