Basedonareviewofthestudyfindings,thefollowingpolicyrecommendationsaboutthesupplyof, demandfor,andaccesstoprogramsandcoursesfordualcreditareofferedforconsiderationbythe 82ndTexasLegislature.TherecommendationsareorganizedbykeypolicyquestionsposedbyTEAinthe requestforproposalstoconductthecurrentstudyofTexasdualcreditprogramsandcourses.
1. Howcanthestateprovideeachstudenttheopportunitytoearn12semestercredithoursofcollege creditbeforegraduatinghighschool?
Thisquestionisprimarilyaboutthesupplyofcoursesandprogramsfordualcreditneededsothateach studenthastheopportunitytoearn12semestercredithoursofcollegebeforegraduatinghighschool. Findingssuggestthatthesupplyofcoursesfordualcreditwasgenerallyadequateforthedemand duringthethree‐year‐periodcoveredbythestudy(2007–08,2008–09,and2009–10).However,the studyalsofoundthatenrollmentratesvariedbysubjects,studentdemographiccharacteristicsand academicperformance,andschooldemographiccharacteristicsandAcademicExcellenceIndicator System(AEIS)status.Thesefindingssuggestthepossibilityofinadequatesupplyforthedemandwhere studentsdidnothaveopportunitytoenrollincoursesorprogramsfordualcreditinwhichtheywanted toenroll.Inotherwords,enrollmentratedifferencesforcoursesfordualcreditbetweenstudentsfrom schoolsdifferinginlocation,size,orperformancemaybeduetoadifferenceincourseavailabilityor numberofopeningsincoursestostudentsfromthedifferingschools.
Itisrecommendedthatthe82ndTexasLegislatureconsiderthestate’sroleinensuringthatthereisan adequatesupplyofcoursesandprogramsfordualcredit―adequateinamountandadequately
distributedtoeligiblehighschoolsstudentsinthestate―sothateachstudenthastheopportunityto earn12semestercredithoursofcollegebeforegraduatinghighschool.Itissuggestedthatthestate shouldundertakeorencouragethedevelopmentandimplementationofamechanismtoestimate
demandforprogramsandcoursesfordualcreditthroughoutthestate.Thestatealsomightplayamore extensiverolesuchasdevelopingandprovidingcoursesandprogramsforwhichthereisaneed,or encouragingorfundingthroughcompetitivelyawardedcontractstheseandothersupply‐sideactivities.
2. Howcanthestatepromotetheabilityofstudentstoaccessqualitydualcreditprogramsand courses?
Theevaluationteamunderstandsthisquestiontobeabouthighschoolstudents’demandforandaccess toqualitycoursesandprogramsfordualcredit,inotherwords,students’interestintakingadvantageof opportunitiestoenrollinhigh‐qualitycoursesandprogramsfordualcredit,andtheirabilitytodoso successfully.
First,thestudyfoundnoevidencethatdualcreditcoursesorprogramswereperceivedtobeoflower qualitythaneithersimilarlytitledhighschoolorIHEcourses.However,asnotedabove,thestudyalso foundthatenrollmentratesvariedbysubjects,studentdemographiccharacteristicsandacademic performance,andschooldemographiccharacteristicsandAEISstatus.Thesefindingssuggestthe possibilityofinadequatedemandforthesupplywherestudentsdidnotenrollincoursesorprograms fordualcreditforwhichtheyhadanopportunitytoenroll.Forinstance,itislikelythattheproportionof studentsinsomeschoolswhowerenotinclinedorwerenotencouragedtoenrollincoursesfordual creditwashigherthantheproportioninotherschoolsdifferinginlocation,size,orperformance.
Thestatehasthreeareaswhereitcanfocusitseffortstopromotestudents’interestinandabilityto accessqualitydualcreditprogramsandcourses.Itcanfocusonincreasingstudentinterestandability, onimprovinghighschoolcampuses’activitiestoincreasestudentinterestandsupportstudentefforts, andonimprovingLEAs’supportforstudentandcampusefforts.Itissuggestedthatthelegislature supporttheidentificationanddisseminationofpromisingpracticesineachofthethreeareas,and possiblyincentivizingimplementationofthesepracticesaswell.Promisingpracticesworthyof considerationforsupportinthethreeareasincludethefollowing:
1. Increasingstudentinterestandability
o IncreasingtheproportionofGrade11and12studentswhomeetorexceedthe academicperformancestandardsoftheTexasSuccessInitiative
o Increasingtheknowledgeofdualcreditvalueandoptions,enrollmentproceduresand timelines,subsidies,andcoursesavailable
2. Improvinghighschoolcampusactivities
o Increasingstudentinterestincoursesandprogramsfordualcredit
o Disseminatingdualcreditinformationandcounselingstudentsintoappropriatecourses andprograms
o Schedulingandarrangingthelogisticsofprogramsandcoursesfordualcredit
o Increasingstudentengagement,persistence,andperformanceincoursesandprograms fordualcreditdeliveredoncampus,online(throughLEA‐basedonlineprogramsorthe TexasVirtualSchoolNetwork),andatotherlocations
3. ImprovingLEAsupport
o Matchingthesupplyofanddemandforcoursesandprogramsfordualcreditthrough articulationagreementsandLEAdualcreditofferings
o Developingstrongarticulationagreements
o Developinglong‐termpartnershipswithLEAsseekingdualcreditcoursesandprograms fortheirstudents,andwithprovidersofdualcreditcoursesandprograms
o Subsidizingstudentcostsofenrollmentandparticipationincoursesfordualcredit
ThecurrentfinancialconditionandcircumstancesofpubliceducationinTexasincreasethelikelihood thatexistingfundingmechanismsforcoursesandprogramsfordualcreditwillleadtosupplyoutpacing demand.AsLEAsfacebudgetshortfalls,theuseofstatefunds(suchastheFoundationSchoolProgram, HighSchoolAllotment,andStateCompensatoryEducationfunds)previouslyusedtosupportthe deliveryofcoursesfordualcreditmaybedivertedtopayforcoreeducationservices.Thestateshould assessthoroughlytheabilityofLEAstocontinueprovidingadequatefinancialsupportforcoursesand programsfordualcreditduringthenexttwoschoolyears,andaddressissuesidentifiedbythe assessment.
3. Howcanthestateensureefficientuseofitsresourcesregardingdualcreditprogramsandcourses?
Thisisaquestionabouttwokindsofefficiencies:theefficientalignmentofthestate’ssupplyofhigh‐
qualitycoursesandprogramsfordualcreditanditshighschoolstudents’demandforandaccesstothe coursesandprograms,andthereductionofdeliveryandparticipationcostswithoutreducing
effectiveness.Theaboverecommendationsrespondingtoresearchsubquestions1and2willcontribute toimprovementsinefficiencyofbothkinds.Theevaluationteamalsosuggeststhatthelegislature considerthefollowingstrategiesforincreasingbothkindsofefficiency:
• Alignmentofsupplyanddemand
o Leveragingandfocusingcoursesandprogramsfordualcreditbyaligningdualcredit morecloselytothestate’seducationreform,especiallyintheareasofsecondaryand postsecondaryeducation
o Increasingtheknowledgeprovidersoftransferablecoursesandprogramsfordualcredit haveofthedemandforthecoursesandprogramsbystudentsandtheirparentsand guardians,theirhighschools,andtheirLEAsatthestate,regional,municipal,and individuallevels
o Increasingtheknowledgestudents,theirparentsandguardians,theirhighschools,and theirLEAshaveofthesupplyoftransferablecoursesandprogramsfordualcreditandof dualcreditprovidersatthestate,regional,municipal,andindividuallevels
o Monitoringsupply‐sideperformance–howeffectivelyandefficientlycoursesand programsfordualcreditareprovided–againstcriteriaestablishedbythestate,and makingpublictheresults
o Monitoringdemand‐sideperformance–howeffectivelystudentsperformincourses andprogramsfordualcreditandhoweffectivelyandefficientlyhighschoolsandLEAs supportstudents’enrollmentandparticipationinthecoursesandprograms–against criteriaestablishedbythestate,andmakingpublictheresults
• Reducingcostswithoutreducingeffectivenessthrough:
o IncentivizingIHEs,LEAs,andotherdualcreditcourseproviders,whereappropriate,to meetminimuminstructor/studentratiosforcoursesenrollingstudentsfordualcredit33
o IncentivizingIHEs,LEAs,andotherdualcreditcourseproviderstomeetminimum instructioncost/administrationcostratiosforcoursesandprogramsenrollingstudents fordualcredit
o Incentivizingstrategiestoreducethecostforstudentsandtheirparentsorguardiansof enrollingandparticipatinginacoursefordualcredit,suchasbookrecyclingprograms, bulkpurchasesofbooks,carpooling,anddiscountgascoupons
Thisstudyreliedextensivelyonexistingdataaboutthecoursesandprogramsfordualcreditdelivery, theirprovidersandparticipants,andtheircostsandframingpoliciesfromTEAandTHECB.Theirsupport forthisstudyisanexampleoftheircloseandproductiverelationshipindeveloping,operating,andusing theresultsoftheircomplementarydatasystemstogainabetterunderstandingofcoursesand
programsfordualcredit.Thecontinuedsuccessfuldevelopmentandexpansionofthecoursesand programsfordualcreditaswellasincreasesineffectivenessandefficiencythroughtheabove
recommendationsorotherwisewillrequiremoreextensive,robust,andsystematicdatacollectionand analysisagainstperformancemetrics,andreportingandapplicationoffindingsfromtheanalysis.Afinal recommendationisforthelegislaturetosupportthefurtherdevelopment,analysis,anduseofsuch data.