Innovations in Improving Access to Higher Education: New Directions for Youth Development, Number 140

Increasing access to and persistence in college is one of the critical issues in education today and presents multiple challenges for schools for how to support students in navigating this increasingly complex process. There are a number of interventions designed to improve college access and matriculation, this is particularly the case for low–income families and fi rst–generation college–goers. Gaining an understanding about the barriers facing the transition from high school to college is a crucial step. These obstacles include a multitude of factors—lack of access to resources at home or school; not having a rigorous college–preparatory curriculum or not taking advantage of these courses when available; and misperceptions about the college–going process. This volume includes research at the forefront of developing innovative and effective ways to ease the transition process. One essential question examined is the role of high schools and whether they should take a more active role in preparing students for college. While some interventions in this issue are designed for school–wide implementation, others are more targeted and focus on certain aspects of the college process such as financial aid, but all recognize the role of high schools in shaping students’ college–going aspirations and behavior. By including the most cutting–edge and rigorous research on improving college access, the goal of this volume is to help delineate the obstacles adolescents face in their transition from high school to college, increase understanding of the mechanisms contributing to gaps in college enrollment, and highlight how interventions can help to ease these challenges.

Issue Editors’ Notes 1 Barbara Schneider, Justina Judy Executive Summary 5 1. Pathways to college and STEM careers: Enhancing the high school experience 9 Barbara Schneider, Michael Broda, Justina Judy, Kri Burkander This university–community partnership providing college mentoring and additional supports is having an impact on college–going rates and STEM interest in postsecondary education. 2. Research into practice: Postsecondary success in the Chicago Public Schools 31 David W. Johnson, Eliza Moeller, Mathew Holsapple A five–tenet framework guides the work of the Consortium on Chicago School Research in understanding and ameliorating the challenges facing low–income youth as they encounter the transition to college. 3. Lessons learned from a data–driven college access program: The National College Advising Corps 55 Eileen L. Horng, Brent J. Evans, anthony l. antonio, Jesse D. Foster, Hoori S. Kalamkarian, Nicole F. Hurd, Eric P. Bettinger A successful data–driven partnership between researchers at Stanford University and the National College Advising Corps has facilitated improved college access for low–income students. 4. The not–so–lazy days of summer: Experimental interventions to increase college entry among low–income high school graduates 77 Benjamin L. Castleman, Lindsay C. Page Peer mentoring and text messaging programs are shown to be helpful and cost–effective strategies for addressing the phenomenon of “summer melt” observed among low–income college–bound students. 5. Is traditional financial aid too little, too late to help youth succeed in college? An introduction to The Degree Project promise scholarship experiment 99 Douglas N. Harris Promise scholarships, such as The Degree Project, offer an alternative to traditional aid programs by making commitments to students early on in high school and providing motivation and encouragement as students prepare for college. Index 117