Drop-in vs. Managed Enrollment

Depending upon your organization or program’s mission and target learner population, one type of enrollment may be more relevant and appropriate than the other. See the table on the right for benefits and drawbacks of each type of enrollment to help you evaluate what would be most appropriate for your classes/program.

• Drop-in classes (or rolling enrollment) allow students into classes at any point during the session, and students are not necessarily expected to attend every class period. A drop-in class may be particularly appropriate for learners who do not have the time, or are not ready otherwise, to take a more structured class.
• For managed enrollment courses there are set beginning and end dates and students must register and enter at the beginning of the session. Instructors usually track their attendance and performance.

Click on table to enlarge

DROP-IN VS. MANAGED ENROLLMENT: Must a program be one or the other?

No. Some programs are set up as managed enrollment to help learners make steady progress. But rather than make students wait until the next session, programs will test students as they show up and let them enter mid-session. George B. Thomas, Learning Academy (GBTLA) has chosen to have rolling, or open, admission for its English classes for parents of children who attend its Saturday School programs at public schools in Montgomery County. For GBTLA, offering parents the opportunity to improve their English skills is an important part of encouraging and preparing them to become more engaged in their children’s education within the Montgomery County Public Schools. Rolling admission allows the program to support any parents who are willing to learn but may have other commitments that do not enable them to attend regularly.

For other organizations, drop-in classes are the most appropriate for specific learner populations they serve. For example, CASA has classes for day laborers waiting for work that are drop-in classes, since day laborers cannot be expected to attend on a consistent basis. (See Notes from the Field below). CASA also runs a Life Skills ESOL program that has managed enrollment. Still other organizations, like Community Reach (see Notes from the Field below), have a main program that is managed enrollment, and also have a drop-in class (in many cases a conversation class) where students can join anytime and stay until the next registration date for the managed enrollment class.

Some programs are established as drop-in and then develop into managed enrollment programs. The Ana A. Brito Foundation had been supporting adult ESOL classes at Epworth United Methodist Church for a number of years before deciding to transition its program to a managed enrollment program in order to better assist their learners meet their personal goals.