Thetwoprimarymodesofdeliveryfordualcreditcoursesareclassroomandavarietyofonlineoptions. Course‐leveldatawerecollectedfromhighschoolsandIHEsbymodeofdeliverytoreconstructseparate costestimatesforclassroomandonlineinstruction.Itisimportanttonotethatallanalysesandresults forthisresearchsubquestionarebasedonlyondatacollectedfromthestudysample.Resultshavenot beenextrapolatedstatewide.
Table36presentstheparticipationincoursesfordualcreditandper‐credit‐hourcostsforclassroomand onlinedeliverymodesforIHEs.Basedonreporteddata,onlinecoursesweremoreexpensivethan classroomdeliverymodels.Thecostpercredithourwas$124.84foronlinecourses,24%higherthanthe costof$103.20forclassroominstruction.32
32
Table36.CostPerCreditHourbyModeofCourseDelivery,IHEs,2009–10 Classroom
(N=12)
Online (N=11)
Enrollmentincoursesfordualcredit 26,924 9,275
Numberofcoursesections 3,023 735
Numberofcredithoursattemptedfordualcredit 82,292 27,828 Instructionalpayrollcostpercredithourattemptedfordual
credit $62.24 $84.06
Textbookcostpercredithourattemptedfordualcredit $39.85 $38.84 Othercoursecostspercredithourattemptedfordualcredit $1.11 $1.94
Totalcoursecostpercredithourattemptedfordualcredit $103.20 $124.84 Source: IHEsupplementaldatacollection,2011;AEIS,2009–10
BasedontheIHEssampled,twofactorsappeartoexplainthisunusualresult:
• MostIHEsreportedthatthesameormoreprofessoreffortwasrequiredforonlineinstruction relativetoclassroominstruction.Toestimatetheprofessortimeinanonlinedeliverymodel, IHEswereaskedtoprovideapercentageofclassroomeffortthatisdevotedtoanonlinecourse. OnlyoneIHEreportedapercentage(60%)thatwassubstantiallylessthanaclassroomeffort. MostIHEsreportedthesame(100%)effort,andsomereportedupto150%ofclassroomeffort. Follow‐upcallsweremadetovalidateIHEresponsestoensurethatthedatarequestwas understood.IHErepresentativesvalidatedtheirpercentagesandstatedthatformanycourses, professorsactuallyspendmoretimecommunicatingwithstudentsindividuallyinanonline setting.
• Theaverageclass(section)sizeforonlinecourseswassmallerthanforclassroomcourses. Onlinecoursesaveraged21.6studentspersection.Classroomcoursesaveraged30.1students persection.ForamajorityofIHEs,thesameorhighercostlevelsweredispersedamongfewer students,resultinginhigherper‐credit‐hourcostsforonlinedelivery.Coursesofferedonline havetheabilitytoreachalargernumberofstudentsthanthoseofferedthroughclassroom delivery,butbasedontheIHEssampled,the“averageclasssize”ofonlinesectionsissmaller thantheaverageclassroomsection.
Communitycollegeonlinemodelswerelessexpensivethanuniversitymodels,primarily
becauseofdifferencesinaverageprofessorpayandbecausetwoofthethreeuniversities
reportedmorethan100%ofprofessorclassroomeffortfortheironlinecourses.
Inhighschools,thecostdifferentialforonlinecourseswaslargerthanforIHEs.Eightofthe18high schoolsreportedonlinecoursesasthemodeofdeliveryfordualcredit,andtwohighschoolsreported deliveringonlyonlinecoursesfordualcredit.Coursecostforclassroomdeliverymodelsathighschools was$139.16percredithour,comparedwith$200.78percredithourforonlineinstruction(seeTable 37).Allonlinecoursesreportedbythehighschoolsincludedinthesampleweretaughtbyacollege professor.
Table37.CostPerCreditHourbyModeofCourseDelivery,HighSchools,2009–10 Classroom
(N=16)
Online (N=8)
Enrollmentincoursesfordualcredit 3,125 648
Numberofcoursesections 189 67
Numberofcredithoursattemptedfordualcredit 9,770 1,946 Instructionalpayrollcostpercredithourattemptedfordual
credit $118.89 $170.32
Textbookcostpercredithourattemptedfordualcredit $19.96 $30.46 Othercoursecostspercredithourattemptedfordualcredit $0.31 $0
Totalcoursecostpercredithourattemptedfordualcredit $139.16 $200.78 Source: LEAandhighschoolsupplementaldatacollection,2011
Themajorityofthedifferenceincostrelatestosmallersectionsizesforonlinecourses.Theaverage numberofstudentsperhighschoolonlinesectionwas9.7,andtheaveragenumberofstudentsper section/classinthehighschoolclassroomdeliverymodelwas17.8.
Summary
AsummaryoffindingsrelatedtohowdualcreditprogramsarefundedinTexasandthecostof
deliveringcoursesfordualcredittohighschoolstudentsinTexasarepresentedbelow.Itisimportantto emphasizethatthesefindingsareexploratoryinnatureandshouldbeinterpretedwithcautionbecause oftherelativelysmallsamplesusedtoextrapolatefindingstothestate.
CostsofDeliveringCoursesforDualCreditandTheirDistributionAcrossParticipantsandFunders.The analysisofthecostsofdeliveringcoursesfordualcredityieldedthefollowingfindings:
• ThestateofTexas,throughstateappropriationstocommunitycollegesand statefundingto LEAs,paysforthemajority(60.9%)ofcostsassociatedwithdualcreditcoursesforhighschool students.
• Ofthestatefundsusedfordualcredit,approximately59%weredistributedtoLEAsthrough funding,andtheremaining41%wereprovidedtocommunitycollegesthroughstate
appropriations.
• Asubstantialproportion(32%)ofstate fundsusedbyLEAstosupportdualcreditwereutilized topayfortuitionandfeestoIHEsonbehalfofstudents(19%)andfortextbooks(13%)for coursesfordualcredit.
• Local(e.g.,localtaxes,dualcredittuitionwaiversandscholarships,endowmentfundsforneedy students)andotherfunds(e.g.,privatefoundationgrants)usedbycommunitycollegesaccount forapproximately12.8%ofcostsassociatedwithdeliveringcoursesfordualcredittohigh schoolstudentsinTexas.
• Local(e.g.,localtaxes)andotherfundsusedbyLEAsaccountforapproximately5.9%ofcosts associatedwithdeliveringcoursesfordualcredittohighschoolstudentsinTexas.
• SampledLEAsindicatedthattheydonotrecouptuitionandfeesortextbookcostpayments fromstudentsforcoursesfordualcredit.
• SampledLEAsrarelyreportedthattheyprovidetransportationforstudentstakingcoursesfor dualcreditatnearbyIHEs.Thesetransportationcostsarebornebystudentsandtheirfamilies.
• Studentsandtheirfamiliespayforanestimated18.3%ofcostsassociatedwithdualcredit coursesthroughthepaymentoftuitionandfeestocommunitycollegesandthepurchaseof coursetextbooks.
• Thelargestproportionofstudent‐paidcostsforcoursesfordualcredit(64%)isaccountedforby paymentsforcoursetextbooks,whichaverageapproximately$120–$125percourse.
• Thirty‐sixpercentofstudent‐paidexpensesforcoursesfordualcreditareaccountedforby tuitionandfeepaymentstoIHEs.
• Federalfundscoverasmallproportion(2.2%)ofthecostofdualcreditprograms,andthevast majorityofthesefederalfunds(97%)wereusedbyLEAs.
InstructionalCostsPerStudentCreditHourforHoursAttemptedonHighSchoolandCommunity CollegeCampuses.Keyfindingsrelatedtoinstructionalcostsaresummarizedbelow.
• Forthestudysample,thetotalprogramcostpercredithouratIHEsisapproximately$125,with 87%representingcoursedeliverycostsand13%representingprogramadministrationcosts.
• Thevastmajorityofcoursedeliverycostsaccountforinstructionalpayroll(62.3%)and textbooks(36.5%)inthestudysample.
• Themostsignificantfactorcontributingtothehighercostathighschoolswastheaverage class/sectionsize.Theaverageclasssizeforhighschooldualcreditcourseswas15.7;forIHEs,it was28.4.
• Thecostdifferenceduetoclasssizewasoffsetpartiallybyotherfactorsincludinghigher textbookcostsandhighersalarylevelsattheIHEs.
• Thecostpercredithourforindividualhighschoolssampledrangedfrom$80.11to$280.74and largelyreflectedthedifferenceinaverageclasssize(46.0atthelowestcostschooland6.0at thehighestcostschool).CostpercredithouratindividualIHEsrangedfrom$88.70to$235.33 forcollegesinthesample.
• Varianceininstructionalcostspercredithourwasduetodifferencesinsalarylevels,average classsizes,andaveragetextbookcosts―allofwhichvariedamongcommunitycollegesand four‐yearinstitutions.
VarianceintheCostforCoursesforDualCreditbyTypeofIHE,LEASize,andStudentEnrollment.The costofcoursesfordualcreditvariedbytypeofIHE,LEAsize,andstudentenrollment,campusAEIS ratings,andpercentageofeconomicallydisadvantagedstudents.
• Totaldirectprogramcostspercredithourattemptedfordualcreditweresubstantiallyhigher (58%)atfour‐yearuniversities($189)thanatcommunitycolleges($120)forthestudysample.
• Forthestudysample,differentialcostdriversbetweencommunitycollegesandfour‐year universitiesincludedifferencesinprofessorsalaries(meancommunitycollegeprofessorsalary
was$50,795comparedwith$71,721atfour‐yearuniversities)anddifferencesinprogram administrationcostscostpercredithour(administrationcostsweredistributedoverahigher numberofcredithoursattemptedatcommunitycolleges).
• Coursecostspercredithourattemptedfordualcreditwereslightlylowerforlargerhighschools ($145)thanforsmallerhighschools($154)inthesample.
• Differencesincostspercredithourattemptedfordualcreditwereobservedonhighschool campusesinthesamplewithAcceptable($196),Recognized($155),andExemplary($125)AEIS ratings.Costdifferentialsmaybeexplainedbyseveralfactorsincludinglargeraverageclasssizes atExemplaryschools(possiblydueinparttomorestudentsbeingeligibleforcoursesfordual creditatthesehigherperformingschools)andlowerreportedtextbookcostsatExemplary schools.
• Inthestudysample,highschoolswithhigherproportionsofeconomicallydisadvantaged studentsthanthestateaverage(59%)hadlowercostspercredithourattemptedfordualcredit ($138)comparedwithcampuseswithsmallerproportionsofeconomicallydisadvantaged students($162).Thisvariationwasdrivenprimarilybydifferencesinclass/sectionsizeand instructionalpayrollcostspercredithourattempted.
Cost‐EffectivenessofCoursesforDualCreditbyVariousModesofDelivery.Thecosteffectivenessof coursesfordualcreditvariedbymodeofdelivery(deliveredonanIHEcampus,deliveryonhighschool campus,andonlinedelivery).
• Inthestudysample,differenceswereobservedinthetotalcostpercredithourattemptedfor dualcreditforthetwoprimarymodesofdeliveringcoursesfordualcredit.Thecostpercredit hourforcoursesfordualcreditdeliveredinanIHEclassroomwas$100comparedto$125for thedeliveryofIHEonlinecourses.
• Twofactorshelpedtoexplainthedifferencesincostbymodeofdelivery.First,theproportion oftimespentbyteachersofonlinecourseswasgreaterthanthesameefforttodeliverthe courseinaface‐to‐faceenvironment.Onepossibleexplanationofthisfindingisthatinstructors mayneedmoretimeforcommunicatingwithstudentsindividuallyinanonlinesetting.Second, theaveragecoursesectionsizeforonlinecourseswassmaller(average21.6studentsper section)thanforclassroomcourses(average30.1studentspersection).
• Theonlinedeliverymodealsowasmoreexpensivewhendeliveredthroughhighschools,witha coursecostpercredithourof$201foronlinedeliveryversus$139forclassroomdelivery (largelyexplainedbyclasssectionsize).