In June, 2022 Zinth Consulting LLC published a report which uses the College in High School Alliance's Unlocking Potential framework to provide state-level policy recommendations to enhance equitable access to and participation in high-quality dual credit programming for all Indiana students.
Within Reach: A Policy Roadmap for Dual Credit in Indiana combines the insights of secondary and postsecondary dual credit stakeholders on barriers to equitable dual credit access, participation and success in Indiana, as well as recommendations to address identified challenges. The primary author of the report is Jennifer Zinth, a leading national expert on dual credit.
The report utilized findings from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education’s 2021 Early College Credit Report to identify equity gaps in dual credit participation by race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status and geography. The Commission’s report noted low-income students, rural students, and Black and Hispanic and Latino students are less likely than their peers to earn dual credit.
Three Key Policy Levers Emerged from this Research
Within Reach provides three cross-cutting policy levers to advance state and local dual enrollment policy in equitable ways:
- Reconvening the Indiana Dual Credit Advisory Council: A reconvened council could consider funding models to ensure program integrity and assess viable alternatives to the current dual credit funding model.
- Developing a statewide equity goal for dual credit participation: A statewide equity goal would be a critical tool in identifying and addressing equity gaps in dual credit access and participation.
- Scaling the Indiana College Core in high school: The Indiana College Core establishes 30 college credit hours guaranteed to transfer to public institutions statewide. Awareness of the program is growing with key audiences, but many are still not aware of the opportunities and advantages of the Indiana College Core.
