How the dual enrollment boom is changing Texas colleges

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LIBERTY CITY — Zachary Carnes is a professor of government at Kilgore College, but these days, he says, he feels more like a “wandering preacher.”

When he first attended East Texas Community College, he faced a wide range of adults: those just out of high school and those looking for a new direction in life. Now he drives his pickup truck between school campuses and teaches management courses to teenagers.

He often teaches in multi-purpose classes. On a Thursday afternoon at one of his high schools, he usually tries to rearrange the desks before his students arrive.

“You adapt,” he said. “It’s what you do.”

More high school students are gaining access to college through dual credit classes, which allow them to earn high school and college credits at the same time. That’s because of a new government program that gives community colleges money to provide these classes for free to low-income students.

Kilgore College saw a 36.5% increase in dual credit enrollment in the last academic year alone. East Texas high school students now make up the majority of Kilgore College’s student population.

A surge in dual credit enrollment is reshaping the identity of community colleges across the state, pushing educators to rethink how to teach effectively in their classes to meet the needs of teenagers and encouraging them to pursue a higher education path after they earn a high school diploma.

For years, Texas was a national leader in dual enrollment as educators touted it as a way to prepare students early for college. Research shows that dual enrollment is associated with higher level of education and timely completion of a degree.

As colleges struggled to retain students during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of dual-enrollment high school students was so high that it matched the total enrollment in Texas.

Texas lawmakers changed last year how community colleges were funded to recognize the work that community colleges already do to prepare high school students for college. Colleges now earn state dollars if high school students complete at least 15 credit hours on their campuses.

The new funding system also included an additional program that made dual credit more affordable for low-income students. Participating community colleges were eligible for the extra money when they allowed high school students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch to attend classes for free. Other students received a discount on dual credit classes, with the maximum tuition being about $55 per credit hour.

The program known as Financial assistance for fast transfer“changes the demographics of dual credit. This provided an opportunity for many students who were financially unable to enroll,” said Brandon Walker, dean of dual credit at Kilgore College.

Last year, more than 250,000 students took dual credit through the program and their institutions received a total of nearly $80 million in funding, according to Sarah Cayton, interim commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

As dual-credit students become an increasingly important part of community college life, college leaders are confronted with how the student experience is changing.

The Kilgore campus is quiet as more adult students take classes online and the high schools add more faculty. Walker says the college is seeing a growing need to facilitate students’ virtual experiences, whether through Zoom social events or connecting dual-credit students to campus groups such as honor society.

Educators are also increasingly exploring how best to shape classes to meet the needs of high school students, many of whom are still deciding whether they want to pursue a degree.

“To teach a college course to high school students really well requires combining what high school teachers know and do every day, which is what classroom management does with high school students… and what college teachers know and do every day. , and that’s content expertise,” said John Fink of the Community College Research Center.

Carnes, a professor of government, enjoys getting students accustomed to the rigors of college-level coursework.

To break the ice with this younger generation of students, Carnes referenced “Boys’ Summer” as an homage to British singer Charli XCX’s hit album. He doesn’t have Tik Tok, but his wife will hook it up.

Carnes knows his high school students are still trying to figure out how to approach professors and adjusting to how college can feel more independent. So he began devoting class time to exam sessions with his high school students so they would have a structured space to ask questions.

During his last class in October, Carnes pulled up the Intermediate Study Guide on the projector and scanned the room for signs of confusion. When the students did not raise their hands, the professor asked his questions: “Who can tell me the difference between confederal, federal and unitary systems?” How to distinguish de jure segregation from de facto segregation?

He’s looking forward to talking to his students about their plans after school. At a time when young people are questioning the value of college, dual credit educators like Carnes may be best equipped to talk about what they can gain from earning a higher degree.

The college is also beginning to consider using dual-credit classroom space to share information about how to pay for college.

“I certainly understand our role as we come into contact with more and more dual-credit students … letting them know it’s okay to go to community college for a couple of years,” said Carnes, who took several classes at Tyler College. Junior before enrolling in a four-year school. – university course. “That’s the message I try to get across to my students.”

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus to cover higher education issues.

Disclosure: Kilgore College is a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial support plays no role in Tribune journalism. Find complete their list is here.