This dissertation, titled "Families, Culture, Community: Expanding Understanding of What Catalyzes Student Success in a Pre-College Upward Bound Program," investigates the critical factors influencing student success in the Upward Bound program through a funds of knowledge framework (Moll et al., 1992; Rios-Aguilar & Kiyama, 2012).…

With a third of all pupils in Wales in poverty it is essential that trainee teachers in the principality understand the nature of poverty and develop a practical understanding of how best to deal with its negative effects. In order to explore trainee teachers' perceptions of these issues a detailed questionnaire was completed by 94 of the 96 third…

This critical historical narrative sought to understand how secondary and postsecondary educators can best engage community partners in providing access to a college education--and the opportunities associated with it--for students who have been systemically excluded. Based on extensive archival research and 21 oral history interviews with Upward…

Pre-college access programs operating in high schools commonly focus on assisting underserved and historically excluded populations of students in preparing for, applying to, and enrolling in postsecondary education. Through two analyses, this study examines the efficacy of two types of access programs in facilitating postsecondary enrollment and…

Educational equity programs have been created to provide opportunities and resources for upward social mobility to low-SES individuals and students, students of color, historically marginalized students, and first-generation college students. This research study focused on educational equity programs recognized as the federally funded TRIO…

The Department of Education (Education) gives grants to schools and organizations that provide disadvantaged students with services to help them attend college. These eight grant programs are collectively known as "TRIO," named for the original three programs. Congress provides over $1 billion each year to these programs, but Education…

Despite the growing popularity of apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and in-school youth apprenticeships in the United States, young adults who lack the credentials and connections to seamlessly enter postsecondary pathways remain overlooked. Young-adult-serving agencies and community-based organizations (CBOs) are underutilized key actors in…

This is the full report. In 2019-2020, the program's third federally funded year, GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) Austin served a cohort of 8th grade students (n = 2,546) across 11 middle schools. Nearly all GEAR UP students received support services relevant to college preparation. Evaluation findings…

Barack Obama's "My Brother's Keeper" is designed to narrow persistent gaps that boys and young men of color confront often and to help all young people achieve their potential in college and career. An important part of this initiative is comprehensive mentoring that supports students in schools and in communities. Because…

"Find the Fit" advising increased the number and selectivity of colleges applied to by disadvantaged students in a federal college access program. "Find the Fit" includes customized information about college going and costs, text messaging of key application and financial aid deadlines, and related advisor training. These…

Where students go to college, not just whether they go, may be important to their educational and career success. Yet half of high school students from disadvantaged families "undermatch"--they do not enroll in college at all or not at the most selective college they could. The U.S. Department of Education tested a set of promising,…

This research study was completed to explore how a specific population of college students strive to reach their educational goals. The purpose of the study concentrated on how TRiO first-generation college students (FGCs) at a community college perceived their success in accomplishing goals in a college educational setting with the assistance of…

Decisions about whether and where to go to college can make a difference in students' later success. However, many students from low-income families--"undermatch"--they do not enroll at all or do not enroll in the most selective college they likely could attend. This study investigated whether promising advising strategies, bundled…

The purpose of this directory was to identify and describe education practices to take federally-funded GEAR UP and TRIO programs online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These programs improve academic performance, close the achievement gap, and improve persistence towards graduation for low-income, first-generation, and…

The objective of this project was to develop and pilot a small-scale professional development program that incorporated substantial group and one-on-one mentoring aimed at preparing rurally based preschool teacher assistants to earn the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Using a framework that emphasized the relational, developmental,…