This qualitative case study explores student and staff perceptions of whether and how participation in pre-enrollment summer transition programs influenced the sense of belonging and preparedness of first-generation and limited-income students in their first year of college. These summer transition programs are provided as part of the Kessler…

Recently there has been an emphasis on how time spent outside of the classroom can affect student outcomes, including high school graduation, with the hope of closing academic achievement gaps along socioeconomic and racial lines. This paper provides experimental evidence regarding a particular type of out-of-school activity--early work…

The American Talent Initiative's Student Success Research Grant Program supported research studies aimed at deepening our understanding of the institutional practices and strategies that can improve student success at high-graduation-rate institutions. The findings will offer actionable recommendations for supporting lower-income students, while…

This action research study explored implementing a remote summer bridge program that was offered in a synchronous format to comply with the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the action research study was to address the problem of a high attrition rate of Educational Opportunity Program students through the…

The evidence that student learning declines sharply (or stagnates) during the summer has motivated a substantial interest in programs that provide intensive academic instruction during the summer. However, the existing literature suggests that such programs, which typically focus on just one or two subjects, have modest effects on students'…

This rich, longitudinally descriptive study provides an examination of program outcomes, student characteristics, and workforce outcomes of the Houston-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (H-LSAMP) program. Utilizing data from the University of Houston's Education Research Center, this study offers a detailed analysis of the long-term…

Every summer, the news is filled with stories about summer learning loss. The warnings sound dire: two months of math learning lost for most students every summer, and two to three months of reading learning lost for low-income students, according to the National Summer Learning Association. By the ninth grade, "summer learning loss during…

Each summer families across the globe send their children to summer camps and daycares for what amounts to babysitting. This study takes the discussion beyond babysitting and explores a unique summer enrichment program offered to rising second through fifth grade students in a modified enrichment camp model. During the four-week program, students…

Attract, Inspire, Mentor and Support Students (AIMS[superscript 2]), a grant-funded program from the U.S. Department of Education for the HSI-STEM and Articulation Programs, focuses on improving outcomes for Hispanic and low-income students in STEM. Using a quasi-experimental design (QED) approach, this study examined outcomes between students who…

Prior research has shown that high-ability students from low-income backgrounds are more likely to lose academic ground when compared to high-ability students from middle- and high-income backgrounds. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to evaluate estimations of school climate, bullying, ostracism, self-efficacy, and resilience from four…

Student success in postsecondary education depends on academic preparation and on having the nonacademic knowledge, skills, and behaviors to successfully navigate the demands of postsecondary study. While nonacademic competencies are important for all students, rural and high-poverty populations face unique nonacademic challenges, such as access…

This book is an authoritative examination of summer learning loss, featuring original contributions by scholars and practitioners at the forefront of the movement to understand--and stem--the "summer slide." The contributors provide an up-to-date account of what research has to say about summer learning loss, the conditions in low-income…

Research indicates that high-potential students from low-income backgrounds have decreased educational attainment and success in college compared with their higher income peers. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the interventions that support postsecondary success for this group. Using a systematic review protocol, we identified five…

The success of Latino college students is dually critical to the social well-being of the Latino community and the sustainability of the national economy. To garner the intellectual and economic potential of this population, it is critical to address their retention and completion rates, particularly within science, technology, engineering, and…

Student success in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is a major concern in higher education. While overall 6-year graduation rates are around 60% nationally (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016), only about 40% of students who enter college intending to major in a STEM field complete a STEM degree within 6 years. Studies…