full dissertation - The National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment

186 Pages·2011·0.72 MB·English

by  Jody Russell

A comparison of the enrollment and academic success of dual credit and non-dual
credit students at Des Moines Area Community College

by

Randy Alan Mead

A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Major: Education (Educational Leadership)

Program of Study Committee:

Larry H. Ebbers, Major Professor
Steven A. Freeman
Robyn Johnson Cooper
Gary Ratigan
Soko Starobin

Iowa State University

Ames, Iowa

2009

Copyright © Randy Alan Mead, 2009. All rights reserved.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF ACRONYMNS viii

ABSTRACT ix

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1
Background 3
Dual Credit-A National Trend 5
Enrollment in Iowa’s Community Colleges 8
Joint Enrollment in Iowa’s Community Colleges 12
K-12 Enrollment in Iowa 18
History of Concurrent Enrollment in Iowa 21
Statement of the Problem 27
Need for the Study 28
Theoretical Framework-Success Visited-Pre-entry Attributes 30
Methodology 33
Objectives 34
Research Questions 36
Significance of the Study 37
Assumptions 39
Limitations 39
Definition of Terms 40

CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 42
Introduction 42
Pre-Entry Attributes and Retention Research 43
Analytical Framework: Two Year Community College Success 50
History and Overview of High School Reform 59
High school reform and the seamless transition 59
High School and College Partnership Programs 70
Comprehensive examination of dual credit programs 79
Characteristics 82
Dual Credit Support and Criticism 84
Dual Credit Effectiveness 87
Summary 92

CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY 94
Study Population 95
Research Questions 96
Hypotheses 97
Research Design 100
Theoretical Approach 102
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Data Collection 106
Data Analysis 108

CHAPTER 4. RESULTS 112
Introduction 114
Research Question 1 – Demographics of Students 115
Dual and Non-dual 115
Gender 117
Race/Ethnicity 117
Age 117
Pell Eligibility 118
Research Question 2 – Within-Term Course Retention 118
Wilcoxon Nonparametric Tests 119

Research Questions 3 & 4 – Academic Performance of Students 120
Chi-square analysis 120
Success to 24 credit hours 120
Success by gender 121
Success by race/ethnicity 123
Success by Pell eligibility 124
Research Question 5 – Academic Background of Students 126
Independent sample t-test 126
ACT English 126
ACT math 128
1st semester GPA 128
Research Question 6 – Likelihood to Have Independent and Collective
Variables Impact and Determine Predictability of Success 130
Logistic Regression Analysis 130

CHAPTER 5. SUMMARY, DISCUSSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 133
Summary 134
Literature Review 134
Design and Methods 136
Findings 138
Background Characteristics 138
Gender 138
Age 139
Race/Ethnicity 139
Pell Eligibility 141
Within-term Course Retention 141
Academic Success 142
Dual and Non-Dual 143
Gender 143
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Race/Ethnicity 144
Pell Eligibility 144
Academic Background and 1st Semester GPA 145
ACT English and Math 145
1st Semester GPA 146
Impact of Variables Upon Success 147
Conclusions 148
Limitations 152
Recommendations 153
Recommendations for further study 153
Recommendations for further practice-DMACC 155
Recommendations for further practice-High Schools, Parents
And Students 159
Closing 160

REFERENCES 162

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 175
v
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 1.1 Iowa community college credit and noncredit student 9
enrollment (FY 2000-2008)

Table 1.2 Iowa community college total credits issued (FY 2002-2008) 10

Table 1.3 Iowa community college enrollment by ethnicity 10
(FY 2005-2008)

Table 1.4 Iowa community college enrollment by gender 11
(FY 2002-2008)

Table 1.5 Iowa community college enrollment by community 11
college district (FY 2002-2008)

Table 1.6 Iowa community college joint high school enrollment 13
(FY 2002-2008)

Table 1.7 Iowa community college joint high school credits issued 14
(FY 2002-2008)

Table 1.8 Iowa community college joint enrollment by ethnicity 14
(FY 2005-2008)

Table 1.9 Iowa community college joint enrollment by gender 15
(FY 2002-2008)

Table 1.10 Iowa high school joint enrollment, percentage of total 16
enrollment, and percentage enrollment change
by community college (FY 2004-2008)

Table 1.11 Iowa high school joint enrollment credit hours by college, 17
percentage of total credits, and change in joint
credits by community college (FY 2004-2008)

Table 1.12 Average credits earned by joint enrolled student 18
(FY 2002-2008)

Table 1.13 Iowa K-12 public and non-public enrollment 19
(FY 2004-2008)
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Table 1.14 Iowa K-12 enrollment by AEA district 20
(FY 2005-2008)

Table 1.15 Iowa public school enrollment by ethnicity 21
(FY 1998, 2007, 2008)

Table 1.16 DMACC joint enrollment (FY 2002-2008) 23

Table 1.17 DMACC joint enrollment credits issued 23
(FY 2002-2008)

Table 1.18 Iowa high school joint enrollment credit hours 24
by Agreement, by College (FY 2008)

Table 1.19 DMACC enrollment of contracted/concurrent 26
students (FY 2002-2008)

Table 1.20 DMACC credit growth of concurrent enrollment 26
(FY 2002-2008)

Figure 3.1 Tinto’s Retention Model 103

Table 4.1 Demographics of dual credit students who completed courses 116
in areas of math and/or English, (FY 2003-2005)

Table 4.2 Demographics of non-dual credit students entering DMACC 116
(FY 2003-2005

Table 4.3 Number of students, by minority status, Pell status, and success 119
status to 24 credits within 2 years with at least a 2.0 GPA enrolled
at DMACC as dual credit students who had completed a course
in math and/or English, compared to non-dual credit students
(FY 2003-2005)

Table 4.4 Dual credit student population success to 24 credit hours at 121
DMACC compared to the non-dual credit student population
success to 24 credit hours at DMACC (FY 2003-2005)

Table 4.5 Dual credit students achieving success to 24 credit hours 122
compared to non-dual credit students achieving success to
24 credit hours at DMACC by gender (FY 2003 -2005)

Table 4.6 Dual credit students achieving success to 24 credit hours at 124
DMACC compared to non-dual credit students achieving success
to 24 credit hours at DMACC by minority status (FY 2003-2005)
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Table 4.7 Dual credit students achieving success to 24 credit hours at 125
DMACC compared to non-dual credit students achieving success
to 24 credit hours at DMACC by Pell eligibility (2003-2005)

Table 4.8 ACT English, ACT math, and 1st Semester GPA comparison of 127
dual credit and non-dual credit students at DMACC (FY 2003-2005)

Table 4.9 ACT English, ACT math, and 1st Semester GPA comparison of 127
dual credit and non-dual credit students DMACC (FY 2003-2005)

Table 4.10 Levene’s test for equality of variances in ACT English, ACT math, 129
and 1st Semester GPAs (FY 2003-2005)

Table 4.11 Summary of Forward Selection Regression Model (FY 2003-2005) 131

Table 4.12 Odds Ratio Estimates for the Independent Variables associated with 132
the success at DMACC listed by highest probability (2003-2007)
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LIST OF ACRONYMS

Iowa’s Fifteen Area Community Colleges

NICC-01 Northeast Iowa Community College

NIACC-02 North Iowa Area Community College

ILCC-03 Iowa Lakes Community College

NCC-04 Northwest Community College

ICCC-05 Iowa Central Community College

IVCCD-06 Iowa Valley Community College District

HCC-07 Hawkeye Community College

EICCD-09 Eastern Iowa Community College District

KCC-10 Kirkwood Community College

DMACC-11 Des Moines Area Community College

WITCC-12 Western Iowa Technical Community College

IWCC-13 Iowa Western Community College

SWCC-14 Southwestern Community College

IHCC-15 Indian Hills Community College

SCC-16 Southeastern Community College
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ABSTRACT

The role of the community college is multi-faceted and provides expanded access and
opportunities to numerous students at all levels. Post-secondary institutions, primarily
community colleges throughout the United States, have recently expanded their partnerships
with secondary schools to create opportunities which provide students to be enrolled in
college course while still enrolled in high school. These high school students are enrolling in
higher education at record rates as they participate in these expanding partnerships. These
“seamless” educational opportunities are designed specifically for students at the high school
level and are known nationally as “dual credit, “concurrent enrollment,” and “joint
enrollment,” (Kleiner & Lewis, 2005). These programs are created to provide high school
students wider access to more rigorous academic and technical courses, savings in time and
college costs, more efficiency in learning, and enhanced college admission and retention.
Providing effective transitioning strategies and programming opportunities like these to
students who seek to continue their educational pursuits after high school is of great
importance for high schools, two-year institutions and four-year institutions of higher
learning.
The objective of the study was to determine if dual credit students at Des Moines
Area Community College had similar demographics, within-term course retention, and
academic success as non-dual credit students. It also set out to determine the impact of
independent variables upon success for both groups of students. The Wilcoxon
nonparametric test, Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to compare the students
x
from DMACC’s dual credit population with DMACC’s non-dual credit students entering
right out of high school as first-time, full-time students.
Among the findings were: (a) the majority of both groups of dual and non-dual credit
students were 18 year old, white males, who were not eligible for pell grants; (b) there were
no significant differences in within-term course retention of dual credit students and non-dual
credit students when examined by gender, race/ethnicity, or Pell eligibility; (c) there was a
significant difference in the success of the dual credit students when compared to the success
of the non-dual credit students; (d) there was no significant difference in the success of the
dual credit students compared to the non-dual credit students specifically examined by
gender, and Pell eligibility; (e) dual credit students had significantly different ACT math
scores and 1st semester GPAs when compared to the non-dual credit students; (f) there were
five significant variables which had significant impact individually and collectively upon the
success of both groups of students. These in order of largest impact are as follows: dual
credit English, 1st semester GPA, taking DMACC math, taking DMACC English, and ACT
English scores.
The study should be replicated on a statewide basis at the community college level
and four year college level, both public and private because of the number of dual credit
students transitioning to college. Although there was some information about the enrollment
of dual credit students in the state of Iowa previous to the study, there was no formal analysis
of the student transition success to college. A qualitative study would also be very beneficial
to learn more from the students in order to fully understand the benefits and ways to improve
dual credit programming.