The Impact of Different Early-College/Dual-Enrollment Programs on Minority Student Persistence in Science Disciplines
Abstract
"In the United States, minorities are generally underrepresented in the STEM fields. There is considerable evidence that minority students benefit from early exposure to college-credit courses while in high school. In an effort to ameliorate the representation gap in the sciences, our MSP has implemented multiple early-college/dual-enrollment courses for high-school students, following different instructional models. One program is a full-time, residential, summer program, and the other is a school-year program with single courses that take place in the high schools. This ongoing study employs mixed methods to determine the effects of these different dual-enrollment programs on students' persistence in college and choice of major. Newly available data on college attendance patterns for student participants will be shared."