The effectiveness of a dual credit program on Black and Hispanic students in an urban school district

The limited research that incorporates a mixed-method approach on dual credit and the impact on students, especially Black and Latinx students, creates an opportunity to contribute to the knowledge within the field. As advanced courses such as dual credit have increased in popularity since the 1970s (Kravitz, 1994), many stakeholders have brought up concerns about the equity, accessibility, and rigor of these courses (Troutman, Hendrix-Soto, Creusere, & Mayer, 2018; Miller et al., 2018). A rising number of states have passed legislation to expand dual credit, which accentuates student exposure to collegiate courses. However, much of the legislation outlines little to nothing about supportive measures or benchmarks for those institutions delivering dual credit courses (Durosko, 2019). As states, districts, and post-secondary institutions boost investment in this approach, additional evaluation is warranted because the goal is to amplify the matriculation and success of students who take advantage of college courses in high school, with an emphasis on those at-risk student populations. This method of career preparation has been heralded as a universally beneficial platform for all students who participate. Based on this increased belief in the success of such courses, enrollment in dual credit courses exploded with an increase of over 68% from the early 2000s to 2011 (Thomas et al., 2013). This study examined the impact of a dual credit program on students’ academic performance in an urban school district. Specifically, the study was designed to identify and isolate those specific program elements – postsecondary matriculation, course performance, and participant perception of the program – while evaluating differences in outcomes between racial groups. Surveys, focus groups, and existing student performance data were used in this study. Subjectivism is the epistemology that informs this research and is guided by the interpretivism theoretical perspective (Crotty, 1998). Interpretivism can be defined as different people experiencing and understanding the same “objective reality” differently (O’Donoghue, 2006). Findings indicate that dual credit courses can help improve matriculation rates and the perception of a college of participants. Gaps in academic performance between minority student groups (Black and Hispanic) and White students were found among dual credit students.Educational Leadership and Polic