Sustaining Impact: Dual Enrollment Benefits, Challenges, and Administrator-Informed Policy Recommendations

This study examined how administrators in South Texas from three school districts understand and lead dual enrollment (DE) programs. Data collection for this qualitative study included open-ended survey responses, multiple choice, and Likert rating scale questions from DE secondary-level administrators. Guided by transformational leadership and sensemaking theory, the study explored how administrators make meaning of DE policy expectations and support program outcomes. Key findings: (a) strengthening dual enrollment through strategic leadership and program development; (b) navigating structural and instructional challenges in dual enrollment implementation; and (c) bridging K–12 and postsecondary pathways from college readiness to workforce and career transitions.