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Thesis
Enhancing academic advising and support services for dual-enrollment students: a comprehensive approach to supporting success at Parkway Center City Middle College
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
11 Dec 2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011261
Abstract
This action research study examined how academic advising and student support services can be strengthened to better meet the needs of dual-enrollment students at Parkway Center City Middle College (PCCMC). As a Middle College High School, PCCMC serves a diverse population, including many first-generation and underrepresented students, who must navigate the academic and socio-emotional demands of taking high school and college courses simultaneously. Grounded in Critical Race Theory, Tinto's Theory of Student Departure, Conley's Four Keys to College and Career Readiness, and organizational theory on cross-institutional collaboration, this study investigated the challenges students face in balancing dual systems, the effectiveness of existing supports, and the institutional structures that shape their experiences. Using a mixed-methods action research design, data were collected through weekly Likert-scale surveys (n = 32), a student focus group, and twenty anonymous qualitative survey responses. Findings indicate that students struggle most with time management, executive functioning, stress, and navigating misaligned expectations between PCCMC and the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP). Students also emphasized the importance of clear communication, consistent advising relationships, and a stronger sense of belonging across both institutions. The study concluded that advising must be proactive, developmentally aligned, culturally sustaining, and embedded within daily school structures. Recommendations include implementing executive-functioning supports, enhancing cross-institutional communication systems, expanding relational advising practices, and developing student-centered, equity-oriented support programs. These findings offer actionable, context-responsive strategies to improve persistence, belonging, and academic success for dual-enrollment students at PCCMC and contribute to broader efforts to strengthen equity in early college models.
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Details
- Title
- Enhancing academic advising and support services for dual-enrollment students
- Creators
- Jadzia Watsey
- Contributors
- Giuseppe Salomone (Advisor) - Drexel University, Center for Scholar Development
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University
- Number of pages
- 108 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022151037204721