Date of Award

4-2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

School of Education

First Advisor

Scot Headley, PhD

Second Advisor

Terry Huffman, PhD

Third Advisor

Dane Joseph, PhD

Abstract

This qualitative study sought to discover two Mexican-American students’ perceptions of their experiences as dually-enrolled charter high school students. The study took place in the Central Valley of California at a dual-enrollment high school located on a community college campus. The participants in this study were in the tenth or eleventh grades at the time of the study, and each participant had experienced education in an outlying school district prior to attending the dual-enrollment high school. Additionally, at the time of the study, each of the participants had completed two or three college classes. For this study, the information gathered was re-storied to capture the nuances of the participants’ views on their journey from leaving a more traditional comprehensive high school setting to choosing to attend a charter high school which put emphasis on students’ ability to complete high school and college courses concurrently. Data from this study was organized to demonstrate attention to chronological details and sequential events which revealed problems, actions, resolutions, and/or the memories of the students. Three significant themes were identified during the analysis process for this study: (a) The influence of environment on schooling beliefs; (b) The impact of personal relationships, both older students and teachers; and (c) The power of a student’s voice to be heard. Implications from this study suggest the participants’ stories, perspectives, and perceptions are valuable and may offer methods or strategies for helping similar students become successful at a high school emphasizing dual enrollment. This study suggested there are aspects of school and the relationships connected to a school site that influence the thinking of students and their understanding of secondary and postsecondary schooling benefits.

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