Dual enrollment offerings taught by high school instructors and the impact of HLC instructor qualifications in north central Wisconsin

Abstract

The following study was an attempt to discover possible impacts on secondary schools in northcentral Wisconsin and their dual enrollment offerings of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) guidelines for faculty qualifications as articulated in a revision of Assumed Practice B.2. Research exists that shows correlation between increased college attendance and postsecondary degree completion among rural and low-income students and the opportunities for those students to earn college credit during high school. Evidence also exists that indicates the HLC's instructor qualifications could reduce the number of secondary instructors able to teach dual enrollment courses. This non-experimental, qualitative research found evidence that there could be impacts to dual enrollment offerings at schools included in the study and that efforts are in progress to minimize possible reductions in dual enrollment opportunities available to students. The researcher also discovered that despite some schools' efforts to minimize the impacts of the HLC requirements on course offerings, others still faced challenges to maintain and possibly add both offerings and qualified staff members to teach the courses. In conclusion, the ability to collaborate and pool problem-solving ideas among studied schools could provide both support to current offerings and the ability to expand opportunities in the future.