Study finds racial, socioeconomic disparities in dual enrollment participation

There are big racial and socioeconomic disparities in dual enrollment participation across California, according to a new study by researchers at UC Davis and PACE.

Across grade levels, Asian students were the most likely to take dual enrollment classes, followed by white students, Latino students and Black students. The overall participation in dual enrollment was lowest among ninth graders but also the most equitable: The gap between Asian and Black students who participated in ninth grade was 4 percentage points. Among 12th graders, who participated in dual enrollment at the highest rate of any grade level, the gap between Asian and Black students was 14 percentage points.

Sonya Christian, the statewide chancellor of California’s community college system, has said she wants every ninth grader to participate in dual enrollment.

There are also participation disparities across socioeconomic lines, although that varies by grade level, the study found. Among ninth graders, 5.3% of both socioeconomically disadvantaged students and other students participated in dual enrollment. Among 10th and 11th graders, students who aren’t socioeconomically disadvantaged participated at higher rates. That trend flips, however, among 12th graders, when enrollment rates were higher for socioeconomically disadvantaged students.