| The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of high school dual enrollment (HSDE) students who were taking a college composition course on a college campus. The following questions guided this study: (1) What are the contextual features of a high school dual enrollment program that influence students' school achievement? (2) What opportunities and feedback are high school students provided to develop their writing abilities in a college composition course? (3) What is the nature of the intersection/interaction of selected high school students and college instructors in a college composition course?;For the study, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with student and professor participants, collected written artifacts, and kept a detailed research journal. The researcher used the data collected to address the questions of the study, and the results explore the themes that emerged after the researcher analyzed the data. The student participants in this study represent a range of cultural and linguistic diversity, engagement with school, and past academic success. In spite of the varied backgrounds of the student participants, an across-case analysis revealed common themes that shed some light on the contextual features of HSDE programs that may promote student success, on the experiences these students have in a composition classroom, and on the opportunities they are given to improve their writing abilities.;This study revealed that all but one of the student participants who previously were not being served by advanced course work at their home high schools were able to be academically successful in their college composition course. Several features of the HSDE program studied seemed to impact positively their academic experience. However, the students did not seem to have experiences that developed their writing abilities, as one might expect a college classroom to provide. Results of these student participants successfully completing a college composition course on a college campus include their improved confidence in their academic ability, but they conversely reported a negative emotional response to writing. |
