Dual-credit soars in Chicago -- but college success does not

Chicago Public Schools has gone all in on pushing students to take "dual-credit" classes, in hopes of boosting college enrollment and success, reports Chalkbeat's Mila Koumpilova. But, so far, the rise in students earning college credits has not been matched by a rise in college completion rates.

Arianna Brandt is a dual-credit "star" at Chicago's Michele Clark High School. Photo: Mustafa Hussain/Chalkbeat

Some community-college instructors "worry about watered-down curriculums and pressure to enroll less-prepared students, offering them credits that selective colleges might not accept," she writes.

“My biggest fear is that you expand this in the name of equity, and students get college credit, but they are not prepared when they get to college,” said Troy Swanson, the policy chair at the Cook County College Teachers Union.

Most students takes dual-credit community-college courses taught by high school teachers at their high schools, which may explains why the college teachers' union is unenthusiastic. However, they also point out that pass rates are much higher in dual-credit courses at high schools compared to the same courses taught at Chicago City Colleges. It could be that the classes are smaller and meet more often, but it does suggest that standards are lower.

Black students are slightly over-represented among the district's dual-credit students, but are less likely than whites or Asian-Americans to take Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, which teachers consider more rigorous, writes Koumpilova. AP and IB students must pass a national test while dual-credit students must earn a passing grade from the instructor.

Todd Lakin, a Spanish instructor at Malcolm X, pulled out of supervising a course at one high school, she reports. “Dual credit expanded too quickly, and the academic integrity of the courses can be called into question,” he said. “We are doing students a disservice.”

Arianna Brandt, a dual-credit "star" at Michele Clark High, hopes to complete an associate degree in high school, then enroll in a four-year university to study business and athletic training. Last year, 12 Clark students who played sports together and studied as a team earned City College degrees. Valedictorian Anthony Spivey is now a cybersecurity major at a private college in Iowa, which accepted all his transfer credits.

Clark, which serves predominantly Black students from low-income families, pushes students to start taking community college classes the summer after their freshman year. But the school has pulled back from the plan to enroll every sophomore in at least one dual-credit class, writes Koumpilova. The failure rate soared. Some students weren't prepared.

Despite its designation as an academic magnet, only 5 percent of Clark students test as proficient in reading and math, reports Niche.

"A Chalkbeat analysis did not find that campuses that boosted dual credit participation also consistently saw higher college enrollment and persistence," writes Koumpilova. "At Clark, for instance, as participation grew in the past three years, college enrollment remained relatively flat at about half of graduates, and persistence dipped."

I see that Brandt is considering going to Chicago State University, which is known for its very low graduation rate.

Dual-credit students who enroll at community college after graduation outperform classmates who didn't try dual credit, say City Colleges officials. They're more likely to make it to their second year, and to complete an associate degree.

Chicago Public Schools reports higher college enrollment and persistence for dual-credit students, writes Koumpilova. However, "it can be hard to say whether dual credit is sending more students to college or attracting already college-bound students."

Dual credit has become very popular nationwide, she notes. A fifth of community college students are completing high school. "Research has shown these classes improve the odds of going and staying in college — especially for students of color and low-income students."