Dual credit programs were first established in the 1970s, gradually gaining popularity in the 1980s, and expanding enormously through the 1990s. These programs are designed to allow high school students to begin college-level coursework and simultaneously earn high school and college credit. While the original intent was to provide more challenging educational opportunities to advanced high school students, dual credit courses and programs are also used to decrease drop-out rates and ease the transition to college for "at risk" students (AASCU, 2002). Collaborative partnerships of secondary schools and community colleges have provided the leadership for the establishment of these programs. As an approach, dual credit programs are still relatively new and untested. Despite this, they are becoming very widely available. In Illinois, 25,551 students were counted as enrolled in dual credit courses in the 2001-02 school year, an increase of about 100% from the previous year, and more than 10 times the number enrolled in 1991-92 (Andrews & Barnett, 2002). Not counting exam-based approaches such as Advanced Placement (AP), about half a million students are estimated to participate in these programs annually at the national level (Clark 2001). While programs proliferate, practitioners and policy-makers scramble for sources of information on how to best structure these initiatives. The model holds great promise, but little is known on whether the desired outcomes are in fact occurring or whether some models and practices are more effective than others. This publication is designed to share information on the implementation of dual credit programs in Illinois and nationally. Its purpose is to serve as a resource for those working to create or improve these initiatives. The research design is appended.