| High schools are under increasing pressure to prepare students for college and the workforce. There has long been a gap between meeting the requirements for high school graduation and being ready for college or career ready. Recently, those students who were not college tracked required the same rigorous education as those who were college-tracked. Often, students left high school and were in need of remediation, creating barriers for success.;The implementation of dual credit (DC) courses is becoming a popular strategy to decrease the gap between high school graduation and college/work. Through DC, students are introduced to rigorous curriculum, while being supported as high school students. DC has shown promise in promoting college readiness and college persistence. This mixed methods dissertation examines a DC physical geology course in the California's San Joaquin Valley. The DC physical geology courses are housed on high school campuses and taught by high school teachers, in cooperation with the local California State University campuses. The purpose of this study is to determine if this DC program eased the transition from high school to college through the perceived likelihood of college enrollment, college readiness, increased student interest in the sciences, and geological knowledge.;This mixed methods dissertation examines a DC physical geology course in the California's San Joaquin Valley. The DC physical geology courses are housed on high school campuses and taught by high school teachers, in cooperation with the local California State University campuses. The purpose of this study is to determine if this DC program eased the transition from high school to college through the perceived likelihood of college enrollment, college readiness, increased student interest in the sciences, and geological knowledge. |
