Date of Award

Spring 1-2013

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dr. Michael Woods

Second Advisor

Dr. Graham Weir

Third Advisor

Dr. Sherrie Wisdom

Abstract

The inclusion of college preparation programs promote and forecast academic success in postsecondary studies among individual at-risk, African American urban high school students. Past research has shown ongoing, college acceptance, performance, and graduation gaps between at-risk, African American urban high school students when compared to affluent, Caucasian suburban high school students. The College Summit program is designed to help close this gap. The study compared two models of the College Summit Program in one urban school setting. The study evaluated the effect that pre-college preparation activities had on these dependent variables: completion of postsecondary planning activities, end-of-year GPA, awards of individual scholarships, and acceptance at their initial top-three choice colleges. The evaluation focused on two groups of students, College Summit Program students who received academic credit for the program through calculating a student’s grade based on percentage and College Summit Advisory students whose grade was determined as either a pass or fail. In addition, the study focused on a third group of students who were not enrolled in the College Summit Program known as the Non-Program Students (NPS). This study analyzed the relationship between the independent variables, College Summit Program Graded Model, College Summit Advisory Pass/Fail Model, and the Non-Program Students (NPS) Model and the dependent variables mentioned previously. Z-tests determined if any of the independent variables predicted college-readiness outcomes of at-risk, African American students. Z-tests for difference in means and proportions determined if any differences in measurement of dependent variables were iii significant. Z-Tests for difference in means determined significant difference when comparing the CSP model to the CSA model for the dependent variables progression towards completion of postsecondary planning milestones, cumulative grade point averages, individual scholarship awards, and acknowledgements of initial top-three top choice colleges. Z-tests for difference in proportions determined significant difference when comparing the CSP model to the CSA model for the dependent variables full completion of postsecondary milestones and acceptance at the student’s initial top-three choice colleges when testing the difference in proportions. The study found that the graded College Summit Program is more effective when preparing at-risk, African American urban high school students for college

Rights

Copyright 2013

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