The not-so-hidden promising education policy

If we want more young people to succeed in college, let's get more of them in college earlier

What if I told you there was an education issue that defies political politicization that we could rally behind?

What if it was an issue that appeals to students and parents, has research backing it as sound, and that it opens doors for more students to achieve the American dream?

Well, courtesy of my Joe Nathan, a nationally renowned proponent of creative programs that advance student learning, I may have just such an issue.

The policy or program goes by many names, and each name defines a slightly different version of the same thing, but in Minnesota, where Joe and I live, it's called post-secondary options or dual enrollment.

Simply put, it's the pathway for students to take college courses and earn college credits for free while still in high school.

The policy is suitable for students from all backgrounds. Still, it does great things for students of color and those in poverty who not only get a shot to rise above the low expectations of their struggling high schools, have access to more compelling content, and meet older students who model college life for them but also put themselves on track to save money on college tuition when they go.

An article from last year featured some fantastic success stories from the program Greater Education Opportunities (GEO). This charter school network has stoked my imagination about what is possible for a few years. Kyleah Martin, a high school senior, earned an associate's degree and began working towards her bachelor's. Shania McDonald, also a senior, earned an associate's in anthropology at Indiana Northwest and was working towards her bachelor's degree. Anija Brame was another remarkable senior who had completed a one-year degree in business administration and planned to further her education by studying to become a middle school teacher.

These are just three of many students who have been able to take advantage of GEO's unique offerings and pursue their dreams of higher education while still in high school.

Aren't these the stories we want to tell more of for our young people? 

Of all the things school reform purports to offer, this is one where the appetite seems strong with the public.

As proof, note how the pandemic accelerated the decline in community college enrollment for all age groups except for one. High schoolers who were dual enrolled in colleges increased by 11.5%. During the fall of 2021,18.3% of community college students nationally were under 18 years old compared to 15.7% during the fall of 2019.

In 15 states, more than a quarter of all fall 2021 community college enrollments in 15 states were comprised of high school dual enrollment students.

Approximately 325 individual schools reported that high school students accounted for most of their total enrollments for that period.

As we're swamped in a backlog of failure stories that dampen the soul of education advocacy, are we losing sight of practical policies and programs that are tried and true and offer a helpful way forward to increase educational opportunities?

Maybe it's dual enrollment, college in the schools, early college charter schools, university-run on-campus high schools, or district articulation agreements that create high schools in tech colleges, all of which offer increased resources and paths to certifications or degrees.

But who needs sexy policy? We should settle for effective. Hopeful. Proven.

If our advocacy goals are to do more than fight circular wars about nothing, we will spend more time pushing our state and national leaders to invest more in dual enrollment and early college programs.