Dual enrollment, also known as concurrent enrollment, allows high school students to take college courses and earn college credits while still in high school. These courses may be offered at the high school campus, college campus, or online. Dual enrollment can take several forms, which fall into two major buckets:
College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP):
- CCAP dual enrollment was specifically designed for students who are underrepresented in postsecondary education or who may not already be college-bound.
- CCAP is a partnership governed by a formal agreement between community college districts and K-12 districts.
- CCAP agreements uniquely allow partnerships to close courses, enrolling only high school students if the course is offered at a high school campus and meets during the regular high school day. Colleges may claim apportionment for enrollments in these closed classes.
Non-CCAP Dual Enrollment:
- The purpose of non-CCAP dual enrollment is to provide students with advanced scholastic or vocational coursework, as defined by the Education Code.
- It encompasses all other kinds of dual enrollment, including individual students taking college courses on their own (often called concurrent or enrichment) and non-CCAP.
- Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between colleges and K-12 partners.
- Courses must be open to the general public if the college plans to claim apportionment. Any college-level course is generally considered to meet this requirement.
- Historically, the primary avenue for dual enrollment was non-CCAP, where individual high school students would enroll in college courses on campus. This tended to benefit students from groups that were already well-represented in postsecondary education.
Dual enrollment courses are also offered through Middle College High Schools (MCHS) and Early College High Schools (ECHS) programs, and can be either CCAP or non-CCAP.
The college plays a central role in dual enrollment, ensuring the academic integrity and quality of college-level coursework offered to high school students. Instructors teaching dual enrollment courses, whether they are regular college faculty or high school teachers serving as adjunct faculty, must meet the minimum qualifications to teach the particular college course. All instructors in dual enrollment programs are required to comply with college processes for hiring, evaluation, and adherence to course outlines of record. Dual enrollment courses are college courses, and the college maintains responsibility for the standards and oversight of this instruction.