Title
Dual Enrollment and Rural Alaska: A Qualitative Case Study Examining Student Access and Impact
Date of Award
Fall 12-16-2017
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.
College
College of Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Brandy Kamm, Ed.D.
Second Advisor
Ray Francis, Ed.D.
Third Advisor
Donna Eastabrooks, Ph.D.
Abstract
This case study employed an interview process that examined the access rural Alaskan students have to dual enrollment and how it differs from the access of similar school districts in remote areas of Texas. The interviewees consisted of administrators of five school districts in northern and western Alaska and their counterparts in districts in western Texas. The outcome of this study is relevant to dual enrollment research as it provides more data from a region that has been overlooked by researchers and establishes that the school districts have a substantial degree of access to dual enrollment, with no significant differences between the districts in the two states. Beyond the primary findings, the study details characteristics that the two regions have in common, which affect student participation in college credit earning courses. The data collected has been thoroughly reviewed and codified based on the answers from each participating administrator. Five themes have been developed to address the primary and subordinate research questions. Each theme has been derived from questions and establishes the foundations to categorize the findings of the study. The study revealed that students in rural Alaska have access to dual enrollment education similar to their counterparts in other areas of the country. Additionally, the results provide other perspectives, including how administrators feel about the value of dual enrollment and the obstacles that students face while pursuing an education in remote areas. The findings are significant for future research and for stakeholders who make decisions affecting educational support for students.