Cognitive and Noncognitive College Readiness of Participants in Three Concurrent-Enrollment Programs

Cognitive and noncognitive college readiness were assessed for participants in the Huskins dual credit program (n = 42), non-Huskins dual enrollment program (n = 10), and Early College High School (n = 31) at Mitchell Community College in Statesville, North Carolina. College readiness was also assessed for two comparison groups: nonconcurrently-enrolled college bound high school students (n = 32) and regularly matriculated college students (n = 50). Cognitive college readiness variables included the percentage of Cs or better in college transfer courses and the rate of acceptance into colleges at various degrees of entrance difficulty. Noncognitive college readiness variables included commitment to education, self- and resource-management skills, interpersonal and social skills, academic success skills, and career planning skills. After controlling for the effects of age, ethnicity, gender, prior completion of college transfer courses, completion of developmental education courses, verbal skills, and mathematical skills, the Huskins and non-Huskins dual enrollment groups had significantly higher probabilities of Cs or better than the college comparison group. After controlling for the effects of age, ethnicity, gender, and pretest levels of the five noncognitive college readiness variables, the Huskins and non-Huskins dual-enrollment groups had significantly higher levels of career planning skills than the high school comparison group. Although the results did not prove the existence of a causal relationship, they supported the notion that concurrent enrollment might have a positive impact on college readiness.