Emily M. LaSpina*
Abstract
The educational-achievement gap between socioeconomic classes is a problem in education that remains unsolved. Proponents tout dual enrollment—a program wherein high school students take college classes and receive both high school and college credit—as a solution to this issue. However, in its current form, dual enrollment can actually increase, rather than reduce, the educational-achievement gap.
Fortunately, Congress can reduce the educational-achievement gap by financially incentivizing the states, through the Taxing and Spending Clause, to adopt better dual enrollment practices. Congress can financially incentivize the states to adopt better dual enrollment practices so long as Congress makes clear that the states must adopt better dual enrollment practices before receiving the financial incentive. Importantly, Congress cannot tack the requirement of better dual enrollment practices on to old financial incentives. Rather, Congress must financially incentivize the states to adopt better dual enrollment practices with new federal funding.
For dual enrollment to no longer discriminate against students from low-income families, Congress’s better dual enrollment practices must include: mandatory dissemination of dual enrollment information, creation of a funding structure that does not require students and their parents to pay out of pocket for dual enrollment courses, and removal of harmful credit caps. These proposed changes to current dual enrollment programs will transform dual enrollment into a real solution for reducing the educational-achievement gap between socioeconomic classes by making dual enrollment programs truly accessible to all.
*J.D. Candidate, The Pennsylvania State University, Penn State Law, 2021.