Beyond the Threshold: What Dual Credit Benchmarks Signal about College Readiness in Texas. Policy Brief No. 2

Center for Innovative Research in Change, Leadership, and Education. Texas Tech University, College of Education, 3002 18th Street, Room 168, Lubbock, TX 79409. Tel: 806-834-2923; e-mail: circle.educ@ttu.edu; Web site: https://hdl.handle.net/2346/88837

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Texas 2036

College Readiness; High School Students; Dual Enrollment; College Enrollment; Academic Persistence; College Credits; Outcomes of Education; Remedial Instruction; Graduation

Using statewide longitudinal data, this study examines differences in college outcomes between students who earn three different policy-relevant levels of dual credit (DC) participation: completing some DC, meeting one of the current CCMR DC indicators (3+ DC hours in math and ELA or 9+ DC hours in any subject), and earning 15+ DC hours including ELA or math. We also examine different ways students meet the CCMR threshold through different combinations of DC by course subject, and how students progress in college across these pathways. We find that meeting the current CCMR DC threshold is associated with substantially stronger early college outcomes than earning some DC alone. We also show that breaking apart the CCMR dual credit indicator shows a clear pattern: Students who earn more credits tend to do better in college. Students who complete 15+ DC hours experience the strongest college outcomes across all measures.

As Provided

2026

ED679043