In 2015, the University of Southern California (USC) began a longitudinal, mixed-methods evaluation of the Thompson Scholars Learning Communities (TSLC), a comprehensive college transition program that provides students with multiple, integrated types of support. The evaluation as a whole examined whether, how, and why TSLC, as implemented at the…

Over the years, the nation's large urban school districts have consistently learned from the progress of their peer districts across the country. Great City School districts that have embraced the challenge of educating America's urban children have recognized the value of benchmarking their performance and growth against the progress of others.…

Disparities in college access for underrepresented urban students are one of the most urgent educational problems of America's education system. In response to growing national concern, this longitudinal study investigated how school leaders worked collaboratively with key stakeholders to implement research-supported student services in order to…

The purpose of this brief is to provide information to state, district, and school personnel seeking support to determine whether their students are on a path to postsecondary success. The College and Career Readiness and Success Center (CCRS Center) has received technical assistance requests from a number of states regarding factors that predict…

The summer "bridge" part of the Special Transitional Enrichment Program (STEP) at the University of California (UC), Davis, was evaluated with attention to first-year academic performance and retention. STEP, part of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), is an orientation and academic program to help low-income and minority students…

The twofold purpose of this study was (a) to determine if selected variables were significant predictors of final MBA student program performance and (b) to determine if selected variables explained a significant proportion of the variance in final MBA student program performance at an AACSB-accredited university. Variables examined include age at…

This report discusses the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program, an untracking program that places previously low-achieving students in college preparatory classes. The first part of the paper describes the origins of AVID at Clairemont High School in San Diego (California) and its development into a mature program. The students…

A survey of 162 students in several sections of a master of social work basic research methodology and statistics course, taught by different teachers, found that student performance did not differ across instructors, undergraduate grade point average was positively correlated with performance, and an undergraduate social service major was…

A Central Missouri State University study of the effects of part-time employment on first-year grade point averages, credits earned, and second-semester retention found no significant differences between students employed in work-study or regular employment, or not employed. Implications for counseling and evaluating financial aid packages are…

In 1984, a study was conducted in the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) to examine the state of transfer education in the district. During the first phase of the study, available data were gathered and examined with respect to: (1) flow of district transfers to the University of California (UC) and California State University…

A study investigated effects of a requirement of a year of full-time study on 205 graduate social work students. Findings indicated no differences between part-time and full-time students in first-year courses but poorer academic performance by previous part-timers during the required full-time second year. (Author/MSE)

A study at a university with strong mathematics/science curricula found that at matriculation, women and men had similar high school rank, women had lower mathematics test scores; most majored in science or engineering; women had higher undergraduate degree completion rates at four years; and grade point averages differed little. (MSE)

A study investigated (1) college students' perception of their knowledge and actual knowledge about their student loans (when first borrowed, interest rate, repayment terms) and (2) the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, marital status, ethnic background, residency, academic achievement, major, employment, loan…