story by Claire Miller
Dual enrollment programs allow high school students to take college courses and earn both high school and college credit.
Janelle Clay (Ph.D. ’24) was interested in learning more about Black students’ participation in dual enrollment in Georgia, and whether there are specific school characteristics that are associated with overrepresentation or underrepresentation of Black students in dual enrollment programs.
For her dissertation, she analyzed data on school characteristics – such as school climate, racial and economic diversity, schools’ location and teacher experience – to understand the relationship between school characteristics and Black students’ proportional representation in Georgia’s dual enrollment program. She also interviewed nine Black high school students to understand how their in-school experiences and perceptions of school climate informed their decision on whether to participate in dual enrollment.
Her quantitative analyses revealed that when controlling for other school factors, schools with higher percentages of students from racially and ethnically marginalized groups, Black teachers and a positive Black school climate were significantly more likely to have equitable representation in dual enrollment programs.
She also found some underlying themes among the students she interviewed, including “the importance of connection and belonging within racially diverse school communities” that positively influenced Black students’ decisions to participate in dual enrollment. “Students talked about specific teachers and counselors who encouraged them to take dual enrollment, and provided insights into how their school’s overall climate was important in fostering academic engagement and influencing their decision-making on dual enrollment,” Clay explained.
“Inclusive communication strategies which emphasize peer learning and experiential opportunities are essential to make dual enrollment more accessible to Black students,” she wrote. “This study adds to our understanding of the factors affecting equitable representation of Black students in Georgia’s dual enrollment programs and the effectiveness of school strategies in promoting racial equity in participation.”
Clay was recognized for her academic achievements at the College of Education & Human Development’s annual Honors Day Ceremony on April 1.
She is the 2025 recipient of the Outstanding Dissertation in Educational Policy Studies Award, which is given in recognition of a dissertation of especially high quality and potential impact in the field.
“It’s great to know the work I did meant something,” Clay said of receiving the award.