Degree completion and acceleration rates of Iowa community colleges' concurrent enrollment students

Abstract

The appeal of concurrent enrollment programs is widespread in Iowa and throughout the United States. The fifteen Community Colleges in Iowa provide extensive opportunities for high school students to enroll in and successfully complete college credit courses while in high school. Accountability in all educational programs is increasing, concurrent enrollment (dual credit) programs must meet the challenge and be able to stand up to scrutiny. Any program that does not have data to support progress and academic gain is in jeopardy of being phased out and dual enrollment programs are not exempt from this scrutiny (Burns & Lewis, 2000). The significance of this study lies in the fact that despite the increase in concurrent enrollment programs and the attention that has been given to them in the state of Iowa, virtually no research has been undertaken to examine the impact of participation in these programs on college persistence, degree completion and acceleration rates. This study focused on two benefits to participating in concurrent enrollment programs that of degree attainment and accelerated progress towards the degree. The purpose of this quantitative study was to: (1) develop a profile of the demographic characteristics of Iowa’s concurrent enrollment students; (2) develop a profile of the demographic characteristics of concurrent enrollment students who complete a degree, diploma or certificate at an Iowa community college; (3) determine the effects of gender, ethnicity, and student status (arts and sciences versus career and technical) and student intent/goal at registration (transfer to college or university or prepare to enter the job market) on degree completion and