Fullerton Joint Union High School District’s (FJUHSD) Dual Enrollment Program is a formal agreement with Cypress and Fullerton College that allows FJUHSD students to gain college transferable units at no cost to the student. Previously, the district informally offered free tuition for students requiring a college class that was not offered in the high school district. This policy applies to advanced mathematics, world languages, and some Career Technical Education pathway courses that offer coursework toward certification.

The current Buena Park High School (BPHS) Dual Enrollment Program, which expands in the fall to La Habra High School (LHHS), offers students a different opportunity. Unlike Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes that give college credit depending solely on the final exam score, BPHS dual enrollment classes are taught by college professors on high school campuses and offer semester college credit to high school students to utilize after graduation.

Dual Enrollment programs create additional student opportunities to advance career and college exposure. The classes allow students who have never considered college to earn units toward a certificate or a higher education degree. Students experience college classroom instruction, homework load, and input from college professors while still having the support of high school instructors and resources.

Over four years, a BPHS student could graduate while simultaneously earning the 60 units needed to earn an AA, allowing the graduate to transfer as a 3rd-year student directly into a California State University (CSU) and some majors for the University of California (UC) System. BPHS, and soon LHHS, students can take a few courses, or all 60 units, while learning to balance study with a busy high school schedule. The program allows students to prove to themselves and universities that they are college-ready and can achieve higher education goals.

CSU and UC schools need students who can graduate in 4 years and succeed, so they screen for students who are ready for college-level academic work. Universities consider AP, IB, Cambridge level scores, and dual enrollment class success as strong indicators of a student’s ability to earn a 4-year degree. In 2019, The Public Policy Institute of California found that only 64% of UC students graduate in 4 years, while a dismal 19% of CSU students graduate in 4 years, which rises to 59% after 6 years.

Many students, particularly students who are the first in their families to attend college (referred to as 1st generation students), experience academic difficulties like learning deficits, scheduling classes, and problematic financial support while attending school, causing many to drop out without a degree and in debt. For students attending dual enrollment programs at no cost and at a lower cost, community colleges earn transferable units and provide universities with college-ready students. Where the UC transfer students have graduation rates similar to UC first-year students, the CSU graduation rate for transfer students rises to 79%. (Public Policy Institute of California, October 2019, Increasing Equity and Diversity.)

On May 2, FJUHSD and Fullerton College hosted Vision 2030: 

Success with Equity, A Dual Enrollment Convening, where California educators discussed the benefits and issues for students participating in dual enrollment programs. Cypress and Fullerton College Faculty: Ron Farol, Craig Lee, Stephanie Teer, and Kelly Robertson shared how students find this opportunity rewarding, but success requires continuous communication between students and all instructors.

The faculty focused on flexibility when teaching dual enrollment classes, acknowledging that high school students have heavy schedules with numerous obligations. Instructors need flexibility within instruction while maintaining the rigor of an entry-level college class. The professors also teach students to advocate for support and the resiliency to deal with failure to be successful later in their careers and higher education goals.

The faculty emphasized that program coordinators need student input concerning time management, appealing course offerings, and how challenges affect their ability to participate in the program. Passionate, flexible instructors are necessary for dual enrollment to succeed as an option for students not interested in AP courses but willing to join a dual enrollment course that seems more accessible, particularly students who are 1st generation college bound.

Besides the basic transferable college units, Fullerton College certification programs partner with FJUHSD to provide career options many students never consider. The new Fullerton Forensics Lab allows LHHS students to process mock crime scenes. Working with Fullerton Police Department Forensics Inspector and Supervisor Leticia “Letty” Ramirez and FCC Administration of Justice Professor and Department Coordinator Kelly Robertson, students learn to process and write reports in mock crime scene settings, network with forensic departments, find paid internships, and explore.