What Works: Programs and Interventions for Under-Prepared and Low-Income Students

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What Works Programs and Interventions for
Under-Prepared and Low-Income Students

• Dr. Robert D. Reason
• Wil Del Pilar
• Joan Pecht
• The Pennsylvania State University

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Session Agenda

• Introduction
• Conceptual Framework
• Literature Review
• Themes
• Significant Other Influence Theory
• Attributes of Successful Programs
• Recommendations

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Low SES Student Characteristics

• More likely to be a member of a historically
  underrepresented racial and/or ethnic group
• Have parents with a high school diploma or less
• Come from a single parent home
• Make the decision to attend college without
  consulting a parent
• Consistently underrepresented in the upper two
  quartiles in all academic ability areas test
  (reading, math, science, social science)

(Terenzini, Cabrera, and Bernal, 2001)
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Enrollment Statistics

• Students from low-income families do not enter
  college at the same rate as more affluent
  students
• Approximately 15 of students enrolling in
  post-secondary institutions are from the lowest
  SES quartile compared to 40 from
  highest-quartile

(Terenzini, Cabrera, and Bernal, 2001)
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Retention/Graduation Statistics

• Graduation rates indistinguishable between
  highest-SES students and lowest-SES students
• 13 of lowest-SES earned college degrees in
  contrast to 57 of highest-SES students completed
  their college degree (based on 1980 cohort)
• High-SES students are more than twice as likely
  to earn a degree within five years

(Terenzini, Cabrera, and Bernal, 2001 Cabrera,
Burkum, and La Nasa, 2003)
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Preparation for College

• Poor academic preparation is a significant factor
  in leaving college
• Parents typically have no experience with college
• Less likely to receive college advice from
  parents
• Less likely to know how to accomplish their
  educational goals
• Students have scant information
• Often receive information from questionable
  sources
• Less likely to actively examine or know of
  alternatives
• Lack of information clouds planning and
  discourages students

(Person, Rosenbaum, and Deil-Amen, 2006 Pell
Institute, 2004)
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Need for Programs Summary

• Low SES students
• Display multiple at-risk factors
• Are less likely to graduate or even enroll in
  college
• Are underprepared academically
• Are less likely to know about or have information
  about college

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Literature Review of Programs

• Three Major Themes
• Academic Preparation
• Academic Integration
• Social Integration
• Significant Other Influence

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Conceptual Framework
Academic Preparation
Academic Integration
Enrollment In College
Graduation
Social Integration
Significant Other Influence
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Theme 1 Academic Preparation

• Impact of remediation
• No causal link between remediation and retention
  (McDaniel, 2001 Pell Institute, 2004)
• Identifying high risk courses and develop gateway
  courses improves retention (Hoyt, 1999)
• Impact of math remediation
• Successful completion of math remediation is the
  strongest indicator for success (Bettinger and
  Long, 2005)
• Taking one, two, or three or more college math
  courses increases low SES students chances of
  degree completion by 3, 34, and 57 (Cabrera,
  Burkum, and LaNasa, 2001)
• Impact of Summer Bridge Programs
• Positive effects on college retention (Pell
  Institute, 2004)
• High retention institutions offer summer bridge
  programs or developmental courses (Pell
  Institute, 2004)

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Theme 2 Academic Integration

• Overall Academic Integration
• High retention institutions have intrusive
  academic advising (Pell Institute, 2004)
• Highest SES-quartile students are more actively
  engaged in their coursework (Terenzini, Cabrera,
  and Bernal, 2001)
•  Academic/Career Goals
• Students with clear academic and career goals are
  more likely to persist (Pell Institute, 2004)
• Students declaration of a college major or
  career relates to retention (Lewallen, 1993
  Hoyt, 1999)
• Academic goals has a positive relationship with
  retention (Robbins, et al, 2001)
•  Academic Motivation
• Underprepared students are more likely to believe
  they have less control over their environment and
  are less likely to take action (Grimes, 1997)
• Predictors of GPA
• Academic self-efficacy and achievement motivation
  are strong predictors of GPA (Robbins, et al,
  2004)
• Achievement motivation among the strongest
  predictor for GPA (Robbins, et al, 2004)

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Theme 3 Social Integration

• Overall Social Integration
• Low-SES students report lower levels of
  enthusiasm for college (Terenzini, Cabrera, and
  Bernal, 2001)
• Working on a professors research project,
  talking to faculty outside of class, and
  participating in athletics increased the odds for
  low SES students of attending graduate school
  (Walpole, 2003)
•  Sense of Belonging/Integration
• Low SES students reported lower levels of
  involvement (Terenzini, Cabrera, and Bernal,
  2001)
• Student who enroll in first year programs show
  greater persistence and higher GPA (Sidle and
  McReynolds, 1999 Williford, Chapman, and Kahrig,
  2000-2001 Pell Institute, 2004)
• High retention institutions have special or
  professional affinity programs that enroll
  subgroups of students on the campus (Pell
  Institute, 2004)

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Significant Other Influence (SOI) Theory

• Significant Other Influence
• Based on the research of Sewell, Haller and
  Portes (1969)
• Studied educational and occupational aspirations
  of White males from rural Wisconsin
• Follow-up study by Portes Wilson (1976) on
  Black and White differences in educational
  attainment
• They found schools needed to develop machinery
  that can carry students along to higher levels
  of attainment
• Last study by Portes Hao (2004) on Children of
  Immigrants
• Similar to other studies, SOI has direct effects
  on levels of educational and occupational
  aspiration and educational attainment

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SOI Theory Continued

• Why is this important?
• Low-Income students are less likely to have SOI
• Colleges can offer SOI through mentor programs,
  developing faculty-student relationships, or
  having staff as key point person
• Students with SOI are more likely to integrate
  academically due to their increased occupational
  aspirations
• Students with SOI are more likely to socially
  integrate into the college environment increasing
  retention.
• Key staff members cans serve as SOI increasing
  students social networks.

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Attributes of Successful Programs

• Overall Program
• Reaches across all years of school
• Consistent messages to raise aspirations
• Efficient use of staff time
• Staff within Programs
• Dedicated staff and directors with strong
  institutional attachments
• Targeted participant recruitment and
  participation incentives
• Staff Creativity
• Low turnover
• Good relations among staff

(Gandara et al., 1998 Cahalan et al., 2004)
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Attributes of Successful Programs

• Academic Support
• Intensive monitoring of program participants
• Academic support for popular/required courses
• Supplemental instruction and/or study group
  tutoring
• Integration
• Building group cohesion among peers and a sense
  of membership in the school
• Extensive contact with other students
• Active student counseling
• Sensitivity to the particular circumstances of
  the students and families being served
• Significant Other Influence
• Development of Role Models in these programs
  (students and staff)
• Consider using staff with similar backgrounds to
  help them serve as natural role models

(Gandara et al., 1998 Cahalan et al., 2004)
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Recommendation 1

• State Policies should consider developing
  programs that can be integrated into an
  institution
• Institutions with high retention rates had
  programs that were integrated within the
  institution
• Ideal programs are able to integrate current
  services with state-funded programs.
• Must have consistent messages that are aligned
  with the mission of the institution and with
  state policies.

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Recommendation 2

• Programs should consider development and use of
  Significant Others Influence.
• Significant Others can be utilized to motivate
  students to become more engaged.
• Create obvious role models within the institution
• Develop workshops for parents to understand the
  college process so they can serve as natural SOIs

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Recommendation 3

• Institutions need to offer academic support
  programs
• Supplemental instruction and/or group tutoring
  has been proven to have a positive effect
• Should not just be limited to course knowledge
  but also includes study skills

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Recommendation 4

• State policies need to continue focusing on
  providing financial aid to students
• Financial aid is one of the largest influences in
  college enrollment and completion
• Policies should not be limited to providing
  financial assistance
• Individual financial aid counseling, workshops,
  assistances with FAFSA, scholarship searches,
  parent financial aid workshops, and individual
  financial aid counseling for parents

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Recommendation 5

• Programs should also encompass issues beyond
  academics
• Career development allows students to become more
  engaged with their academic curriculum
• Cultural activities creates more open and
  comfortable environment
• College orientation helps to create a better
  understanding of institutional expectations
• Family activities integrates families into the
  college process

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Recommendation 6

• Summer programs can help bridge the gap
• Alliances with target high schools will help
  better the recruitment process
• Programs should consider focusing on exposing
  high school students to colleges
• Summer programs can also help underprepared
  students to take preparation/developmental
  courses
• Allows students to develop institutional history
  and access institutional resources.

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Recommendation 7

• State Policies should not be limited to higher
  education institutions
• Most successful programs include programs that
  begin in middle school
• Programs that educate parents and students in the
  early years increase enrollment
• Integrated with high school resources, programs
  can develop and increase academic motivation
• Programs need to create a seamless transition for
  students from high school to college.

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Any Questions?

• Dr. Robert Reason rreason_at_psu.edu
• Wil Del Pilar wzd107_at_psu.edu
• Joan Pecht jcp246_at_psu.edu