Upward Bound: TRIO - Research Proposal Example

RESEARCH PROPOSAL TRIO PROGRAMS The high school to college transition can be difficult for who have not been prepared. Many dropout of college within the first two years which can cost them more in the long run because they may have to pay back student loans. When a student is not prepared for college they may spend the first two years taking college preparation courses and deciding on a major. These first two years can also be difficult because many students do not go to the advising office of their college in order to help them pick course. Without proper guidance, they can get into classes that are too difficult for them which can become discouraging. In some situations students will become acclimated to the college or university environment and will do very well in school eventually; others will receive poor grades and become more discouraged. Across the country many high schools and colleges have realized the need to bridge the gap between high school and college for many students and they have done this through the Upward Bound Program. Upward Bound is actually one of five programs that are now under the name of TRIO. HISTORY OF TRIO President Lyndon B. Johnsons first initiated TRIO programs by signing the Economic Opportunity Act. From this legislation the Office of Economic Opportunity and Special Programs For Students from Disadvantaged Program was created (McElroy and Armesto, 1998, p. 373). Upward Bound was the first program to come out of this office followed by a program called Talent Search in 1965. In 1968 the Higher Education Act (HEA), which originally started Talent Search created the TRIO Student Support Services. These three programs together were under the umbrella of TRIO programs (TRIO meaning three). The program was reauthorized in 1972 and Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) became the fourth program of TRIO programs. EDUCATION AND NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND Upward Bound and the other programs under TRIO have become particularly important because of the No Child Left Behind Legislation (NCLB). This program enacted by President Bush created problems for many schools because they had to become concerned about student achievement. The NCLB depends on standardized testing for children from third grade through high school (NCLB, 2001. U.S. Department of Education). The NCLB legislation makes teachers and schools accountable for getting children read to take these standardized tests and where 3creativity in the past was a large part of the curriculum, it is often compromised today. Students who learn through experience or who cannot memorize facts or figures are still being left behind; this is why there is still a need for programs like Upward Bound because they help students prepare for college early. There are many studies that talk about education reform but they are not always specific as to what works and what does not work. Many researchers and experts in the field of education are also studying student attrition and finding ways to keep students in college once they are enrolled. Upward Bound as described by the Higher and Continuing Education Program: Upward Bound provides intensive academic and other support to prepare participants for college. Services include academic instruction, tutoring, counseling, cultural enrichment activities, and a nine week residential summer component on a college campus. Upward Bound serves: high school students from low-income families; high school students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelors degree; and low-income, first generation military veterans who are preparing to enter post-secondary education. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate in which participants complete Secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of Postsecondary education (Department of Education, Upward Bound Fact Sheet). The Upward Bound program has already proven to be successful but why it is successful has not been totally studied. This research study seeks to answer the following questions: 1. What is Upward Bound? 2. Why is Upward Bound successful? 3. How can Upward Bound be used as a model for high school to college transition? STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM High school to college transition is a topic that is well researched in the literature. Since the NCLB legislation the media has focused on K-12 and testing. Every school district is looking for a way to bridge the gap "between the haves and have nots" (U.S. Department of Education, 2009, “Facts”) but the gap for many Hispanic and African-American students (as described in the NCLB) is getting larger. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE To determine whether the Upward Bound programs could be used as a model for high school to college transition. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE There are many reports about the success of the Upward Bound program that show how students are being helped through these programs. McElroy and Armesto (1998) report the following statistics: 1. About 90% of Upward Bound participants entered post-secondary education compared to 72% of non-participants. 2. Some 74% of Upward Bound participants enrolled in four year institutions compared with 43% of non-participants. 3. Some 20% of Upward Bound students graduated from four-year institutions compared to 5% of non-participants. (p. 376). Although this is an older study this speaks to the power of high school to transition programs. This information shows that students who are underprivileged are getting help from the Upward Bound program to stay in college from beginning to end. Unfortunately Upward Bound is only for a set group of students which means that the data does not show what would happened in this program was used for any student needing help. Lame et al. (2005) reviewed a program of the pre-engineering program for low income and first generation college students at the University of Akron. They tracked the students over a ten year period. Their study involved a survey that was given to students after the summer pre-engineering education program that was help between 1999 ad 2003. This transition program was offered to help new freshmen going into pre-engineering classes in the fall improve their skill in algebra, pre-calculus, mathematics and calculus (p. 17-18). The results of the study was that students increased their grade point average (GPA), decreased the anxiety towards math and science, helped them develop a "can-do" attitude and increased their overall self-esteem (p. 18). It is important to note that although this study did not directly say it was an Upward Bound program, it had the elements of the summer Upward Bound program within it. This report also shows the advantage of a transition program for first year college students. The Council for Opportunity in Education (2002) reported on the progress of TRIO programs that provided online tutoring programs for students that were geared towards helping with "basic reading and math skills, writing, language, information skills, science, algebra and workforce preparation" (Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), p. 1). According to COE this program brings opportunity for administrators to further assist students by identifying their strengths and weaknesses, helping them with online tutorials and creating individual learning plans for each student (p. 1). At the National Hispanic University in California the program also increased reading skills for ESL students. Rahm, Moore and Martel-Reny (2005) studied the role of afterschool and community science programs on children who lived within urban settings. They did a multi-sited ethnographic study to find out how students perceived what they were learning through an Upward Bound program that worked with the sites for three years. They kept their study to three children at three different sites. What they found was by giving the opportunity for science and math in a non-threatening situation (the community rather than a classroom) students can find a relationship with math and science they never knew possible. For some children this can be a new interest in this are and for others it can be a renewed interest; they will also understand how science is a part of their everyday lives. This study was interesting but the limitation was that it only studied three children but they did an intense study that involved video, field notes, interviews with students and with their teachers. Laws (1999) researched the effects of Upward Bound on freshman GPA, dropout rates and on mathematics and English performance. Their study involved a control group of students who non-Upward Bound students and they took a random sampling of students for both the control group and the test group. They also attempted to match students socio-economically and by their GPA. Their results showed that 1) there was no significant difference in GPA and dropout rate between participants and non-participants 2) The non-participant grade in math was higher but 3) the participant grade for English was higher than in non-participants (p. 141). This is an older study and it showed in this case that Upward Bound may not have been the best solution for these students or that they needed to study them for a longer period of time. Many aspects of the Upward Bound program are important when researching whether it is a model that could be used for school reform. One area that has importance is the perception of parents since parents are a very strong part of a childs education. Zulli, Frierson and Clayton studied parents perception of the value and nature of their childs involvement in Upward Bound. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hills program was reviewed through parent questionnaires. The study points out initially that parents are an important aspect of a childs life when they are in school but a challenge presents itself as children get older: parents have a tendency to stop involvement as their child moves towards high school. Upward Bound encourages them to stay involved while they find a place where parents can feel comfortable assisting their child. In this particular program parents are asked to be active in the process. They can volunteer to be chaperones, advisors, tutors, teachers, team leaders and take other important roles (Zulli, et al, p. 366). Their method for the study was to use questionnaires. They sent 41 questionnaires and had a 75% return. Parents reported that their children enrolled in more difficult classes (90.3%) after their participation in Upward Bound. They found that 97.6% of parents saw that the grade point average of their teens had gone up and that Upward Bound had influenced their teens in a variety of ways (p. 368). They also found that parents felt that they had gained by being a part of the program (90.2%). There were four "themes" that parents used to show progress: 1. They became more informed about scholarships, grants and other services and how to prepare their students for college (they said they would not have know this otherwise). 2. They gained support and assistance in better parenting skills. 3. They had the opportunity to talk with and learn from other parents. (p. 369). CONCLUSION There are many reports in the literature that show that the Upward Bound program and other programs in the TRIO group of programs are working to assist students in finding their way for opportunities in college. Student self-esteem is growing, they are learning at a pace that is right for them and they are gaining the skills they need to be successful in college. Graduates of the program show a higher retention rate in undergraduate work and many have gone on to graduate school. For most people, especially those who do not readily have the desire or the option to go to college, a college education can mean the difference between taking a job that pays well or a career that can move them forward with many different experiences. The Upward Bound program does have challenges because Congress may or may not support it as time goes on. Dervarics (2007) reported on spending in 2007 and some of the funding was cut. With a new administration this decision could be reversed especially if they find that these programs could be a stronger opportunity for all students. One of the challenges for programs such as Upward Bound is that some people do not like to see privileges given to some children without them going to others. Since the TRIO program has a variety of programs of which Upward Bound is only one, many more students could possibly receive opportunities to help them become more successful through their school life. As an example, Talent Search works with students from sixth grade to 12th great preparing them to think about college and make some decisions about what they may like to study. This program can be very important to students who may feel they could never go to college. The Upward Bound program is very important and it could be used as a model to help those students who are falling behind with the No Child Left Behind Legislation, become more successful. References College for Opportunity in Education (2002). (TRIO Website). Retrieved June 15, 2009 from http://www.coenet.us//ecm/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home. Department of Education. (n.d.) TRIO Programs (fact sheet) Dervarics, C. (2007). Congress delivers. Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 24(17), 8. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from ProQuest database. (Document ID: 1364055571). ECampus Tours. Bridge programs that help ease the transition from high school to college. Retrieved June 9, 2009 from https://www.ecampustours.com /collegeplanning/outsidetheclassroom/bridgeprograms.htm. Lam, P. C., Srivatsan, T., Doverspike, D., Vesalo, J., Mawasha, P. R. (2005). A ten year assessment of the pre-engineering program for under-represented, low income and/or first generation college students at the university of Akron. Journal of STEM Education : Innovations and Research, 6(3/4), 14-20. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from ProQuest database. (Document ID: 1003109501). Laws, J. E. Jr. (1999). The influence of upward bound on freshman grade point average, drop-out rates, mathematics performance, and English performance. Western Journal of Black Studies, 23(3), 139-143. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from ProQuest database. (Document ID: 50241970). McElroy. E. J., Armesto, M. (1998). TRIO and upward bound: History, programs, and issues--past, present, and future. The Journal of Negro Education, 67(4), 373-380. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from ProQuest Database. (Document ID: 48331529). Rahm, J., Moore, J. C., Paule, M. and Reny, M. (2005). The role of afterschool and community science programs in the lives of urban youth. School Science and Mathematics, 105(6), 283-291. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from ProQuest database. (Document ID: 916999911). U.S. Department of Education (2009). Facts and terms every parent should know about NCLB. U. S. Department of Education. No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Retrieved June 15, 2009 from http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/states/index.html#nclb. U.S. Department of Education (2009). TRIO home page. Retrieved June 15, 2009 from http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html. Zulli, R. A, Frierson, H. T. Jr, Clayton, J. D. (1998). Parents perceptions of the value and nature of their childrens and their own involvement in an upward bound program. The Journal of Negro Education, 67(4), 364-372. Retrieved June 14, 2009, from ProQuest database. (Document ID: 48331528). Read More