Rethinking Dual-Enrollment Student Retention: A Drop-and-Reenroll Policy to Lower the Stakes for Dually Enrolled Students

Abstract

Dual enrollment programs offer high school students the opportunity to earn college credit; retaining dually enrolled students remains a critical challenge for postsecondary institutions. This study examines the effectiveness of a unique drop-and-reenroll policy which allows dual enrollment students to drop their first dual enrollment course and re-enroll in the same course, at no additional cost, in a future term. The policy aims to support student retention by providing a flexible pathway for students who may struggle with the initial adjustment to college coursework. Using course scores from over 1,200 dual enrollment students, this study compares the academic performance of students who completed the course on their first attempt with those who completed after taking advantage of the policy. Results indicate that students who re-enrolled after dropping the course demonstrated slightly lower scores and greater variability in performance compared to their peers who completed the course on their first attempt.