Gaining Insights from a Case Study of High School Student Performance in Dual-Credit College Chemistry Courses

Abstract

This report describes student performance in a state-level initiative that provided first-year college coursework in chemistry to high school students. Upon successful completion of the coursework, students received both high school and college credit. In this initiative, high school teachers team taught college-level chemistry courses in collaboration with a university chemistry professor on high school campuses within proximity to the university. High school student performance was measured using an ACS standardized exam in general chemistry as well as common midterm exams and was compared with performance of traditional college students using the same assessment instruments. Course completion rates were also compared. In most cases, statistical analysis of student performance data indicates that high school students participating in the dual-credit courses developed content knowledge equivalent with measured norms for college students yet had a higher rate of course completion, suggesting that this dua...