Dual Credit in Illinois
The current study examines DC participation trends to increase DC opportunities for all students and close participation gaps.
The current study examines DC participation trends to increase DC opportunities for all students and close participation gaps.
Using data from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), this study analyzes district Dual Credit (DC) participation rates from the 2017-18 school year (SY18) through SY22. It describes participation overall and among student subgroups, breaking down statewide participation gaps into two parts: 1) gaps due to differences in student demographic composition between districts with different DC participation rates, and 2) gaps due to differences in demographic subgroup participation within districts.
The current study examines dual credit (DC) participation trends in light of work by Illinois state legislators and educators to increase DC opportunities for all students and close participation gaps. It finds that while Illinois has progressed at expanding DC participation, these improvements have not been experienced evenly. All pre-existing participation gaps across demographic subgroups widened, from the 2017-18 to the 2021-22 school year.
