DAYTON — Thousands of high school students already earn college credit for free under the state's Post-Secondary Enrollment Options program, taking as many college classes as they want with the approval of their high schools.

Despite its availability, the program hasn't been popular since its inception in 1989.

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A few problems with the program will need to be fixed to increase participation if Gov. Ted Strickland's Seniors to Sophomores program is to be a success, according to school and state officials and education policy groups.

Strickland proposed the plan last week in his state-of-the-state speech as a way to get more students into college in Ohio.

While participation in PSEO has steadily increased to more than 12,000 students in fall 2007, the number accounts for only 2 percent of all Ohio high school students, according to a March report from the KnowledgeWorks Foundation, a Cincinnati-based nonpartisan education policy research group.

The report, "The Promise of Dual Enrollment: Assessing Ohio's Early College Access Policy," found that participation rates were not equal throughout Ohio and that high schools lose money for every PSEO course taken by their students.

In 2004-05, the state redirected about $17.8 million in state funds from Ohio schools to pay for PSEO courses.

That causes high schools to downplay the program, said Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut, whom Strickland charged with carrying out his plan. "Some are working around it altogether and using different programs," he said.

The report's other findings: Nearly nine of 10 PSEO participants are white; two-thirds are female. In the Miami Valley, participation rates vary dramatically among local counties.

In Montgomery and Warren counties, the rates are 1 and 1.9 percent. In Greene and Clark counties, the numbers are slightly higher — between 2 and 2.9 percent.

Participation rates are highest in Miami and Darke counties: Between 4 and 9.9 percent for Miami and more than 10 percent for Darke.

But school officials said there are practical problems with the system as well.

At Wayne High School in Huber Heights, 54 students took part in the state's existing dual-credit program last fall, the largest number in Montgomery County districts. But that's a fraction of the school's 2,149 students.

Cheryl Dale, assistant superintendent for instructional services for the Huber Heights school district, said many students want to earn college credit but scheduling and missing other school activities "can be a challenge" for most students.

"It's very time consuming. Plus, these students are still in their senior year in high school and for many of them, socially, that's a big deal," she said.

But those who get a taste of college while still in high school gain advantages over other entering freshmen, according to the KnowledgeWorks study. Dual-credit students are more likely to go to college, stay in and graduate sooner.

But the study could not determine if PSEO programs actually encourage more students overall to go to college, concluding, "because the same attributes that might lead a student to enroll in PSEO courses influence academic motivation and educational success."

While Fingerhut acknowledged the program tends to attract students who are college bound anyway, but he is hoping it will raise the bar for all students.

"The point is to establish a clear definition of what it means to be college ready," he said. "Right now passing the Ohio Graduation Test isn't enough."

By the time the program spreads statewide, there will be a clear set of standards and requirements for students and their parents to aspire to, he said.

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