Leveraging STEM for Social Change

This summer, Washington STEM partnered with Eisenhower High School and OSPI to create a scalable approach to improving equity in dual credit programs.

What is Dual Credit?

Dual credit courses provide students with opportunities to earn high school and college credit at the same time. They can be course or exam based and there are a wide variety of options available.

Why Focus on Dual Credit?

Participation in dual credit programs is beneficial because it often reduces the time and money needed to complete a 2-year or 4-year degree. Dual credit programs can also help students build a college-going identity & confidence, and they are associated with a higher likelihood of enrolling in post-secondary education. But available statewide data show that enrollment in dual credit courses is not equitable along lines of race, income, gender, or geography.

By 2030, 70% of high-demand, family-wage jobs in Washington will require postsecondary degree credentials, so it’s vitally important that we support and improve credential attainment, particularly for Black, Brown, Indigenous, rural, and low-income students. Dual credit is a key lever we can push to reach our goals to ensure Washington students are career- and future-ready.

Improving Equity

Determined to better support their students, the administration at Eisenhower High School and Washington STEM dug deep into the course-taking data to understand student outcomes in relation to dual credit course participation. The data analysis revealed equity gaps—underrepresentation of student populations in various types of dual credit courses.

But both the administration and the research team knew that the data alone didn’t tell the full story. Through a series of interviews, with both students and staff, the team leveraged student and educator experiences to gain new insights into current dual credit programs and how to improve them.

Educator and Student Takeaways:

• Teaching staff (not counselors) are the primary source for information about dual credit. But 50% of teachers say they are not comfortable providing guidance on dual credit. They need support.
• Older students and peers are also a significant source (one that should be leveraged) of student information about dual credit.
• Students want their families to have more information about dual credit and post-secondary education options.
• Meaningful, reciprocal relationships between teachers and students, with interactions built on trust and respect, can improve student engagement.

Planning for the Future

With data and perspectives in hand, Eisenhower High School built a plan to change problematic patterns in student access, enrollment, and transcription of dual credit. Beginning in fall of 2021:

• 11th and 12th graders will lead student panels on their dual credit experiences for 9th and 10th graders.
• College and career staff will lead school-wide professional development sessions about dual credit to increase teachers’ capacity to advise and guide students.
• To support he Eisenhower team will support other high schools in the district to conduct similar dual credit inquiries and improve postsecondary outcomes.

Washington STEM's Continuing Work

As for Washington STEM, we’re developing an Equitable Dual Credit Toolkit in partnership with Eisenhower staff and our partners at OSPI. This toolkit is designed to help practitioners dig into dual credit. We’re also developing a strategy, and corresponding technical support, to help us build capacity with our partners to help other schools build equity across dual credit programs statewide. Given our relationships with STEM networks, the WSAC-led Dual Credit Task Force, and state agencies, we see an opportunity to leverage this work to advocate for statewide policies that increase equitable access, enrollment, and completion of dual credit—getting to the heart of what Washington STEM cares about: systems change.

Links:

• Read more in our original Blog about this dual credit project.