A Springboard to College

Dual-enrollment courses are growing in popularity as a way to solve some of higher education’s most vexing problems.

The state’s Move on When Ready plan has tripled the number of dual-credit enrollments in technical-college courses over five years.

Successful dual-enrollment programs are built on strong partnerships, like the ones between Boise State University and the high schools it works with.

Wide access, high quality, and easy transferability of credits are among the characteristics that can help programs succeed.

Research done in Colorado, Oregon, and elsewhere suggests that the programs help more students enroll in college and get their degrees.

“Speed up” strategies like dual enrollment are vital, but they must be accompanied by “catch up” strategies for the students who need more support.