In Kentucky, the number of high school students participating in dual credit programs is on the rise, increasing the need for research to explore the effects of dual credit on postsecondary academic outcomes. This research brief focuses on two areas: second-year persistence and first-year grade point average (GPA) in college. The study shows that…

This research brief examines the impact of dual credit participation on second-year persistence and first-year GPA, broken down by gender. It also explores whether dual credit courses can help narrow the gap in outcomes between female and male students. The first brief in this series (ED611821) already revealed a gap in dual credit participation…

This research brief examines the impact of dual credit participation on second-year persistence and first-year GPA among low-income and underrepresented minority (URM) students. The brief also explores whether dual credit opportunities help close outcome gaps affecting these student groups. Low-income is defined by a student's federal Pell grant…

This research brief examines the effect of dual credit participation on second-year persistence and first-year GPA at Kentucky public four-year universities, broken down by income. It is the fifth of six research briefs exploring the effects of dual credit on postsecondary outcomes.

Dual credit programs are collaborations between secondary and postsecondary institutions that enable high school students to enroll in college courses and receive simultaneous academic or technical credit that counts toward high school and college completion. Nationally and in Kentucky, dual credit participation is on the rise. The total number of…

This brief examines the varied effects of dual credit on second-year persistence and first-year GPA for underrepresented minority undergraduate students (URM), compared to white or Asian, non-Hispanic undergraduate students. The first brief (ED611821) showed a substantial gap in dual credit between URM and non-URM students, and this brief provides…

In this paper, we report results from a multisite, student-level randomized controlled trial that examined the impact of the Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) model on ninth-grade students. The BARR model is a comprehensive, strength-based approach that uses eight interlocking strategies to build intentional staff-to-staff, staff-to-student,…

Dual credit programs are collaborations between secondary and postsecondary institutions that enable high school students to enroll in college courses and receive simultaneous academic or technical credit that counts toward high school and college completion. Dual credit is distinct from Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which require students to…

This study examines the impact of merit-aid programs on secondary course taking patterns. Specifically, this study uses difference-in-differences to analyze state-level Advanced Placement (AP) participation and examination data pre and post merit-aid adoption. Results indicate increases in AP participation and number of total examinations after…

The current focus on assessing "college and career readiness" raises an empirical question: How do high school tests compare with college admissions tests in predicting performance in college? We explored this using data from the City University of New York and public colleges in Kentucky. These two systems differ in the choice of…

In 2010, McCracken County, Kentucky implemented the Community Scholarship Program (CSP) to provide graduates of high schools in the county an opportunity to receive a tuition-free community college education. Quantitative data was collected throughout the various stages of student progress through the program. As the first cohort of CSP students…

In this paper we estimate the impacts of the "pathways" chosen by community college students--in terms of desired credentials and fields of study, as well as other choices and outcomes along the paths--on the attainment of credentials with labor market value. We focus on the extent to which there are recorded changes in students' choices…

This is the final report of a large-scale independent evaluation of the Building Assets and Reducing Risks (BARR) model in ninth grade in eleven high schools in Maine, California, Minnesota, Kentucky, and Texas. This sample of schools included large and small schools in urban, suburban, and rural areas, serving students from a wide range of…

This study explored the impact of the English Advanced Placement (AP) program on college success among rural Appalachian students attending four private colleges in central and eastern Kentucky: Alice Lloyd College, Georgetown College, Lindsey Wilson College, and University of the Cumberlands. A Pearson Product-Moment Correlation r and an…

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there was a statistically significant difference in collegiate success rates of GED credential recipients and high school graduates in community colleges. Data obtained from the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) PeopleSoft system at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical…