Carolyn J. Heinrich

Institution: Vanderbilt University

Carolyn J. Heinrich (Ph.D., University of Chicago) is the Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Public Policy, Education and Economics in the Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. Heinrich’s research focuses on education, workforce development, social welfare policy, program evaluation, and public management. She works directly with federal, state and local governments in her research to improve policy design and program effectiveness and also collaborates with nongovernmental organizations to improve the impacts of economic and social protection investments in middle-income and developing countries. She received the David N. Kershaw Award for distinguished contributions to the field of public policy analysis and management in 2004 and was elected to the National Academy of Public Administration in 2011. She has served as the President of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management and the Public Management Research Association.

EdWorkingPapers

Does Online Course-taking Increase High School Completion and Open Pathways to Postsecondary Education Opportunities?

Recent increases in high school graduation rates have been linked anecdotally to online course-taking for credit recovery. Online course-taking that supports high school completion could open opportunities for postsecondary education pursuits. Alternatively, poorer quality online instruction could diminish student learning and discourage persistence toward graduation and further education. Using quasi-experimental methods in an eight-year longitudinal study of high school online course-taking, we find positive associations between online course-taking, credits earned and high school graduation, and for those with limited online course-taking, small increases in college enrollment. However, we find significantly lower four-year college enrollments and lower-quality college enrollments for all online course-takers, leaving open the question of whether online course-taking will lead to longer-term postsecondary education and labor market success.

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