Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

18 hours ago

‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ Actor Michael Madsen Dies at 67

19 hours ago

Eyeing Arctic Dominance, Trump Bill Earmarks $8.6 Billion for US Coast Guard Icebreakers

19 hours ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

20 hours ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

22 hours ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

23 hours ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

24 hours ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

24 hours ago
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

Fresno Crash Involving Unlicensed Teen Driver Sends Woman to Hospital

DON'T MISS

Madre Fire Burns More Than 52,000 Acres in San Luis Obispo County

DON'T MISS

RIP John Harris: Fresno County Rancher, Racehorse Breeder Was a Visionary Leader Who Leaves a ‘Profound Legacy’

DON'T MISS

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

DON'T MISS

US Military Says 200 Marines Being Sent to Support ICE in Florida

DON'T MISS

Boeing Secures $2.8 Billion US Satellite Contract

DON'T MISS

Kaweah Health Names Its New Chief Nurse. She’s From Texas

DON'T MISS

Clovis Police Say At-Risk Missing Woman Found Dead in Mariposa County

DON'T MISS

Over 100 Former Senior Officials Warn Against Planned Staff Cuts at US State Department

DON'T MISS

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

UP NEXT

From Victims to Perpetrators: Israeli Soldiers’ Nazi Comparisons and the Unfolding War Crimes in Gaza

UP NEXT

Dear Mayor and City Council, Fresno’s Housing Bottlenecks Are a Modern Form of Redlining

UP NEXT

A Path Forward on Immigration Reform That Strengthens America

UP NEXT

Israel Faces Genocide Accusations Amid Gaza Food Aid Killings

UP NEXT

I Detest Netanyahu, but on Some Things He’s Actually Right

UP NEXT

Much of LA’s Community of Immigrants Is Hiding, Leaving a Hole in the Fabric of the City

UP NEXT

Things Netanyahu Might Say if Injected With Truth Serum

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

Madre Fire Burns More Than 52,000 Acres in San Luis Obispo County

15 hours ago

RIP John Harris: Fresno County Rancher, Racehorse Breeder Was a Visionary Leader Who Leaves a ‘Profound Legacy’

15 hours ago

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

16 hours ago

US Military Says 200 Marines Being Sent to Support ICE in Florida

16 hours ago

Boeing Secures $2.8 Billion US Satellite Contract

17 hours ago

Kaweah Health Names Its New Chief Nurse. She’s From Texas

17 hours ago

Clovis Police Say At-Risk Missing Woman Found Dead in Mariposa County

17 hours ago

Over 100 Former Senior Officials Warn Against Planned Staff Cuts at US State Department

17 hours ago

US Electric Vehicle Tax Breaks Will Expire on Sept. 30

18 hours ago

‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Kill Bill’ Actor Michael Madsen Dies at 67

19 hours ago

Fresno Police to Conduct DUI Checkpoint on Fourth of July, Boost Holiday Patrols

The Fresno Police Department will step up enforcement efforts this Fourth of July, deploying additional patrols and setting up a DUI checkpo...

1 hour ago

1 hour ago

Fresno Police to Conduct DUI Checkpoint on Fourth of July, Boost Holiday Patrols

2 hours ago

July 4th Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of the Founding Fathers

A crash causes a traffic jam in northwest Fresno on Thursday, July 3, 2025. (GV Wire/Paul Marshall)
14 hours ago

Fresno Crash Involving Unlicensed Teen Driver Sends Woman to Hospital

The Madre Fire near New Cuyama has burned 52,593 acres with 5% containment, prompting evacuation orders in several San Luis Obispo County zones as of Thursday, July 3, 2025, afternoon. (CalFire)
15 hours ago

Madre Fire Burns More Than 52,000 Acres in San Luis Obispo County

15 hours ago

RIP John Harris: Fresno County Rancher, Racehorse Breeder Was a Visionary Leader Who Leaves a ‘Profound Legacy’

16 hours ago

Valadao, Costa Spar on What Passage of Trump’s Bill Means for Medicaid Recipients

An ICE agent talks with migrants about their scheduled appointments with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Father’s Day, to learn about their immigration status, in Chicago, Illinois., U.S., June 15, 2025. (Reuters File)
16 hours ago

US Military Says 200 Marines Being Sent to Support ICE in Florida

Boeing logo and miniature satellite model are seen in this illustration taken, March 10, 2025. (Reuters File)
17 hours ago

Boeing Secures $2.8 Billion US Satellite Contract

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

Search

Send this to a friend