College in high school opportunities are a critical component of high-quality pathways that prepare young people for the good jobs of today and tomorrow by supporting learners’ journeys into and through postsecondary education and into the workforce.
Simply offering dual enrollment courses that provide high school learners with access to college course experiences is not enough on its own to smooth learners’ pathways between secondary and postsecondary. Programs need intentional structure that aligns secondary and postsecondary curricula and credits. When developed with purpose, early postsecondary experience, including dual enrollment, provide learners with much more than just standalone academic credit. It empowers them take the first steps on their specific journey into postsecondary education and career.
From Fragmented to Focused: Intentional Dual Enrollment and The Federal Role in Maximizing Student Experiences explores the ways in which federal policy can support and promote the growth of intentional dual enrollment experiences so learners can maximize the benefits of participation. These recommendations raise expectations from dual enrollment programs for policy and funding support, and continues to build the federal and state nexus of policy and funding around dual enrollment that will be necessary to achieve the field’s long-term goals.
This resource was developed as a result of multiple convenings facilitated by Bellwether in 2023 with organizations from across the United States dedicated to equity, education, and career pathways focused on innovative policy solutions for issues in the field today. Advance CTE partnered with JFF and College in High School Alliance to produce this publication with the generous support of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Joyce Foundation.
