The graduation gap

Trying to increase the four-year graduation rate, Central Michigan University and the Office of Student Success are looking into what can be done for students coming into their freshman year with dual enrollment credits.

Dual enrollment allows high school students to enroll in college courses for credit prior to high school graduation. While dual enrollment is starting to become more widespread throughout high schools, it can allow for students to prepare better for college courses before they’re actually enrolled part or full time at a university.

In May 2015, Ariana Conklin, 22, graduated from Central with a bachelor’s

degree in public relations, completing her degree within the four-year time frame.

Before coming to CMU, Conklin completed 13 credits at Alpena Community College

through dual enrollment.

“I had pretty much a full semester completed already when I started at Central in fall

of 2011,” Conklin said. “The classes were exceptionally affordable and it helped me get

an idea of what a course at Central might be like.” 

Katherine Hughes of the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers

College, Columbia University, said dual enrollment overall can motivate students who

may not be on the college track yet and allows them to see what college students

actually have to do.

Katherine Hughes of the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers

College, Columbia University, said dual enrollment overall can motivate students

who may not be on the college track yet and allows them to see what college

students actually have to do.

“There’s a growing base of evidence that dual enrollment students do better in college,” Hughes says. “Students who’ve taken dual classes in high school are more likely to start at four-year colleges and persist toward a degree.”

On Central’s campus, the Office of Student Success is also looking at what can be don differently for the number of students enrolling at Central with dual enrollment credits, in terms of orientation, advising and support overall.

“The number is growing and we have an opportunity to re-think our orientation and placement given the growth of these pre-enrollment earned credits,” said Jason Bentley, director of Office of Student Success. “Having completed on average this year the students who bring in credits are 14, three years ago it was 10. It’s not a small number, so we look at the data and (think) what could we do differently with that group to help them optimize their experience here.”

Nationally, the number of students enrolled as a first-time college student with dual enrollment credits is growing as well.  The National Center for Education Statistics estimated there was an annual growth rate of more than 7 percent from 2002-03 to 2010-11 for the number of college courses that were taken by high school students. In 2002-03, high school students took around 1.2 million college courses and by 2010-11 the numbers increased to around 2 million courses.

“(The) number is growing, so what does that mean for first year and the kinds of courses that students would take? Are we prepared for that shift and that some students are coming in with a number of general credits already earned?” Bentley said. “What other courses do we want them to be taking so that it’s helping them to make good progress and graduate in four years or less?”

While Conklin graduated within the four-year time frame, she said that if something could be done differently with dual enrollment credits then she could’ve taken lighter course loads over time.

“I think it would be really useful if Central could do something for students with incoming dual enrollment credits,” Conklin said. “I took 15 credits almost every semester on top of summer classes. If I wouldn’t have came in with the 13 credits I did, I wouldn’t have graduated on time.”