Responding to the Student Voice in Dual Enrollment: Insights From Focus Group Interviews and DESSE Survey Data

ABSTRACT More than a million high school students are taking dual enrollment (DE) courses each year to get a jump start on college and career success, yet persistent gaps in access have limited the benefits of DE reaching those who could use it most. Reform efforts are underway to redesign DE as a more intentional and equitable opportunity, but what do DE students think about it? In this article, we draw on findings from the Dual Enrollment Survey of Student Engagement (DESSE) and focus group interviews with nearly 100 DE students at primarily lower‐income‐serving high schools in Texas and Florida to describe what students want from their DE experience and implications for college and K‐12 leaders working to strengthen their DE programming. We conclude with recommendations for strengthening DE programs and with questions educators can use to engage their DE students and center their experiences as a part of program improvement efforts.