Maine: Expanding access to dual enrollment

Last month, the dual enrollment task force created last summer by Governor LePage issued an interim report with its findings and recommendations. The report identifies barriers to greater access -- barriers that many states, in fact, might uncover through a similar evaluation -- around the areas of (1) transportation and scheduling, (2) funding, (3) school/district capacity (help for guidance counselors to connect students with available opportunities), (4) access to program information, and (5) policy barriers (at the school/district, institutional or state level).

The task force makes some smart recommendations addressed at dismantling these barriers, which again may be potential solutions in other states as well. These recommendations include:

• Using existing regional CTE centers and center staff to expand access to early college opportunities
• Offering courses outside the regular school day/year (which the report notes would be especially beneficial to those students juggling work and family obligations)
• Expanding online dual enrollment options - particularly important, as the report notes, in a rural state such as Maine.

It will be interesting to watch if and how the numerous recommendations are taken up by stakeholders in the coming year, and whether other states pick up on the suggestions made by Maine's task force.