State Dual Credit Policy: A National Perspective

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Description

Historically, the practice of offering college courses to high school students emerged from local practice in many states and was often initiated between local school and community college districts. In many states, this practice proceeded without clear state policy guidelines, regulations, or direction resulting in variation in local practice. Other states, such as Minnesota in the 1980s, were early adopters of state dual credit policy whereby state policy provided a framework for offering college courses to high school students. As dual enrollment, dual credit, and concurrent enrollment programs and courses grew, so have the state policies that regulate these courses and programs Thus, local practices and programs described in several chapters in this volume are often contextualized, shaped, and constrained by the policies of the state in which they are located. Prior research has explored issues of access addressed in state policy components, but few have comprehensively examined issues of quality.