A study committee tasked with taking a deep dive into Georgia’s existing dual enrollment opportunities and identifying ways to develop highly skilled talent at younger ages and potential solutions to yield more dual enrollment participants adopted its final report in a meeting Wednesday at the State Capitol.
The Joint Study Committee on Dual Enrollment for Highly Skilled Talent at Younger Ages identified several areas in need of improvement within Georgia’s dual enrollment program, and grouped their recommendations into three categories: simplify, educate and invest. The committee was created by Senate Resolution 175 during the last legislative session and was co-chaired by Rep. Matt Dubnik, R-Gainesville, and Sen. Matt Brass, R-Newnan.
“I am extremely proud of the important work this study committee accomplished over the past several months,” said Dubnik. “Through hours of public testimony and in-depth discussions, this committee was able to identify the ways in which Georgia’s dual enrollment program prospers, as well as areas of the program that could benefit from improvement.
“As chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education and a member of the House Committee on Education, I am a long-time advocate for the education sector in Georgia and was honored to serve as co-chair of this distinguished study committee.”
According to the committee report, research presented during the study committee process indicates several complex aspects surrounding Georgia’s dual enrollment program. Specifically, the joint study committee notes that there is no clear definition for a “high demand career,” and information surrounding dual enrollment, Career Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) courses and accelerated career pathways is not readily accessible to students or parents. Recommendations from the committee include simplifying these aspects to allow for a more streamlined program that is constructively accessible and provides a clear definition of a “high demand career” and related coursework.
The committee recommends removing a sunset provision in Senate Bill 86 to remove artificial limits on the program. SB 86 creates a three-year pilot program to allow eligible dual enrollment students to access HOPE Grant funds for high demand career initiative fields for eligible CTAE courses.
The committee recommends finding ways to educate stakeholders and enhance information sharing to allow for more exposure to the state’s dual enrollment opportunities and career pathways for students at a younger age. They found that while many high school counselors are frequently involved in the dual enrollment process, middle school counselors are not exposed to the program at the same rate, which leads to difficulties in data sharing and collecting.
Another recommendation involves improving the ability to gather data on “high demand careers,” as well as educating local school systems, specifically middle schools and their counselors, on the importance of dual enrollment and accelerated career pathways to expose younger students to these opportunities. They also want to ensure that there is a system in place to collect and share data among stakeholder groups.
Finally, the committee recommended expanding investments in Georgia’s dual enrollment program. The report states that while the program has proven to be successful since its creation, to continue its success, proper investments should be made to preserve the system. Specifically, the members recommend more funding for Technical College System of Georgia instructors and school counselors. Lastly, they recommend an ongoing return on investment analysis of the program to regularly evaluate workforce needs, related coursework, labor market demands and student access and participation.
