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Dual-Credit Courses and the Road to College: Experimental Evidence from Tennessee

Author

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  • Hemelt, Steven W.

    (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)

  • Schwartz, Nathaniel L.

    (Tennessee Department of Education)

  • Dynarski, Susan

    (University of Michigan)

Abstract

Dual-credit courses expose high school students to college-level content and provide the opportunity to earn college credits, in part to smooth the transition to college. With the Tennessee Department of Education, we conduct the first randomized controlled trial of the effects of dual-credit math coursework on a range of high school and college outcomes. We find that the dual-credit advanced algebra course alters students' subsequent high school math course-taking, reducing enrollment in remedial math and boosting enrollment in precalculus and Advanced Placement math courses. We fail to detect an effect of the dual-credit math course on overall rates of college enrollment. However, the course induces some students to choose four-year universities instead of two-year colleges, particularly for those in the middle of the math achievement distribution and those first exposed to the opportunity to take the course in 11th rather than 12th grade. We see limited evidence of improvements in early math performance during college.

Suggested Citation

  • Hemelt, Steven W. & Schwartz, Nathaniel L. & Dynarski, Susan, 2019. "Dual-Credit Courses and the Road to College: Experimental Evidence from Tennessee," IZA Discussion Papers 12481, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp12481
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Thomas J. Kane & Angela Boatman & Whitney Kozakowski & Christopher Bennett & Rachel Hitch & Dana Weisenfeld, 2021. "Is College Remediation a Barrier or a Boost? Evidence from the Tennessee SAILS Program," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 40(3), pages 883-913, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    college choices; college enrollment; dual-credit courses; math coursework;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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