University enabling programs provide historically underrepresented students with aspirational gateways and the academic skills and knowledges essential for success at university. Measurement of the efficacy of such programs has been typically neoliberal and quantitative in nature. This article argues for a nuanced measurement of success, exploring…

The transition into higher education is a challenging process for many students. Students are often underprepared academically (amongst other aspects). This under-preparedness influences students' subsequent academic performance, and ultimately, overall student success. Research has shown that successful student transition into higher education…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate Peer Group Connection-Middle School, a cross-age peer mentor program designed to enhance student retention and achievement during the transition from elementary to middle school. We present findings from an individual-level randomized controlled trial that included 1,902 sixth-grade students across three…

A qualitative approach was utilized in this study to examine four transition programs' best educational practices in building transition programs for eighth to ninth grade. An analysis of a retrospective study of the four transition programs provided data to support recommendations for best educational practices to build a transition program for…

This article shares the results from a quasi-experimental mixed-methods study of a promising transition-focused professional development approach. The 12-week team-based intervention resulted in positive outcomes among intervention group participants' knowledge and capacities. The intervention group exhibited statistically significant changes in…

In this systematic evaluation of intervention research for transition-age autistic youth, we examined quality indicators in 193 group and single-case design intervention studies, which tested effects on 1258 outcomes. Behaviorally based interventions were the most common intervention type. We found significant threats to internal validity for the…

This paper presents the findings of a Consensual Qualitative Research partial program evaluation of the effectiveness of a secondary transition-to-work training program in a Southeastern public school system. Current literature regarding the history of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, barriers they have faced to…

A number of school districts and states have implemented transition intervention programs designed to help high school students graduate ready for college. This study estimates the effectiveness of a transition program implemented statewide in Kentucky for high school seniors called Targeted Interventions (TI). Using 11 years of linked panel data,…

We present our nascent "STEM Access and Training for Underserved Students" (STATUS), a model to attract Latinx students first to attend college and second to enter the STEM fields. The program consists of a series of hands-on investigative activities in physiology, neuroscience, biophysics, genetics, exercise physiology, biomechanics,…

This paper aims to contribute fresh insights into youth participatory action research (YPAR) by using bell hooks' engaged pedagogy to illuminate the process of co-designing a program for transition beyond secondary school. Engaged pedagogy is a critical pedagogy that combines critical consciousness and radical wholeness and seeks to foster a…

Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the country have begun to implement intervention programs, such as summer bridge programs, to address potential gaps and aid students in their academic persistence, as Black students continuously persist to graduation at lower rates. However, many programs lack a way to objectively…

The Latino population is the fastest-growing community in the United States yet falls behind in the percentage of students who successfully graduate from college compared to other cultural groups. While trends of Latino students applying to college are on the rise, many cannot successfully obtain a degree due to detrimental barriers. These…

Research suggests that community college alumni may be underrepresented within PhD programs. As such, we implemented and evaluated the Community College to PhD (CC2PhD) Scholars Program at the University of California, Los Angeles. CC2PhD was a 7-month undergraduate research and PhD preparation program for community college sophomores in the…

Improving students' lives through education is a continuous goal of school systems. Although education has assumed various roles throughout the years, one of the main goals is to help prepare students for future success. A key characteristic of supporting students in their quest of finding their purpose in life is equipping them with the skills…

Students with disabilities in the United States continue to encounter less than favorable success in employment and education after high school. Only 35% of students with disabilities graduating from high school have workforce skills. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate high school special educators' perceptions of the…