An Early Taste of College: A Closer Look at Dual Enrollment at Shasta College among Students at Anderson Union High School District

The percentage of students entering postsecondary education has steadily increased and college participation rates are currently reported at nearly 42% for persons age 18-24. However, the demand for a college-educated workforce continues to increase and various programs have been introduced to increase student success in college. One of those programs is termed "Dual Enrollment." The purpose of this study was to determine if a dual enrollment program implemented between the Anderson Union High School district and Shasta College increased students' perceptions of their own college readiness for reading, writing, and class participation. The results of the student assessment are compared with that of their peers who did not participate in the dual enrollment program. The participants were requested to complete a 20-question survey developed by the researcher. In the survey, participants were asked to assess their preparation in reading, writing, and class participation as well as provide responses to open-ended prompts. Participants were also asked to rate their overall preparation for college level work and to provide information related to outside factors that may affect college success. Finally, students' high school achievement data were used to provide background information related to student success. With a response rate of 31%, 92 of 301 students, the survey revealed that students who participated in dual enrollment assessed themselves as more prepared but in specific areas. Dual enrolled students felt more prepared in writing and an even greater difference for assessing themselves was revealed in their preparation for class participation