Guided by the STEM pathway model, our study hypothesizes that dual enrollment can serve as an effective strategy to improve and equalize college students' access to STEM programs. We analyzed a nationally representative dataset to disaggregate the influence of dual enrollment course-taking (i.e. participation, dual credits in Math/Science, number…

Ever since the passage of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, the lines historically used to separate "vocational" and "academic" students have blurred. This shift away from vocational education toward career and technical education (CTE) has come with many promising educational outcomes. CTE course…

This report provides nationally representative data on the prevalence and characteristics of dual credit and exam-based courses in public high schools. For this survey, dual credit is defined as a course or program where high school students can earn both high school and postsecondary credits for the same courses; exam-based courses are Advanced…

This study examined the relationship between state policies mandating increased mathematics credits for high school graduation and access to postsecondary education. The purpose of this study was to determine if the state policy intervention of increasing high school mathematics requirements was related to a higher likelihood that students would…

The article discusses the student credit hour (SCH). The author begins with a rethinking of the basic unit of measurement in American higher education--the SCH. The credit hour was developed at the turn of the 20th century as a measure of student time in the classroom: one hour per week in class for one semester equalled one SCH. The credit hour…

Using a national longitudinal sample of 5,257 young people who were pursuing the bachelor's degree, we studied how credits in intensive high school mathematics courses affected their completion versus noncompletion of the degree. Finishing one unit in any of four intensive math courses more than doubled the likelihood that participants would later…

This article offers a five-level variable that highlights the level and the consistency of a student's educational "anticipations," and tests the explanatory power of this approach to the histories of traditional age community college students using the postsecondary transcript files of the NELS:88\2000 longitudinal study. In logistic…

There is a strong and growing argument for higher educational attainment in the United States. The jobs that are expected to support the economy in the coming years will depend on a skilled workforce that is able to learn and adapt quickly to new challenges. However, demographic patterns demonstrate that relying on the traditional K-16 pipeline to…