DO DUAL CREDIT PROGRAM LOCATIONS AND NUMBER OF COURSES STUDENTS TAKE MATTER: A FIRST LOOK AT DUAL CREDIT IN NEW MEXICO

Dual Credit programs allow secondary students to earn high school and college credit simultaneously upon completion of the requisite course. Over the past decade, the number of states that have established legislation authorizing these programs has nearly doubled. However, there is very little existing research that conclusively demonstrates this investment in Dual Credit is justified. None of the existing research looks at the effect of Dual Credit program location on student success, or presents a conclusive finding as to whether the number of Dual Credit courses students enroll in affects student success differently. This thesis takes a first look at these two research questions relative to the academic performance of New Mexico students in the first year of college. The findings indicate that students who enrolled in a Dual Credit program on high school campuses outperformed those at college campuses in New Mexico. In addition, students who took a higher number of Dual Credit courses also were better prepared for college-level academics. These results can be compared with the outcomes from other studies conducted in different states to help determine what type of Dual Credit instruction model produces the best results to attain student success, something vital in guiding national discussions as to how Dual Credit programs should be implemented.