Abstract

This study examined the impact of dual and articulated credit hours on college readiness and total college-level credit hours in four consortia in the states of Ohio, Texas, Florida, and Oregon. Using Astin’s I-E-O model as a conceptual framework, relationships among input (control) variables of students’ gender, HSPR, tech prep participation, and high school course-taking; environmental (independent) variables of academic, CTE, and total dual credit and articulated credit; and output (dependent) variables of college readiness in reading, writing, and math and total college-level credit hours were investigated. A sample of 1,141 high school graduates who enrolled in a community college in four consortia, drawn from the Community College and Beyond (CC&B) dataset, were used to examine these relationships. Paired t-test, Chi-square test, correlation analysis, multiple and logistics regression analyses, and descriptive statistics were the main methods used for analyzing the data.

Results of this study support positive impact of academic dual credit and articulated credit on college readiness. Correlation analysis showed that academic dual credit was significantly related to being college-ready in math, while articulated credit was significantly related to reading and writing. The former was evident in all three consortia (Texas, Florida, and Oregon) offering academic dual credit, and the latter was confirmed in both consortia (Ohio and Texas) offering articulated credit.

In addition, students’ articulated credit course-taking enhanced their college retention in both Ohio and Texas consortia. A significant positive correlation was found between articulated credit and total college-level credit hours in both consortia. The same result was obtained after controlling for gender and educational background characteristics, confirming a significant direct effect of articulated credit course-taking on college retention.

The results also showed that the quantity and rigor of high school course-taking, particularly math, were influential on being college-ready. Students who took more semesters of math and more advanced math courses showed better college readiness in math in all four consortia. The level number of the highest math course taken had significant relationships with college readiness in not only math but reading in all four consortia.

This study concluded with recommendations to provide high school students more academic dual credit and articulated credit course taking opportunities in order to better prepare for a college education and improve college retention. The important role of students’ high school course-taking in their academic preparation for postsecondary education found in this study also suggest the need to ensure the rigor and quantity of high school curriculum, along with careful counseling and guidance in students’ course selection.