Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Here’s a Way to Cut California’s College Costs and Help Students Succeed
gvw_calmatters
By CalMatters
Published 5 years ago on
February 8, 2020

Share

The Varsity Blues scandal, in which wealthy parents paid bribes to get their kids into elite universities, laid bare a hard truth about college admissions in California: Opportunity is not equal.
Public educators and policymakers should take Varsity Blues as a challenge to level the playing field for students who aspire to go to the best colleges, no matter their backgrounds. They could start by giving more students access to a college preparatory opportunity that can help them succeed: dual enrollment.


Opinion 
Susana Cooper and Michal Kurlaender
Special to CALmatters

The practice of allowing high school students to take college-level courses while they are still in high school, earning simultaneous credit toward both high school graduation and an eventual college degree, is increasing in popularity nationwide for a reason.
It’s good for students, good for high schools, and good for community colleges, which are the primary vehicle for dual enrollment.
A strong research base shows that dual enrollment is strongly associated with better student outcomes, including high school graduation, enrollment and persistence in college, and more efficient earning of BA degrees.
High schools benefit from those higher graduation rates, and by being able to offer students more course options and variety. Colleges benefit by building stronger ties with their feeder high schools and by increasing enrollment and the revenue that comes with it. Any practice that increases college going and persistence, and shortens time to degree, has especially high value in California, where the education pipeline is heavily clogged.
Given these benefits, there’s good news for California: The practice of dual enrollment is more prevalent here than once thought. A report from the Wheelhouse center at the University of California, Davis, reveals that 12.6% of high school students enrolled in a community college course at some point during their high school years, six times higher than earlier estimates.

While There’s Progress, Work Remains

In the absence of a statewide data system that follows students across education segments, this analysis was made possible by an unprecedented match of two separate K-12 and community college statewide data sets.

In public education, as in life, there are few instances in which everybody wins. With its multifold benefits, dual enrollment is a notable exception.
That match enabled us to see that, while overall participation may be higher than anticipated, dual enrollment opportunity is far from equal.
Asian American students are more than twice as likely to enroll in college-level courses as African American students. And there are 1,260 high schools in California—82% of our statewide sample—in which zero students are dual enrolled.
So while there’s progress, there’s work to be done.
Fortunately, old strictures on dual enrollment in have loosened. A 2015 state law enabled the formation of dual enrollment partnerships among high schools and  local community colleges.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signaled his support for dual enrollment, proposing funds to support books and materials for dual enrollment students statewide. In an era of declining enrollment for many community colleges, dual enrollment makes good fiscal sense.
In public education, as in life, there are few instances in which everybody wins. With its multifold benefits, dual enrollment is a notable exception. But for dual enrollment to be a true leveler of the uneven playing field revealed by Varsity Blues, the dual enrollment onramp needs to be open to more of the students who need it most.
About the Authors 
Susanna Cooper is executive director of Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership and Research at UC Davis, Scooper@ucdavis.edu. Michal Kurlaender is department chair of the UC Davis School of Education, and lead researcher for Wheelhouse, mkurlaender@ucdavis.edu. They wrote this commentary for CalMatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s Capitol works and why it matters.
[activecampaign form=31]

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Cuomo Concedes to Mamdani in New York City Democratic Mayoral Contest

DON'T MISS

Mamdani Holds Lead Over Cuomo in Democratic Primary for NYC Mayor

DON'T MISS

Fresno County’s New Breeding Ordinance Could Shut Down 50 Operations

DON'T MISS

NATO Leaders Set to Back Trump Defense Spending Goal at Hague Summit

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Wildfire Quickly Contained. How Did They Do It?

DON'T MISS

Lender’s Intervention Halts City of Fresno’s Eviction Attempt at Granite Park

DON'T MISS

Clovis Unified Faces Lawsuit Alleging Years of Neglect and Sexual Abuse at Fancher Creek

DON'T MISS

Suspect in Bombing at California Fertility Clinic Dies in Federal Custody

DON'T MISS

US Airstrikes Failed to Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Sites, Sources Say

DON'T MISS

Stephen Miller Expands Power in Second Trump Term, Defies Legal Limits

UP NEXT

California Politicians Ignore Ag’s Troubles, but Boost Movie Business

UP NEXT

Trump’s Courageous and Correct Decision to Bomb Iran

UP NEXT

How the Attacks on Iran Are Part of a Much Bigger Global Struggle

UP NEXT

Groceries Are Now a Luxury. So Is Breathing.

UP NEXT

California Politicians Agree on School Money, but Poor Test Scores Need Attention

UP NEXT

Sen. Alex Padilla: This Is How an Administration Acts When It’s Afraid

UP NEXT

Bay Area Transit Systems Want More Money. But Their Payrolls Soared as Ridership Declined

UP NEXT

History Suggests the GOP Will Pay a Political Price for Its Immigration Tactics in California

UP NEXT

Only Nonviolence Will Beat Trump

UP NEXT

Gavin Newsom Finally Admits He’s Contemplating a Run for President

NATO Leaders Set to Back Trump Defense Spending Goal at Hague Summit

8 hours ago

Fresno County Wildfire Quickly Contained. How Did They Do It?

8 hours ago

Lender’s Intervention Halts City of Fresno’s Eviction Attempt at Granite Park

8 hours ago

Clovis Unified Faces Lawsuit Alleging Years of Neglect and Sexual Abuse at Fancher Creek

9 hours ago

Suspect in Bombing at California Fertility Clinic Dies in Federal Custody

9 hours ago

US Airstrikes Failed to Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Sites, Sources Say

9 hours ago

Stephen Miller Expands Power in Second Trump Term, Defies Legal Limits

10 hours ago

FTA Unloads on Fresno Unified After Skipping External Search for Chief Academic Officer

10 hours ago

Fresno Man Dies After Alleyway Attack. Police Investigating

10 hours ago

Poll: Most Californians Prefer Lower Taxes and Fewer Services, Skeptical of Gov’t Spending

10 hours ago

Cuomo Concedes to Mamdani in New York City Democratic Mayoral Contest

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday conceded to state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary election for New York C...

4 hours ago

Former New York governor and New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo speaks during the primary election night rally in New York City, U.S., June 24, 2025. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
4 hours ago

Cuomo Concedes to Mamdani in New York City Democratic Mayoral Contest

People hold “I Voted” stickers on Democratic primary day in New York, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. After months of campaigning, caustic debates and a deluge of attack ads, the consequential Democratic primary for mayor of New York City comes to a head on Tuesday as voters stream to the ballot box in blistering heat. (Hilary Swift/The New York Times)
5 hours ago

Mamdani Holds Lead Over Cuomo in Democratic Primary for NYC Mayor

8 hours ago

Fresno County’s New Breeding Ordinance Could Shut Down 50 Operations

President Donald Trump arrives at a dinner for NATO heads of state and governments hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Dutch Queen Maxima, on the sidelines of a NATO Summit, at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, Netherlands June 24, 2025. (Reuters/Toby Melville)
8 hours ago

NATO Leaders Set to Back Trump Defense Spending Goal at Hague Summit

A 180-acre wildfire in Cantua Creek was fully contained Tuesday afternoon, with CalFire crediting nearby roads for helping crews quickly stop the Monterey Fire from spreading. (CalFire)
8 hours ago

Fresno County Wildfire Quickly Contained. How Did They Do It?

8 hours ago

Lender’s Intervention Halts City of Fresno’s Eviction Attempt at Granite Park

9 hours ago

Clovis Unified Faces Lawsuit Alleging Years of Neglect and Sexual Abuse at Fancher Creek

California Fertility Clinic Bombing Investigation
9 hours ago

Suspect in Bombing at California Fertility Clinic Dies in Federal Custody

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend