The College and Career Readines and Success Center closed on September 30,2019 because the grant cycle for the U.S. Department of Education Comprehensive Centers ended. The information on this website will no longer be updated. Visit www.air.org for updates on college and career readiness.
This paper in the Journal of General Education reports on a study of the The WVEB Mathematics Project. The sample included 1,322 students enrolled in the WVEB Mathematics Project in West Virginia compared to matched peers who took equivalent on-campus courses. Students enrolled in both on-campus and high school WVEB sections showed moderate gains on the ACT scores.
This randomized controlled trial published in the Peabody Journal of Education assessed the effects of Early College High Schools (ECHS). The sample included 132 ninth-grade students enrolled in two ECHS in North Carolina and 159 control students. Results showed that a larger percentage of ECHS students progressed more rapidly through a college preparatory track of study, compared to control-group students.
This study by the Harvard Family Research Project and Public/Private Ventures explored strategies of out-of-school programs for middle and high school students which were associated with retention of youth (i.e., duration of participation). Results were based on data from 198 program surveys, 28 program interviews, and 47 city-level respondents. The study authors identified five program characteristics (two program practices and three structural features) associated with high retention.
This study from the Everyone Graduates Center aimed to evaluate the different ways of supporting teachers for implementation quality and impact on student learning. Using a randomized controlled trial design, the study assessed the impact of workshops, detailed lesson plans, and coaching on instruction of high school English language arts teachers. Data were collected over two years on a total of 41 schools with 84 teachers and 1,996 students.
This randomized controlled trial evaluation examined the impact of Upward Bound. Although students could participate in the program for three to four years, the study found that 35 percent left after the first year and it is estimated that another 20 percent left before they graduated from high school. Furthermore, the study only had a few positive impacts on students during high school. For example, in comparison to the control group, students in the treatment group were expected to complete more years in high school and obtain more credits in math and social studies.
This retrospective study examined the effects of Talent Search on a cohort of students who participated in the program in one of three states (Florida, Indiana, and Texas) and were ninth graders from 1995-1996. Overall, the study found that Talent Search participants were more likely than a comparable control group to enroll in a public college or university, especially two-year institutions, in their state by the 1999-2000 school year. They were also more likely to apply for federal financial aid.
This study examines the impact of the AVID model being implemented in ten high schools in five Texas districts, over a 4-year period. Each school and district was matched on student demographic variables, student enrollment patterns and accountability ratings.
Using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Studies of 1988 and 2000, this follow-up study explores the characteristics of formal schooling that contribute to the completion of a bachelor’s degree by the time students reached their mid-20s. The rigor of students’ high school curriculum, particularly rigorous mathematics courses, continued to count more than any other precollegiate factor in determining degree completion. Results indicated that not all students have the same access to a rigorous curriculum.
