Featured Work: Enhancing Equity in Dual Enrollment with the Los Angeles College Accelerator Network (LA-CAN)
Dual enrollment, along with other forms of early postsecondary opportunities, is found to promote academic momentum and college success for students of color and students from low-income communities; however, students often experience inequitable access to these opportunities and accompanying supports that foster student success and seamless postsecondary transitions. The Greater LA Education Foundation (GLAEF) and Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) are striving to address these barriers in Los Angeles County communities with the Los Angeles College Accelerator Network (LA-CAN), a regional effort to strengthen district and community college partnerships, expand equitable access and success in high-quality dual enrollment programs.
ESG is proud to support the LA-CAN by creating a professional learning community for districts to build stronger relationships with community colleges, advising and advocacy organizations, and interact with their data to develop equity-focused action plans to enhance their dual enrollment offerings and supports. In September 2021, ESG led an application process to identify the first LA-CAN cohort, which include the following:
- Alliance College-Ready Public Schools and Los Angeles Community College District
- Antelope Valley High School District and Antelope Valley College
- El Rancho Unified School District and Rio Hondo College
- Glendale Unified School District and Glendale Community College
- Hacienda La Puente Unified School District and Mt. San Antonio College
- Los Angeles Unified School District and Los Angeles Community College District
- LAUSD Northeast Communities of Schools and Los Angeles Mission College
- Lynwood Unified School District and Compton Community College
- Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District and Cerritos College
Over the 9-month network, LA-CAN teams will establish dual enrollment equity goals and an action plan aligned with at least one critical category of the Unlocking Potential framework, a roadmap for states and communities to enhance equity and quality in dual enrollment programs. To support the cross-sector teams in this effort, ESG will lead a monthly community of practice and developed customized tools that equip districts to do the following:
- Assess their current dual enrollment partnerships, policies, and programs;
- Deepen their expertise in evidence-based practices;
- Review and analyze data with an equity lens; and
- Strategize on how to leverage capacity to strengthen advising and student supports.
ESG, in collaboration with the GLAEF and LACOE, hosted the official LA-CAN kick-off convening on October 6th, where district and community college administrators and staff were engaged in sessions to assess their current dual enrollment programming, and discussions on challenges their teams plan to address through the LA-CAN. For additional information contact Jhenai Chandler at jchandler@edstrategy.org.
