Helping High School Seniors Become College Level Writers: Supporting Dual Enrollment Writing Instructors

Dual Enrollment (DE) English is intended to prepare students to write at the college-level, yet the majority of high school student writing remains below college-level while DE English programs continue to grow nationally. Student writing outcomes in DE English might improve, however, if teachers are provided discipline-specific professional development opportunities that include curriculum support. This capstone looks specifically at the alignment and enactment of DE English in one school district and the writing instruction occurring in two DE English classrooms and the professional development that supports it. Specifically, I developed a descriptive multiple-case study and collected data from several sources: interviews and classroom observations with two DE English teachers in the same school district; interviews with the interim director of dual enrollment and off campus programs, director of secondary education, lead coach and English coordinator, and English department chair; various documents related to professional development and curriculum support. I provide my findings regarding writing instruction, professional development, and policy with respect to how leaders can better aid DE English instructors as they work toward improving student writing. This capstone concludes with a variety of recommendations to Aspen School District and Poplar Community College regarding how to improve the professional development and curriculum support for DE English instructors.