Update on Dual Credit Programs: Enrollment and Credit Attainment

Dual credit courses give high school students the potential to earn both college and high school credit. There are six dual credit programs in Washington state.  This report examines dual credit participation and high school and postsecondary credit attainment, but it is important to note that access to different types of dual credit courses varies across Washington state and that schools with high rates of low-income and minority students have more limited access, which may impact participation rates. The different dual credit course options and varied access to these opportunities across Washington state must be considered when interpreting the results of this report.

Key findings include:

1. As has been documented in prior reports by OSPI, WSAC, SBCTC, and others, students in the 2017 cohort who are low-income participate in dual credit courses at lower rates than higher-income students, and Black, Hispanic, Native American and Pacific Islander students participate at lower rates than White and Asian students.
2. Data limitations impact ERDC’s ability to accurately report on postsecondary credit attainment.
3. Analysis of dual credit participation by the expanded Asian race and ethnic categories confirms that there is variation in student experiences within the Asian student population and supports the continued analytical practice of disaggregating racial groups when possible.