The transition from high school to university can be difficult and stressful for many students who are not sure of how to be successful in their courses and become engaged in extracurricular activities beyond the classroom. This paper describes the design and outcomes of the Preparation for Academic Success in Science (PASS) transition program in…

When college-based service learning is examined, outcomes are often analyzed in a univariate framework, and participants tend to be White and middle class (if demographic information is given). This examination is a survey of 198 students who were primarily underrepresented and misrepresented students attending a Hispanic Serving Institution. The…

The education system is responsible for the choices and chances provided to the students it serves. Although racial disparities continue to impede some students' chance of success in education, service-learning in the classroom context may be the transformative strategy needed to make institutions of higher education the "great…

Students often participate in a myriad of academic support programs offered during the first year of college. This study is an investigation of the effects of participation in multiple high-impact educational practices on academic success outcomes (cumulative GPAs and persistence rates) among 2,028 first-year students. Results suggest that the…

Underrepresented students have been identified as being less likely to attain a college degree than their majority counterparts. Experiential pedagogies, specifically service-learning (SL), offer students an opportunity to engage in community work and improve skills that might contribute to their educational success in college. The present study…

Only about half of all students who enroll in colleges and universities in the United States earn a four-year degree at the institution where they begin their studies, and many postsecondary institutions are seeking ways to increase the graduation rates of their students. Both student characteristics and institutional factors influence a student's…

In 2008, Queensborough Community College incorporated service learning into 15 remedial reading and writing courses. To determine its impact, statistical analyses were performed, and they demonstrated significantly (a) higher GPAs, (b) improved rates of retention, and (c) the completion of more college credits among service learning participants.…

College completion is an issue of great concern in the United States, where only 50% of students who start college as freshmen complete a bachelor's degree at that institution within six years. Researchers have studied a variety of factors to understand their relationship to student persistence. Not surprisingly, student characteristics,…

The purpose of this action research study was to restructure and implement an effective middle school advisory model. This was conducted at a Middle School in Painesville Township, Ohio consisting of approximately 800 students. In order to meet Adequate Yearly Progress and adapt to the changes of the 21st century, a way to help the school progress…

The Students and Technology in Academia, Research, and Service (STARS) Alliance is a nationally-connected system of regional partnerships among higher education, K-12 schools, industry and the community with a mission to broaden the participation of women, under-represented minorities and persons with disabilities in computing (BPC). Each regional…