Cooperative and Concurrent Enrollment and College Retention

Abstract

Oklahoma currently has a shortage of Associate Degreed graduates moving into the workforce. According to theOklahoma Employment Outlook 2014, published by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, Oklahoma will need over 12,000 Associate Degreed job candidates in the next 6 years (Brock, 2006). The technology center system in Oklahoma is uniquely positioned to assist Oklahoma community colleges in educating students and creating opportunities for them to enter the workforce. The Cooperative Alliance Program (CAP) was implemented in an effort to smooth the pathway of students, both adult and high school, from their technology center program area into an Associate Degree program in that same area. Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT) is a participant in this program with partnerships with 23 Technology center systems. This study was designed to determine how well the program is increasing high school student retention and the number of graduates in Associate Degree programs in Oklahoma.