In an effort to trim their college expenses, more students are enrolling in college-level courses while they're still in high school.
It sounds like a great idea: Students can start earning college credit by enrolling in college-level courses that give them both high school and college credit at the same time. It also seems like a great way to combat "senioritis" 
—keeping kids enthused about their future, instead of coasting through senior year.
And the trend toward dual enrollment really seems to be picking up speed. I recently read an article in The Des Moines Register that said the number of high school students who are enrolled at community colleges is up 60 percent since 2002, according to the Iowa Department of Education. (Sorry I can't link directly to the article. It's no longer available online for free.)
But dual enrollment is somewhat controversial.
Some critics say that some dual-enrolled students aren't really ready for the coursework—that they're allowed to take community college classes even if they don't have the high school grades to get accepted into college. Others say students who take college courses in the high school environment (as opposed to on-campus) aren't being exposed to real college competition. And some students even worry that they don't fit in either world—high school or college—by trying to do both.
Can you explain more on what you think on dual enrollment?
you still hanet answered my question
Hi Joan -- sorry for the delay. We try to answer questions promptly, but sometimes we don't get to them until the next day.
With regard to dual enrollment, I think it's a good thing. The benefits outweigh the potential downside, in my mind. For many kids, it's a fantastic opportunity to reduce their college costs. Taking college classes in high school can also help kids get an earlier start in deciding on a college major or career path. To me, it just helps make senior year more productive all-around.
On the surface, it seems dual enrollment is a great idea, but there are real problems with it because of scheduling difficulties. Oftentimes the college credit courses are offered before school begins in the morning which cuts into music rehearsal times. The very kids who can benefit from taking college classes during high school are forced into making unpalatable choices about their music participation. They're getting pressure from parents because of no or low tuition costs associated with the courses, so they give up on music which has been proven in study after to study to improve and enhance academic skills. Particularly in small high schools, this remains a huge problem.
I teach dual credit History to Juniors at the HS. I also teach the same course at the community college. We screen the HS kids and they actually do better than the ones at the local JC. I am a huge supporter of the program and think it is one of the best kept secrets in eduation!
When I was an undergrad, I worked for the General Education Program at our school. We offered the freshman portion of the program to a few local high schools. They were able to get 15 (?!) general ed credits for $120 and free if they qualified for a free lunch program. It was pretty good because I had the chance to mentor a bunch of potential first gen college students. The way the program was set up the classes actually counted towards the high school and college credits!