Date of Award
8-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Education Systems Improvement Science
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Phillip D. Grant
Committee Member
Dr. Brandi Hinnant-Crawford
Committee Member
Dr. Edwin Nii Bonney
Committee Member
Dr. Lucas Clamp
Abstract
This dissertation employed improvement science to increase college readiness at Phosphate Grove High School by expanding the dual-enrollment program. At this research site, a majority-minority, Title I high school in South Carolina, dual enrollment serves as the primary pathway towards college readiness on the state report card. College readiness at this school has been low for many years, and participation in the program has not been representative of the school's size. Many students meet the academic eligibility requirements, but students and families are unaware of the opportunities and have difficulty navigating the sign-up process.
This study aimed to address some of those barriers and investigate which change ideas were most effective at increasing enrollment within the program. These change ideas were housed under two main drivers: awareness and outreach, and instructional programming alignment. An intervention was implemented through a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle over one semester, during which students participated in meetings with counselors, attended information nights, and followed clearly defined academic and technical pathways. Findings demonstrated substantial improvement in participation with a 58% increase in enrollment. They also showed that structural and informational barriers were affecting participation, and once these were removed, we saw an improvement in access. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating how improvement science can be used to achieve gains in educational equity, dual enrollment participation, and college readiness.
Recommended Citation
Walls, Tabytha L., "Closing the Gap: Addressing College Readiness Inequities Through Dual Enrollment Policy and Practice Reform" (2026). All Dissertations. 4372.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/4372