The Southern Regional Education Board has launched a multi-year initiative to help states address growing concerns about dual enrollment, including cost and equity.

With an advisory panel of members from schools, universities, agencies and legislatures across the SREB states, the project will explore how dual enrollment can: 

• make college more affordable for students from a wide range of income groups
• provide quality educational experiences for students from all geographic areas and racial and ethnic backgrounds
• help states meet their educational attainment and workforce goals

“We’re bringing leaders together because many have cited growing concerns about making dual enrollment accessible for all students,” said SREB President Stephen L. Pruitt. “There are also unresolved issues with escalating costs, how credits are applied and transferred, the quality of courses, and how teachers or faculty are prepared to teach them.”

At their kickoff meeting last week, panel members identified equity as a prime concern. While dual enrollment is growing fast, leaders questioned whether some students may be taking more courses than they need. At the same time, dual enrollment is often less available and affordable for high school students from low-income families, students who are less well-prepared academically and students in rural areas.

Other priorities advisory members cited were funding models, accreditation and preparing teachers, and clarifying the goals of dual enrollment.

The group meets again in December. In the coming years, SREB’s Dual Enrollment Initiative will:

• Engage policymakers, state and local educational leaders, and K-12 and postsecondary educators to deeply explore the issues.
• Publish promising policies and practices.
• Provide technical assistance to states to improve dual enrollment experiences for students.

SREB Dual Enrollment Initiative

SREB Dual Enrollment Resources

Media contact: Beth Day, (404) 879-5544

A nonprofit, nonpartisan interstate compact, SREB was created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislators who recognized the link between education and economic vitality. SREB states are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. More at SREB.org.