ElevateEdAZ, an initiative of the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation, and the Maricopa County Community Colleges District (MCCCD) jointly funded a project to understand the barriers of dual enrollment (DE) and develop short-term long-term goals to increase DE attainment. Implementation of the short-term solutions resulted in a collective 40 percent increase in fall dual enrollment registration across students in Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) and Mesa Public Schools (MPS) as compared to the prior year. The project began in July 2022 and was facilitated by a third-party consultant, Shan Strategies, and included student surveys to identify barriers to enrollment.

“The study found that we need to increase awareness of the benefits of dual enrollment and provide tuition assistance for underserved populations,” said Jennifer Mellor, Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation. “A growing body of research suggests that students who complete college courses through dual enrollment in high school are significantly more likely to attend and complete post-secondary education.”

According to Helios Education Foundation’s Dual Enrollment Report, students who take dual enrollment are 2.1 times more likely to attend college and 1.2 times more likely to persist in college. Building upon the growing momentum around dual enrollment in Arizona, the project partners collaborated with the shared goal of addressing short and long-term barriers to enrollment and implementing short-term solutions to increase enrollment in Fall 2022, including increased awareness of the benefits of dual enrollment in the classroom. In addition, ElevateEdAZ piloted an incentive program for educators at ElevateEdAZ partner schools, providing teachers with financial incentives based on the number of students who successfully complete their dual enrollment course. The results speak volumes as the schools reported a 40 percent increase in registration!

As a result of this collaboration, project partners identified four priority areas with key recommendations, including for more high school students to have the opportunity to take at least 12 college credits and understand the value of dual enrollment. In addition, the partners recommended strategies to increase teacher motivation to teach dual enrollment, for the courses offered to be aligned intentionally to high-value pathways, and for partners to sustain a strong, seamless connection resulting in student success.

In summary, numerous opportunities exist in the near and long-term to increase dual enrollment rates for Arizona students. As a community, we must break down these barriers for our students and educators to ensure students have access to meaningful high-wage, high-demand career pathways.
The full Dual Enrollment Study can be found at https://elevateedaz.com/DEStudy.


About ElevateEdAZ
Launched in 2020, ElevateEdAZ prepares individuals for college and career through stronger alignment between education, business, and the community. ElevateEdAZ is focused on increasing the number of students completing high-quality education to workforce learning pathways that align with the needs of the industry and supports students in completing industry-recognized credentials, attaining early post-secondary credit, and participating in capstone work-based learning experiences, such as internships and job shadows. For more information, visit https://elevateedaz.com.

About the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation
The Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation convenes and catalyzes business, education, and community to enhance college and career readiness, develop a more robust workforce, and build healthier communities throughout Arizona. The Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, leads the charitable and education initiatives of the Greater Phoenix Chamber under the four pillars of education, workforce development, wellness, and research. For more information, visit https://phoenixchamberfoundation.com.