Dual enrollment boosts graduation success

Valley’s high school outreach brings in higher graduation rate compared to traditional students

By Ava Rosate, Staff Writer

Dual enrollment graduation rates outperform conventional students according to data from a recent LACCD board of trustees meeting.

The success rate of high school concurrent students stands at 83 percent, while traditional student success stands at 73 percent, according to Valley's Office of Institutional Effectiveness in 2020. The dual enrollment program is an initiative for high school students that allows them to take college-level courses and earn credit toward high school completion free of charge. The concurrent classes are taught at the high schools and are exclusively available to K-12 students.

“There is a selection process to take dual enrolled classes that may also be affecting the success,” according to Gribbons. “We work hard to have support for high school students taking dual enrollment classes so that they are successful.”

The high graduation rate can be attributed to Valley’s effective outreach efforts. These include collaborating with local high schools to provide dual enrollment opportunities to students who would benefit most, with clear and guided pathways. The Guided Pathways Model - Career and Academic Pathways, facilitates this process by helping students research their career and academic interests, select a program of study and develop an educational plan.

Students are selected by feeder high schools to participate in the dual enrollment classes. After being selected, the student then has to complete two applications and wait for approval by the college. According to the program, the goal of dual enrollment is to provide historically underserved students with a college experience that will help eliminate barriers to higher education.

The concurrent student graduation rate not only benefits its students but also the college’s revenue. Revenue increases under the Student Centered Funding Formula, which is partially dependent on the number of students who graduate.

"The college gets funded from the full time equivalent students enrolled in classes, plus a supplemental measure that's based on financial aid. And then, lastly, outcomes. The outcomes include degree and certificate completion,” Gribbons said. “Nonetheless, having more dual enrolled students does benefit the college's revenue.”