EARLY ENROLLMENT: COLLEGE COURSES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN WEST VIRGINIA

Transcription

1 EARLY ENROLLMENT: COLLEGE COURSES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN WEST VIRGINIA

2 EARLY ENROLLMENT: COLLEGE COURSES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN WEST VIRGINIA A Report on Policy Implications for the Early Enrollment Program October 2009 BACKGROUND Literature Review and National Practice The practice of offering college courses in high schools for high school students is a growing custom across the nation. These types of programs have various names such as dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, early college, middle college, and transition to college. In this report the term early enrollment will be used to describe the programs in West Virginia that offer college credit to high school students. Other names may be used to reference early enrollment programs as they are used in states other than West Virginia. According the U.S. Department of Education (2005), 40 states currently have policies that address dual enrollment programs. Thirteen states impose direct oversight of dual enrollment programs. Program oversight responsibilities are held by varying agencies in different states. Some states require reporting to higher education system offices and others to offices of public education. Of the 40 state policies, 33 address the eligibility requirements for high schools students to participate in early enrollment programs and 14 place limitations on course content, curricula, and textbooks. Seventeen states mandate that dual enrollment opportunities be provided for high school students (CCRC, 2005). This does not necessarily mean that colleges and universities are required to offer early enrollment programs, but rather that high school students must be allowed to enroll in post secondary education whether it be at the high school or on the college campus. Longitudinal research of early enrollment programs and the effects such programs can have on student performance is still in its infancy. More research needs to be conducted on the effects and characteristics of dual or early enrollment on academic success, student persistence, and college courses. Some early research findings indicate the following: High school students who take early enrollment courses subsequently perform better in college than those who do not. Dual enrollment is positively related to enrollment in college. Dual enrollment seems to have a positive impact on retention and GPA. Dual enrollment students earn 15.1 credits more than their non-dual enrollment peers within three years following high school graduation. Dual credit students have a lower average time to degree (4.25 years) than other students (4.65 years). 1

3 Several benefits of early enrollment programs for high school students have been indicated by recent research. One of the most important of these is the exposure high school students receive to the standards and expectations of college coursework before entering an institution of higher education. Research has shown that as many as half of postsecondary students are in need of developmental or remedial assistance once they enter college (NCES, 2002). In 2003 Venezia, Kirst, and Antonio found that college success is determined by a rigorous high school curriculum and by a clear understanding of the expectations of college and the standards of classes taken in college. It is hoped then that exposure to early enrollment programs will assist students in finding success early in their college careers and diminish the need for remediation. Helping students understand the demands of academic courses before they enter college will help them develop a new perspective as they continue their preparation for the transition from high school to college. As early enrollment programs continue to grow and evolve they can actually blur the lines between high school and college. With proper monitoring this phenomenon can lead to a more seamless transition between the two. Other benefits of early enrollment programs were outlined in a study of dual enrollment programs in Florida and New York. In a research project that examined two successful programs, Karp, Calcagno, Hughes, Jeong, and Bailey (2008) found positive relationships between dual enrollment experiences and a student s likelihood of: earning a high school diploma; enrolling in college after high school completion; persisting in college to a second semester; and attaining a higher GPA one year after high school graduation. This study offers an important exploration into the effects of early enrollment programs on the academic performance of students. Even though the study focused on only two programs, the findings are important because there is limited comprehensive data and evidence to show that early enrollment programs can increase the postsecondary achievements of students. Findings such as this are encouraging. These programs offer models for practice that can be reviewed and studied when developing new early enrollment programs or enhancing existing programs. Another benefit of early enrollment programs is access to college coursework for all students. Early and dual enrollment programs offer courses to students who may not have considered attending or completing college. Some researchers have suggested that access to dual enrollment programs should be considered for a broader range of students, including those who may be academically at risk. The challenge of college coursework may bring these students to new academic achievement levels. Dual enrollment can serve as a bridge for those not already college bound and as a head start for those students already planning to attend college (Hoffman, 2008). College courses offered in high schools also give lower income students an opportunity to earn college credit at a much more affordable rate. In the Final Dual Enrollment Report (2009) for the state of Pennsylvania, the need for dual enrollment programs is characterized as: 2

4 They are a proven method for increasing postsecondary participation rates among all students, especially among underrepresented populations, including African- American and Latino students. Approximately half of students entering college take remedial courses. Dual enrollment programs better prepare students for the rigors of college and decrease the need for remedial courses when they get there. As tuition costs have increased nationwide, lower income students are less likely to go onto higher education. The financial gap in postsecondary education participation is widening. Dual enrollment programs help low-income students offset postsecondary costs and increase their ability to enter college and succeed. Pennsylvania dedicated $10 million in funding for the state-wide dual enrollment program during the academic year. In their study of cutting edge dual enrollment programs across the nation, Hoffman, Vargas, and Santos (2008) used their experiences in the field to define high level principles that characterize the best dual enrollment programs. In exploring the early enrollment programs in colleges and universities across West Virginia, these guiding principles become important benchmarks when reviewing current practice: The mission of dual enrollment is to serve a wide range of students, particularly those from groups who attend college at disproportionately low rates. All of the state s public high schools provide equal access to dual enrollment opportunities. College credit substitutes for high school credit, allowing students to accelerate in the specific subjects is which they demonstrate strength. The secondary and post-secondary sectors share responsibility for dual enrollment student success. Funding mechanisms are based on the principle of no cost to students and no financial harm to secondary and post-secondary partners. The state collects individual student and statewide data in order to assess the program s impact and help design improvements. The policy is part of a statewide agenda to increase the rigor of the high school diploma and is guided by a K-16 governance structure. These policy making guidelines were developed through the study of programs in Texas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maine, Rhode Island, Georgia and Utah. Not all of the principles may fit the governance structure in West Virginia. The guidelines however are a useful tool for beginning discussions surrounding the purpose and intent of the early enrollment program in the state. Quality issues are a continuing concern in any discussion of early enrollment programs. The concern exists that college courses being taught in high schools can easily become college-lite. This refers to an environment in which college credit is given for high school classes or academic work that do not meet the standards of rigor equivalent to the same courses on campus. The term may also be used when students who are not prepared to complete college level work are allowed to take college-lite classes, earn 3

5 college credit, and then have difficulties once they enter the world of higher education. Even though it is recommended that access for students taking dual enrollment courses be broadened, in no place in the literature does it state that standards for admission or participation in coursework should be lowered or compromised. These programs prepare students for the rigor and expectations of college courses and not all high school students possess the academic maturity to find success through participation. Monitoring student eligibility is vital to the success of programs and to the success of the students who participate. Allowing students to take college courses when they are not ready does a disservice to all and must be discouraged. (Hoffman, etal, 2008) The goal must be that college courses offered for high school students are true college-level courses. While broad access to college classes in high school should be available to all eligible students, the curricula should not be compromised so as to include more students. Another quality issue revolves around faculty who are employed to teach early enrollment courses. Finding faculty who are qualified in the content area and have the skills to teach high school students becomes a challenge for many colleges. Faculty must also be able to advise and offer academic support to students in the early enrollment programs. Ensuring that equivalency in curriculum offerings and instructor credentials between college classes taught in high schools and those taught on campus is a challenge that policy makers must address. It is recommended that the kind and number of courses offered be limited and that states establish a uniform requirement for faculty qualifications to teach the courses (Hoffman etal, 2008). These tips will help with monitoring the quality of the courses offered in the early enrollment programs. Dual and early enrollment programs should not focus on remedial or developmental coursework. A goal of dual enrollment is to decrease the need for developmental class offerings in the colleges. With recent research indicating that participation in early enrollment programs enhances student performance once entering college, the need for developmental courses should decrease. Financing early enrollment programs is an issue of significant concern to states. A variety of funding arrangements exists across the nation. Given that students involved in early enrollment programs are served by the public school system and the higher education system the question of financial support becomes complicated. Some states require students to pay for courses, others require that institutions bear the costs of the courses, and still other states offer funding for students participating in early enrollment courses. In states that offer funding for students in early enrollment programs, the funding can be given in a number of ways. One example is Michigan where both the high school and the college receive funding for the dually enrolled students, but not as much as if the student were attending only one of the institutions. In other states, the student taking early enrollment courses is double-funded, meaning that both the college and high schools receive equal funding for offering services for the student. During the current economic climate, funding for programs such as early enrollment may be unstable. It is important to consider that financing can work as an incentive or disincentive for institutions to offer early enrollment programs for high school students. (Karp, etal, 2005) 4

6 EARLY ENROLLMENT IN WEST VIRGINIA Program Growth In 1997 the West Virginia college and university system established a procedural rule entitled Series 19, Guidelines for the Offering of College Courses for High School Students. Series 19 was reviewed and revised in 2002 to the form it takes today. The rule addresses issues such as the purpose of the policy, the types of courses that can be offered, the types of credit that can be given, the qualification of faculty teaching the courses, student participation and admission requirements, tuition practices, and accountability for the early enrollment courses offered for high school students. As a part of the policy, high schools may decide to use the college courses for high school credit where appropriate. This practice by the high schools is referred to as dual credit. There has been growth in the program since it began. The number of courses and sections offered has grown as well as the number of student enrollments in the courses. Even though some historical data is not available Table 1 shows program growth since Table 1: Growth in Early Enrollment Programs in West Virginia Year Student Course Enrollments Courses Offered Class Sections Offered ,721 NA NA ,182 NA , A report was completed in September 2005 on College Courses for High School Students. This report focused on the academic year. According to the 2005 report nineteen colleges and universities in the state offered early enrollment courses for high school students. During the academic year twenty of the state s public institutions reported having early enrollment programs. Of these twenty, 11 were community and technical colleges and 9 were 4-year institutions. During the academic year Pierpont Community and Technical College had the largest number of high school student enrollments with a total of 1425 enrollments in college classes. WV Northern Community and Technical College reported 1142 enrollments, Marshall University had 1094 enrollments, Potomac State College of WVU reported 1021, and West Virginia University at Parkersburg had 938 high school enrollments. High school enrollments for all colleges can be found in Table 2 on the following page. This table, entitled Table 2: Early Enrollment Program Offerings, includes data for the Fall 2007, Spring 2008, and Fall 2008 semesters. In this table the term Courses refers to specific subject courses, such as English 101. The term Classes refers to the number of class sections offered; as an example, 4 class sections of English 101 might be included in this number. Student Enrollments include the total number of enrollments for the term. This is a duplicated headcount of students. Numbers of courses, classes, and enrollments are broken into semesters to better characterize trends in offerings and enrollments. 5

7 Table 2: Early Enrollment Program Offerings Fall 2007 through Fall 2008 Institution Fall 2007 Spring 2008 Fall 2008 Pierpont Community and Courses Technical College Classes WV Northern Community and Technical College Marshall University Potomac State of WVU WVU Parkersburg New River Community and Technical College WV State University West Virginia University Southern WV Community and Technical College Concord University Eastern WV Community and Technical College Glenville State College WVU Institute of Technology West Liberty University Marshall Community and Technical College Bluefield State College Blue Ridge Community and Technical College Bridgemont Community and Technical College Fairmont State University Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses 9 13 Not Reported Classes Not Reported Student Enrollments Not Reported Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses Classes Student Enrollments Courses NA NA 8 Classes NA NA 13 Student Enrollments NA NA 106 Kanawha Valley CTC Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported 6

8 The twenty colleges that offer early enrollment programs across the state serve 124 high schools, public and private. Some colleges on the state border also offer classes for high school students in neighboring states. A listing of West Virginia high schools participating in early enrollment programs is found in Table 3. Table 3: High Schools Served by West Virginia Institutions of High Education Early Enrollment Programs Ben Franklin High School Jefferson High School Putnam Vocational Technical Center Berkeley Springs High School John D. Rockefeller Career Center Raleigh Vocational Center Beth Haven High School John Marshall High School Randolph Co Vocational Technical Ctr Bishop Donahue High School Keyser High School Richwood High School Bluefield High School Lewis County High School Ritchie County High School Braxton County High School Liberty High School Riverside High School Bridgeport High School Lincoln High School Roane County High School Brooke High School Logan High School Robert C. Byrd High School Buckhannon High School Madonna High School Scott High School Burch High School Magnolia High School Sherman High School Cabell Midland High School Man High School Sissonville High School Calhoun County High School Martinsburg High School South Charleston High School Calhoun/Gilmer Career Center Matewan High School South Harrison High School Calvary Baptist High School Mercer County Vocational Center Spring Valley High School Cameron High School Midland Trail High School St Albans High School Caperton Center Marion County Mid-Ohio Valley Career Center St Joseph High School Caperton Center Wood County Mineral County Technical Center St Marys High School Capitol High School Monroe County Vocational Center Teays Valley Regional Center Chapmanville High School Montcalm High School Tolsia High School Clay Battelle High School Moorefield High School Trinity High School Doddridge County High School Morgantown High School Tucker County High School East Fairmont High School Musselman High School Tug Valley High School East Hardy High School Nicholas County High School Tygarts Valley High School Elkins High School Nitro High School Tyler Consolidated High School Fairmont Senior High School North Marion High School Union High School Fayette Institute of Technology Oak Glen High School University High School Fayetteville High School Oak Hill High School Valley High School Frankfort High School Paden City High School Van High School George Washington High School Parkersburg Catholic High School Wahama High School Gilmer County High School Parkersburg High School Washington High School Grafton High School Parkersburg South High School Wayne High School Greenbrier East High School Pendleton County High School Webster County High School Greenbrier West High School Petersburg High School Weir High School Hampshire High School Pickens High School Westside High School Hannan High School Pike View High School Wheeling Park High School Hedgesville High School Pleasants/Ritchie/Tyler Career Ctr Williamson High School Hundred High School Poca High School Williamstown High School Huntington High School Pocahontas County High School Winfield High School Hurricane High School Preston High School Wirt County High School Iaeger High School Princeton High School Woodrow Wilson High School Independence High School Pt Pleasant High School Wyoming East High School James Rumsey Technical Institute Putnam High School 7

9 Current Policy in West Virginia Procedural Rule Series 19, Guidelines for the Offering of College Courses for High School Students, was adopted in The rule underwent a revision in 2002, includes a companion rule for the Community and Technical College System, and has not been changed since that time (available in Appendix II). Major elements of the Series 19 rule are: Any off-campus credit instruction must meet the same rigorous standards as required for on-campus instruction. Each course includes the equivalent syllabus, text, assignments, assessments, evaluation of students, and evaluation of faculty as the campus course. The curriculum is limited to lower division undergraduate courses which are jointly agreed upon by the cooperating college or university and high school. At the discretion of the high school, the course may be offered for high school credit, i.e. the student will be awarded high school credit as well as college credit for successful completion of a course. No credit will be awarded for College Board Advanced Placement courses solely on successful course completion. All faculty must meet the minimum faculty credential requirements for instructional rank at the college which will grant the credit. High school students desiring to enroll in a college credit-bearing course must meet all admission requirements for the institution which is offering the college credit courses. Students must meet all course requirements and prerequisites. They must also have approval of the high school principal. Special tuition/fees for high school students established by any West Virginia public higher education institution must be set, at a minimum, at three-fourths of the rate of the lowest regular off-campus rate established by any West Virginia public higher education institution (During the academic year the rate is $65/credit hour). The credit granting institution may not use its own resources to pay any student s assessed tuition/fees. College courses offered to high school students in the high schools will be taught by either regular or adjunct part-time faculty members of the institution granting the college credit. In the special circumstances of a high school teacher who teaches the course during the regular school day, the college granting the credit may reimburse the high school for the instructor s service. Student credit hours generated by high school students registered in college classes will accrue to the institution granting the credit. Each college or university which offers college-level courses for or in West Virginia high schools must maintain a record of the course and enrollments for such courses and submit any reports of college courses for high schools students as deemed necessary. 8

10 EXPLORING CURRENT PRACTICE IN WEST VIRGINIA The Project To begin the process of reviewing early enrollment practices in West Virginia, requests were made to the system office research division for data retrieval. During the period of data compilation a review of the literature pertaining to early enrollment programs and a review of the 2005 report on West Virginia programs was started. A draft of a questionnaire to be sent to colleges offering early enrollment courses was also developed. One element taken into consideration in the development of the questionnaire was the use of terminology. It seems that there are many terms that are used when referring to college courses offered in high schools. After a review of the literature and discussions with central office and college personnel, it became apparent that a number of terms are in use to describe programs of offering college courses for high school students. For consistency in this project the term early enrollment is being used. Early Enrollment is defined as courses typically offered in the high school for high school students. Occasionally taught in other locations. The use of this term was explained to participants and defined in the questionnaire. To further assist with developing a common language for the project, other terms were defined in the questionnaire. The questionnaire provided definitions of the terms Early Enrollment Course, Full Time Faculty, Adjunct Faculty, and High School Adjunct. This was offered to assist with clarity during the completion of the questionnaire. A sample of the questionnaire is at the end of this document. Following are the definitions used in the questionnaire: Early Enrollment Course Full Time Faculty Adjunct Faculty High School Adjunct - Course typically offered in the high school for high school students. Occasionally taught in other locations. - Faculty employed by the college on a full-time basis. - Faculty employed by the college to teach specific classes on an adjunct (part-time) basis. - High school teachers utilized by the college to teach early enrollment courses typically in the high school setting. Also considered in the development of the questionnaire was the survey used during the 2005 review of early enrollment programs. The 2009 questionnaire mirrored many items found in the survey of Maintaining a similarity between the two instruments allowed for comparisons to be made between programs offered in 2005 and A copy of the questionnaire may be found in Appendix I. 9

11 When data were received from the research division, the information was converted into data tables for each institution. Upon review it was found that faculty and enrollment information for most colleges was incomplete. The data tables were prepared for individual institutions and sent along with the questionnaire. Academic officers were asked to complete the questionnaire and provide information missing on the data tables. They were also asked to review and correct any incorrect information on the data tables. Institutions were given the month of February 2009 to complete and review the information. By mid-march completed questionnaires and data tables were received from most of the institutions. A review of the responses began and continued through the remainder of March and April. Campus officials were contacted via telephone and when further information or clarification was needed. Campus site visits were made during the last half of April and the beginning of May. Three criteria were used to choose the five institutions for site visits. The criteria included: A sampling of community and technical colleges and 4-year colleges Institutions with large early enrollment programs Institutions for which specific questions emerged from questionnaire responses The five colleges visited during the months of April and May 2009 were: Concord University, Pierpont Community and Technical College, Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, West Virginia Northern Community College, and West Virginia State University. FINDINGS General Findings General findings from the study offer a snapshot of the early enrollment program in West Virginia over a period of the three semesters Fall 2007, Spring 2008, and Fall For the purpose of comparison to data in the 2005 report, in some parts of this report the Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 semesters are referred to as the academic year. Most of the general findings are reported in tabular form. Table 4: Early Enrollment Data for West Virginia Institutions of Higher Education provides data for each institution in the state that offers early enrollment programs. West Virginia State Community and Technical College is not included in this table. Responses to the questionnaire and data tables were not received from this college. The table offers several different pieces of information. An explanation for each column follows: Column 1 Total Number of Early Enrollment Classes Offered This is the number of colleges classes offered to high school students over the three semester period of Fall 2007 through Fall This number refers to class sections rather than courses. The number may represent duplicated classes (ex: English

12 may have been offered 2 times each of the three semesters counting as 6 classes offered by the institution). Column 2 Number of Classes in the Core Coursework Agreement This is the number of colleges classes offered to high school students over the three semester period of Fall 2007 through Fall 2008 that fall under the Core Coursework Agreement. These classes will transfer to any public college or university within the state. Column 3 General-Education-type Classes This number represents the percentage of total classes that are included in the Core Coursework Agreement or are liberal arts courses that may be eligible for transfer to other colleges (ex: Art Appreciation, Spanish I). Column 4 Vocational/Technical-type Classes This number represents the percentage of total classes that offer experiential learning in a skill, trade, or occupation (ex: Electric Circuitry, Fundamentals of Building). Column 5 Transitions/EDGE/Developmental or College Prep-type Classes This number represents the percentage of total classes that are labeled as Transitions, EDGE, Developmental, or College Preparation (ex: Orientation to College, Transitions to College). It should be noted that there is a lack of consistency in institutional reporting of these types of classes. Column 6 Listed as Dual Enrollment This number represents the total percentage of classes reported by institutions as dual credit. Dual credit includes those college classes offered to high school students that also are used for high school credit by the public school system. Column 7 Number of High Schools Served This is the number of high schools served with early enrollment classes by the institution. Column 8 High Schools Served This is a listing of the high schools participating in early enrollment programs with each institution. Table 4 is on the following page. 11

13 Table 4: Early Enrollment Data for West Virginia Institutions of Higher Education Fall 2007 through Fall 2008 Institution Total Number Early Enrollment Classes Offered Number of Classes in Core Coursework Agreement General Education-Type Classes (%) Vocational/Techn ical-type Classes (%) Transitions/EDG E/Developmental or College Prep- Type Classes (%) Listed as Dual Enrollment (%) Number of High Schools Served High Schools Served Bluefield State College % 50% 5% 100% 4 Bluefield HS Mercer Co Voc Monroe Co Voc Pocahontas Co HS Blue Ridge Community and Technical College % 0% 80% 0% 7 Berkeley Springs HS Hedgesville HS James Rumsey Tech Inst Jefferson HS Martinsburg HS Musselman HS Washington HS Bridgemont Community and Technical College 7 0 0% 29% 71% 100% 4 Ben Franklin HS Fayette Inst of Tech Riverside HS Valley HS Concord University % 0% 0% 89% 4 Independence HS Princeton HS Woodrow Wilson HS Wyoming East HS Eastern WV Community and Technical College % 4% 6% 74% 7 East Hardy HS Hampshire HS Moorefield HS Pendleton Co HS Petersburg HS Tucker Co HS Union HS 12

14 Institution Total Number Early Enrollment Classes Offered Number of Classes in Core Coursework Agreement General Education-Type Classes (%) Vocational/Techn ical-type Classes (%) Transitions/EDG E/Developmental or College Prep- Type Classes (%) Listed as Dual Enrollment (%) Number of High Schools Served High Schools Served Fairmont State University % 0% 0% 100% 5 Braxton Co HS Caperton Center Marion Co Doddridge Co HS East Fairmont HS Lewis Co HS Glenville State College % 0% 0% 95% 8 Braxton Co HS Calhoun Co HS Calhoun/Gilmer Career Center Gilmer Co HS Liberty HS Ritchie Co HS Roane Co HS Marshall Community and Technical College % 56% 0% 87% 12 Elkins HS Hannan HS Hurricane HS Mid-Ohio Valley Career Cntr Poca HS Pt Pleasant HS Putnam HS Putnam Voc Tech Center South Charleston HS St Joseph HS Teays Valley Reg Center Wayne HS 13

15 Institution Total Number Early Enrollment Classes Offered Number of Classes in Core Coursework Agreement General Education-Type Classes (%) Vocational/Techn ical-type Classes (%) Transitions/EDG E/Developmental or College Prep- Type Classes (%) Listed as Dual Enrollment (%) Number of High Schools Served High Schools Served Marshall University % 0% 0% 94% 14 Cabell Midland HS Calvary Baptist HS Elkins HS Hannan HS Huntington HS Pt Pleasant HS Spring Valley HS St Joseph HS Teays Valley HS Tolsia HS Wahama HS Wayne HS Webster Co HS Winfield HS New River Community and Technical College % 64% 7% 88% 10 Greenbrier East HS Greenbrier West HS Mercer Co Voc Montcalm HS Nicholas Co HS Pocahontas Co HS Raleigh Voc Tech Richwood HS Webster Co HS Woodrow Wilson HS 14

16 Institution Total Number Early Enrollment Classes Offered Number of Classes in Core Coursework Agreement General Education-Type Classes (%) Vocational/Techn ical-type Classes (%) Transitions/EDG E/Developmental or College Prep- Type Classes (%) Listed as Dual Enrollment (%) Number of High Schools Served High Schools Served Pierpont Community and Technical College % 0% 1% 100% 16 Buckhannon Upshur HS Braxton Co HS Calhoun Co HS Caperton Center Marion Clay Battelle HS Doddridge Co HS East Fairmont HS Elkins HS Fairmont West HS Gilmer Co HS Grafton HS Lewis Co HS North Marion HS Pickens HS Preston Co HS Tygart Valley HS Potomac State College of WVU % 0% 0% 69% 7 East Hardy HS Frankfort HS Hampshire HS Keyser HS Martinsburg HS Mineral Co Tech Ctr Petersburg HS 15

17 Institution Total Number Early Enrollment Classes Offered Number of Classes in Core Coursework Agreement General Education-Type Classes (%) Vocational/Techn ical-type Classes (%) Transitions/EDG E/Developmental or College Prep- Type Classes (%) Listed as Dual Enrollment (%) Number of High Schools Served High Schools Served Southern WV Community and Technical College % 1% 4% 92% 17 Belfry HS Beth Haven HS Burch HS Chapmanville HS Iaeger HS Lincoln HS Logan HS Man HS Matewan HS Phelps HS Scott HS Sherman HS Tug Valley HS Van HS Westside HS Williamson HS Wyoming East HS West Liberty University % 0% 0% 100% 4 Bishop Donahue HS John Marshall HS Magnolia HS Wheeling Park HS West Virginia State University % 0% 0% 97% 6 Capitol HS George Washington HS Nitro HS Sissonville HS South Charleston HS St Albans HS 16

18 Institution Total Number Early Enrollment Classes Offered Number of Classes in Core Coursework Agreement General Education-Type Classes (%) Vocational/Techn ical-type Classes (%) Transitions/EDG E/Developmental or College Prep- Type Classes (%) Listed as Dual Enrollment (%) Number of High Schools Served High Schools Served West Virginia University % 0% 0% 50% 19 Bridgeport HS Clay Battelle HS East Fairmont HS Elkins HS Fairmont Sr HS Hedgesville HS John Marshall HS Liberty HS Moorefield HS Morgantown HS North Marion HS Pike View HS Preston HS Roane Co HS Robert Byrd HS South Harrison HS Trinity HS Tygart Valley HS University HS WVU Institute of Technology % 0% 0% 100% 6 Capitol HS Fayetteville HS George Washington HS Midland Trail HS Oak Hill HS South Charleston HS WVU Parkersburg % 34% 5% 100% 10 Caperton Center Wood Co Parkersburg Catholic HS Parkersburg HS Parkersburg South HS Pleasants/Ritchie/Tyler Car Ctr Ritchie County High School Roane County High School St Marys HS Williamstown HS Wirt County HS 17

19 In the limited number of studies that have focused on the long-term effects of student participation in early enrollment programs it seems that a positive effect on GPA exists. Students who complete 3 or more hours of college coursework before enrolling as a full time student have been shown to have a higher GPA over time than those students who had not earned college credit while in high school. Table 5: GPA s of First Time Freshmen After Taking Early Enrollment Courses offers data associated with the first semester GPA for first time freshmen in West Virginia during the Fall 2008 semester. These students had taken a minimum of three credit hours in an early enrollment program before entering college. The information in the table is divided by college. This information has been shared with the academic officers of the institutions. Table 5: GPA s of First Time Freshmen (FTFR) After Taking Early Enrollment Courses - Fall 2008 By Institution Institution Total # of FTFR w/ EE First Semester GPA < > Blue Ridge Community & Technical College Bluefield State College Bridgemont Community and Technical College Concord University Eastern WV Community & Technical College Fairmont State University Glenville State College Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College Marshall Community & Technical College Marshall University New River Community & Technical College Pierpont Community & Technical College Potomac State College of WVU Shepherd University Southern WV Community & Technical College WV Northern Community College WVU Parkersburg West Liberty University West Virginia State University West Virginia University 1, West Virginia University Institute of Technology Total 2,

20 Table 6: Fall 2008 GPAs for First Time Freshmen (Comparing All Freshmen to Freshmen Who Participated in Early Enrollment Courses) compares the percentages of GPAs for Fall 2008 of all first time freshmen to first time freshmen who completed early enrollment courses. < > 3.5 All FTFR 44.1% 18.9% 17.6% 19.4% FTFR w/ EE 27% 19% 24% 30% Table 6A: Fall 2008 GPAs for First Time Freshmen (FTFR) (Comparing All Freshmen to Freshmen Who Participated in Early Enrollment Courses) It is apparent that for the Fall 2008 semester those freshmen who completed three or more hours of college credit while in high school had higher grade point averages than those freshmen who had not. This is depicted graphically below. This one semester of data seems to reinforce research findings that participation in early enrollment programs result in higher freshmen GPAs. Greater success in school is also a major component of student retention and persistence. Because of connections to student success and retention, longitudinal reporting on student GPAs would be a valuable endeavor. Fall 2008 GPA's for First Time Freshmen (FTFR) % of FTFR Fall All FTFR Early Enrollment FTFR Under Over 3.5 GPA 19

21 It is important that West Virginia public colleges and universities understand the population of students participating in their early enrollment programs. Many students do not attend the college that offered early enrollment courses at their high school. Some may decide to attend the college because of the experience of participating in the early enrollment program. To assist academic and retention officers at individual institutions in understanding where the high school students who participate in their early enrollment programs go to college (if they remain in West Virginia) Table 7 was developed. Review of this information provides the number of early enrollment students who enrolled at each college in West Virginia for the Fall 2008 semester. It also shows the institutions at which each of the students completed early enrollment courses. As an example for reading the table: Bluefield State College had 54 first time freshmen who had earned college credit while in high school enroll in Fall Eleven of those students completed early enrollment credit at Bluefield while 16 completed the credit at Concord University, etc. Table 7: Fall 2008 Enrollment of First Time Freshmen Who Participated in Early Enrollment Courses is on the following page. 20

22 Table 7: Fall 2008 Enrollment of First Time Freshmen Who Participated in Early Enrollment Courses Institution for HS Classes Enrolled Fall 2008 as FTFR Total Blue Ridge CTC Bluefield State College CTC at WVU Tech Concord University Eastern WV CTC Glenville State College Marshall CTC Marshall University New River CTC Pierpont CTC Potomac State College of WVU Southern WV CTC WV Northern Community College WVU at Parkersburg West Virginia State University West Virginia University WVU Institute of Technology Blue Ridge CTC Bluefield State College Bridgemont CTC Concord University Eastern WV CTC Fairmont State University Glenville State College Marshall CTC Marshall University New River CTC Pierpont CTC Potomac State College WVU Shepherd University Southern WV CTC WV Northern CC WV State CTC WVU at Parkersburg West Liberty University WV State University West Virginia University 1, WVU Institute of Technology Total 2,

23 The preceding table assists institutions in understanding where the students who take advantage of early enrollment programs continue with their college education. Adding to this data set allows for the continued examination of GPA data associated with students participating in early enrollment programs. Table 8: Fall 2008 Spring 2009 GPAs of Early Enrollment Students by Institution Granting Early Enrollment Credit offers important information that allows review of the performance of early enrollment students by the institution from which they received college credit while in high school. This table offers data related to the GPA performance of students from individual colleges. Student performance can be tracked for those enrolling in a college in West Virginia. Blue Ridge Community and Technical College is used as an example for interpreting data in Table 8, which is found on the following page. During the Fall 2008 semester 35 students who had completed 3 or more hours of early enrollment credit offered by Blue Ridge Community and Technical College enrolled in colleges in West Virginia. The average GPA of those students was 1.72 after the Fall 2008 semester. During the Spring 2009 term 28 students who had completed 3 or more hours of early enrollment credit at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College enrolled in colleges in West Virginia. The average GPA of these students was 2.31 for that semester. It should be noted that these students are not necessarily first time full time freshmen. The population includes any student who had taken early enrollment credit at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College. The table can be interpreted in the same way for each college. 22

24 Table 8: Fall 2008 Spring 2009 GPAs of Early Enrollment Students by Institution Granting Early Enrollment Credit Institution Granting Early Enrollment Credit Fall 2008 EE Enrollment at a WV Institution Fall 2008 Average GPA Spring 2009 Enrollment at a WV Institution Spring 2009 Average GPA Blue Ridge CTC Bluefield State College Bridgemont CTC Concord University Eastern WV CTC Glenville State College Kanawha Valley CTC Marshall CTC Marshall University New River CTC Pierpont CTC Potomac State of WVU Southern WV CTC WV Northern CTC WVU at Parkersburg WV State University West Virginia University WVU Institute of Technology

25 Table 9: Early Enrollment Students Taking Developmental Courses by Institution Granting Early Enrollment Credit offers information related to early enrollment students who were placed in developmental courses as they entered college. The table reports the number of students who enrolled in developmental courses by the institution from which they completed college credit in high school. The table also reports the number of developmental courses in which those students registered. Using Blue Ridge Community and Technical College as an example for interpretation; during the Fall 2008 semester 35 students who completed early enrollment credit at Blue Ridge CTC enrolled in a college in West Virginia. Of those 35 students, 14 were found to need developmental coursework. In turn, those 14 students registered in 23 developmental courses, meaning that some students were in need of more than one developmental course. For the Spring 2009 semester 28 students with early enrollment credit from Blue Ridge CTC enrolled in West Virginia colleges. Thirteen of these students placed into developmental classes and registered in 16 developmental courses. The table can be interpreted in the same manner for each college. 24

26 Table 9: Fall 2008 Spring 2009 Early Enrollment Students (EE) Taking Developmental Courses by Institution Granting Early Enrollment Credit Institution Granting Early Enrollment Credit Fall 2008 EE Enrollment at a WV Institution Fall 2008 EE Enrollment in Developmental Education Fall 2008 EE Registrations in Developmental Education Spring 2009 EE Enrollment at a WV Institution Spring 2009 EE Enrollment in Developmental Education Spring 2009 EE Registrations in Developmental Education Blue Ridge CTC Bluefield State College Bridgemont CTC Concord University Eastern WV CTC Glenville State College Kanawha Valley CTC Marshall CTC Marshall University New River CTC Pierpont CTC Potomac State of WVU Southern WV CTC WV Northern CTC WVU at Parkersburg WV State University West Virginia University WVU Institute of Technology It is important that colleges have access to the information offered in this report and review it to determine the impact of their early enrollment programs on student achievement and persistence in college. Understanding where early enrollment students continue on to school and reviewing their performance once they become college students will give institutions the tools needed to evaluate the quality of their early enrollment programs. 25

27 Findings Specific to Series 19 Findings specific to Series 19 include information gathered from questionnaire responses and institutional data tables. Information collected during campus visits was also used in preparing this section of the report. In the end the site visits became a very important part of the project. These visits enhanced the understanding of the responses offered in the questionnaire. The campus discussions also gave a deeper and broader insight into the practices of the individual institutions. Section 3. Curriculum Section 3 states courses need to include the equivalent syllabus, text, assignments, assessments, evaluation of students, and evaluation of faculty as the campus course. Questionnaire responses were received from 19 of the 20 institutions offering early enrollment courses. Of the 19 reporting institutions All report that the syllabi, texts, and evaluation of students used for early enrollment courses are the same as or equivalent to those used for campus courses. 15 report that early enrollment faculty are evaluated in the same manner as campus faculty. 3 institutions report that high school administrators or coordinators monitor the performance of faculty teaching college courses in the high school. One institution does not formally evaluate faculty assigned to teach early enrollment courses. (Officials at the institution did not realize that these faculty are not evaluated until responding to the Early Enrollment Questionnaire. The institution is now in the process of developing a system of evaluation) Section 4. Credit Section 4 states At the discretion of the high school, the course may be offered for high school credit, i.e. the student will be awarded high school credit as well as college credit for successful completion of a course. As seen in Table 4, the majority of early enrollment courses are offered as dual credit: 7 of the 19 responding institutions report that 100% of their early enrollment classes are dual credit. Section 5: Correlation with Advanced Placement Colleges in West Virginia do not award credit solely on the basis of completion of Advanced Placement courses. Section 6: Faculty Section 6.1 states All faculty serving as instructors for college credit-bearing courses offered to advanced high school students, whether on the college or high school campus, must meet the minimum faculty credential requirements for instructional rank at the 26