Course selection is an important issue for university students. This study investigates the relationship between course selection and overall academic performance among university students. Using anonymous transcripts from 1681 undergraduates across ten majors, we examined the association between elective course load or choices and academic…

This study had a dual focus. First, the study sought to understand the impact of policy on praxis. This was achieved through a Critical Policy Analysis of Assembly Bill 705 (AB705), a California law that attempts to reduce the number of non-credit courses required to earn required courses in college composition and mathematics. Second, the study…

We examined the impact of secondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) credit-taking on students attaining full-time employment following graduation from high school in the United States, and whether such credit-taking impacted students entering employment in a related field. We focused on occupational programs, and we used four levels of CTE…

CUNY Transfer Explorer (CUNY T-Rex) was developed to simplify the transfer of credits and represents an at-scale technology tool solution that provides transparent and up-to-date information about transfer credit equivalencies to students, faculty, and advisors. In addition to collaborating with CUNY to develop CUNY T-Rex, ITHAKA S+R undertook a…

The City University of New York (CUNY) and Ithaka S+R developed a supportive credit mobility system to overcome barriers in the student transfer process. Launched in May 2020, the City University of New York (CUNY) Transfer Explorer (CUNY T-Rex) exposes course and credit-for-prior-learning (CPL) transfer rules as well as general education and…

Whether through transfer and articulation, through grants that bring disconnected learners back to higher education or through short-term credentialing and applied bachelor's degrees, four-year institutions remain integral to career pathways systems beyond the traditional degree pathway. They also have a clear role in supporting all learners,…

Online credit recovery (OCR) courses are the most common means through which students retake courses required for high school graduation. Yet a growing body of research has raised concerns regarding student learning in these courses, with low quality assessments posited as one contributing factor. To address this concern, we reviewed every…

High school dual-enrollment and early college models are seeing a surge in popularity, though neither is new. Both early college and dual-enrollment programs were designed to speed up the pathway to any postsecondary education while also saving students money. Previous literature does not argue that early college and high school dual-enrollment…

Texas legislation mandated that colleges offer developmental education using a corequisite model, where students concurrently enroll in introductory college-level courses with supplemental developmental support. Using data from the population of Texas students in developmental education, we estimated regression models to investigate differential…

Dual enrollment is expanding in California. Participation in dual enrollment varies across demographic groups and regions. A growing number of high school students earn associate degrees via dual enrollment. Dual enrollment outcomes vary across demographic groups and geographic regions. This fact sheet presents how California continues to invest…

A new Commonwealth Foundation report praises Pennsylvania's tax credit scholarship programs, which create private-school vouchers funded through tax-credited donations. The report argues for the programs' expansion to meet increasing demand. However, this report has at least three major shortcomings. It trivializes the amount of spending on the…

To understand the complex nature of learning recognition and credit transfer in American postsecondary education and examine the systemic barriers to entry many students face as they navigate its institutions, Ithaka S+R conducted a series of qualitative interviews in fall 2024 with state and system-level leaders in Idaho, Illinois, Ohio, and the…

Given the current surge in student participation in dual enrollment programs, an updated synthesis of literature relating to how these programs impact students is warranted. Furthermore, while there are qualitative literature reviews relating to dual enrollment and student outcomes, there has not been a quantitative synthesis of literature…

This study examined the cost effectiveness of three early college programs in Rhode Island: dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, and Advanced Placement (AP). Each program had a positive effect on participants' enrolling in college within one year of high school graduation, persisting to a second year of college, and starting at a four year…

These are the appendixes for the report, "The Cost-Effectiveness of Providing Early College Programs in Rhode Island." Many states now offer high school students the opportunity to earn credit toward a high school diploma and a postsecondary degree simultaneously, with the aim of improving their college readiness and on-time college…