Education Has No Limits, Dual Enrollment Continues Through the Senate

Sacramento, CA – Today, Assemblymember Chris Holden’s bill, AB 2617 - Dual Enrollment Opportunities and Outreach passed the Senate Committee on Education. Assembly Bill 2617 would expand opportunities for local education agencies to establish dual enrollment outreach for students and increase access to resources. This bill would also provide critical counseling support for students to plan for their specific education path and establish outreach programs so that both students and parents know that the opportunity exists

“Dual enrollment programs have illustrated the inequities and successes of education,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden. “I support dual enrollment as it welcomes youth into their careers, removes barriers, and increases the likelihood of success for the next generation.”

Many community colleges would like to expand dual enrollment opportunities for students through these partnerships, but indicate they lacked the capacity to do so. The challenges of expanding dual enrollment capacity include administrative support, preparing faculty to teach college level courses to high school students, and access to partnership templates that effectively integrate dual enrollment into their college-wide strategy. Implementing an effective College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) and other dual enrollment programs in large part turns on providing community colleges the necessary resources to increase their program capacity.

AB 2617 seeks to address those limitations by providing funding for new CCAP programs, an effective template that colleges and school districts can use to establish their partnerships. This bill also provides funding for these partnerships, which will increase student access and program visibility.

“It is critical that we continue to expand dual enrollment opportunities for all students, while targeting underrepresented students and those from low-income families.  I want to ensure that students receive access to resources as effectively as possible,” said Holden. 

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