blog
A New School Year, A Renewed Call to Action
Published
September 19th, 2025Author
Governor Newsom’s California Blueprint outlines an ambitious goal for 70% of Californians to hold a postsecondary degree or credential by 2030, an attainment goal the Campaign has long advocated for as an essential benchmark for meeting the state’s future workforce needs. Achieving this vision will require more intentional efforts to close equity gaps in college access and completion, particularly for Latinx, Black, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI), and American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) students who make up more than half of California’s TK–12 public school system. Ensuring that all students have the opportunity to reach and thrive in quality college pathways is critical to building a more inclusive, prosperous future for the state.
As part of the Campaign for College Opportunity’s Back-to-School, Forward with Students initiative, we are calling for the expansion and strengthening of dual enrollment, an equity-driven strategy that gives students early exposure to college, boosts academic confidence, and enables students to earn college credit while still in high school.
The Campaign’s recent brief, Realizing Equitable Access to Rigorous College-Preparatory Coursework, exposed national disparities in access to rigorous courses, including those experienced in California, such as limited availability of A-G approved courses, a sequence of high school classes required for University of California and California State University eligibility for admission, along with Advanced Placement (AP) classes, and dual enrollment options for minoritized students. Dual enrollment programs such as College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) and Middle College Programs have the potential to be a powerful tool for closing opportunity gaps in higher education. To meet this potential, programs should intentionally prioritize increased participation from underrepresented students, offer strong advising and wraparound support services, and ensure that earned credits clearly transfer and count toward degrees.
Innovative California initiatives like the Golden State Pathways Program illustrate what’s possible when equity is centered in college preparation design. Students can complete A-G coursework, earn 12 or more college credits, and explore careers through technical education and work-based learning, all before high school graduation. These experiences do more than accelerate academic progress. They build college-readiness, confidence in academic ability, and foster a sense of belonging.
Research shows that students who participate in dual enrollment programs are more likely to enroll in and complete college compared to their non-dual enrollment peers. Dually enrolled students also demonstrate stronger academic outcomes across multiple indicators, such as higher first-year GPAs, increased completion of transfer-level math and English courses, and higher rates of degree or certificate attainment. In addition to the improved educational outcomes, students have shared how dual enrollment programs have changed their relationship with learning. The experiences of formally and current dually enrolled students like Ali Murchek, Daniel Bonilla, and Adrian Madrigal illustrate these impacts on their educational journeys, showing how early access to college coursework can shape both academic trajectories and personal growth.
Ali Murchek began her educational journey at Foothill College through the Middle College program from 2018 to 2020. When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her transfer plans, she made the intentional choice to stay at Foothill for another year, earning additional transferable credits while waiting for the return of in-person classes. In 2021, she completed an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) in Psychology before transferring to UC Santa Cruz. She went on to graduate in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in legal studies, though it was an early psychology course at Foothill that left a lasting impact on how she viewed education.
“It kind of changed my life. It really did,” Ali reflected. “I’m first-gen… Psychology was the only class I had ever enjoyed. That was the first time I ever felt excited about learning. I remember thinking, ‘Wait, this is what school can feel like? You can actually enjoy it?’ It was wild.”
Ali Murchek
Ali’s experience illustrates how a transformative classroom experience can profoundly reshape a student’s academic identity, especially for first-generation college students who may initially feel disengaged in learning environments. Her reflection highlights the power of early exposure to college level coursework in fostering intellectual curiosity and sense of belonging in higher education. Her decision to remain at Foothill after completing the Middle College program and throughout the pandemic reflects the strong value she found in the community college experience, which created space for continued academic growth, personal exploration, and a shift in how she saw herself as a learner.
Daniel Bonilla, a recent graduate of Pitzer College, offers another powerful example of how Middle College programs can shape a student’s academic identity at an early age. While attending Dr. Richard Vladovic Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy, he balanced high school and college coursework, an experience that not only accelerated his academic journey, but also nurtured a strong sense of confidence and belonging in higher education. Reflecting on his time in the program, Daniel described the dual enrollment experience as essential to his academic development.
“The dual enrollment program just prepared me a lot for academic coursework at a higher level. And I think it was a beautiful transition… Education is such a privilege. And having that opportunity to take those classes free of charge while a being a full-time student not only made me look good as an applicant for college programs or different opportunities, but it made me a lot more prepared.”
Daniel Bonilla
For Daniel, the challenge of managing both high school and college coursework became a source of motivation and confidence. “Being able to take these college classes at a very young age, gave me a lot of confidence. It became like this flex of like, yeah, I’m doing high school and doing college at the same time. And yes, it’s hard, and it’s rigorous, but it’s also just as rewarding as you could ever imagine it to be.” His Middle College experience provided early exposure to college-level coursework that strengthened his academic skills and self-assurance. Building on this foundation, Daniel will begin pursuing a Master’s in Environmental Health Sciences at UC, Berkeley in Fall 2025.
Like Daniel, current College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) student Adrian Madrigal also highlights the remarkable impact of early exposure to college coursework. As an underclassman, Adrian appreciated the accessibility of taking college-level courses right on his high school campus. Participating in the program allowed Adrian to complete A-G classes, strengthen his GPA, and gain a firsthand understanding of what college expectations are like.
“We had a college advisor on campus,” Adrian explained. “She held meetings and presentations encouraging us to take advantage of LBCC’s courses for our A-G requirements. That guidance really showed me how these classes could help me academically prepare me for college.”
Adrian Madrigal
Beyond strengthening his academic record, dual enrollment also helped Adrian explore new interests and potential career paths. “Participating in dual enrollment really opened my mind to college and future goals,” he shared. Taking a college-level public health class helped him realize the breadth of the field beyond epidemiology, sparking a potential future interest in pursuing public health as a career.
Ali, Daniel, and Adrian’s experiences illustrate how dual enrollment, when paired with institutional support and access, can transform a student’s academic identity, build confidence, and foster a sense of belonging in higher education. However, systemic barriers such as geographic disparities, limited course offerings, transportation challenges, and insufficient counselor or staff support continue to restrict who is able to benefit from these opportunities. Together, their stories highlight both the promise of these programs and the need to expand access, so that more students can have the opportunity to experience academic growth and build confidence in navigating higher education. Programs like CCAP agreements are designed specifically to close equity gaps in dual enrollment by offering students structured support alongside early college credit opportunities. About 80% of California’s dual-enrolled high school students continue to a postsecondary institution compared to 66% of 12th graders overall.
This focus on equity and intentional institutional support is echoed by Dr. Naomi Castro, Chief Program Officer of the Career Ladders Project, who notes that dual enrollment is a high impact, strategic lever for advancing educational equity when done thoughtfully and in alignment with broader student success efforts. She explained that dual enrollment is most effective when it is integrated with other initiatives, such as equitable counseling practices, the launch and implementation of guided pathways within the California Community College system, an equity-focused framework that offers students clear enrollment options, structured course sequences, and integrated support services to help them navigate their educational journey, as well as the development of career exploration that provide direction for students. “High expectations, paired with strong support, can transform student outcomes”, said Dr. Castro. For first-generation students in particular, a college navigation or counseling course can be critical to their success. These courses answer fundamental but often unspoken questions, such as how to be a college student, what a major is, how to communicate with instructors, and how grades can impact financial aid eligibility.
Dual enrollment is more than an early start to college; it is a powerful tool for socioeconomic mobility by giving students access to career-aligned pathways that lead to long-term economic stability. Student stories like Ali, Daniel, and Adrian illustrate this promise, reducing the time and cost to complete a degree, while building confidence and opening doors to new opportunities. Achieving California’s goal of postsecondary attainment by 2030 will require more than an incremental change, rather it will demand bold, equity-driven investments. By removing systemic barriers, ensuring credits transfer seamlessly, integrating career-connected learning, and embedding strong advising and wraparound supports, California can do more to unlock the full potential of dual enrollment. In the current legislative cycle, expanding dual enrollment is a state priority, with policies being considered such as AB 1122 (Bryan), requiring all high school-serving districts to offer programs by 2029-30, and AB 731 (Fong), streamlining applications and expanding course access to ensure more students can take advantage of these opportunities.
To strengthen and expand dual enrollment so more students can benefit, leaders can:
- Center Family Engagement to Build a College-Going Culture: Establish culturally responsive family engagement programs that demystify dual enrollment, beginning as early as elementary and middle school to expose students to higher education. Research shows that strong family-school relationships improve student outcomes, including academics, attendance, social-emotional development, and college and career readiness.
- Invest in Ongoing Professional Development for Faculty: Create dedicated space for dual enrollment instructors and high school teachers to collaborate, share strategies, and align instruction with student needs.
- Strengthen K-12 and Higher Ed Partnerships Through Regular Collaboration: Facilitate consistent communication between colleges and TK-12 districts through standing meetings and planning sessions.
- Prioritize Intentional Course Alignment with Transfer Pathways: To maximize impact, it is essential to move beyond fragmented, standalone course offerings and instead prioritize intentional course alignment with Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) pathways and Cal-GETC requirements, which provide a standardized set of general education courses (e.g. English, Math) that CCC students can complete to satisfy UC and CSU transfer requirements. Purposeful design of dual enrollment opportunities supports smoother student transitions, reduces excess unit accumulation, and promotes timely degree completion.
- Enhance Student Supports: Expand evident-based, equity-centered dual enrollment models that integrate advising and college readiness gateway courses to equip students with the skills and preparation needed to succeed in college-level work.
With intentional design, dual enrollment can be a powerful tool to expand opportunity to increase college access, workforce readiness, and socioeconomic advancement, but it will only reach its full potential if policymakers, educators, students, and community leaders act with intention. Now is the time to take affirmative steps to ensure that every student has an equitable opportunity at college access and success.
This blog post is part of our Back to School, Forward with Students campaign, which highlights research, student testimonies, and leadership thought pieces focused on expanding college access for historically underserved students. As students prepare to return to school, we call on leaders across the state to prepare for students. Empowering more students to access college is key to helping our state achieve an ambitious 70% college attainment goal by 2030, meeting workforce demands, and making economic opportunity possible for more Californians. Expanding dual enrollment pathways is core to these goals. Read more resources in this series below.
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