Achievement Barriers to Student Success

Abstract

Research provides evidence that there are various barriers such as socioeconomic status, family, backgrounds, parent involvement, student-teacher relationships, and school experiences that hinder students from successfully navigating high school from 9th grade through 12th grade. Failing students lack the social ties, knowledge, and understanding of the norms that are evident in the prominent culture. Upward Bound specifically serves students who are low-income and backgrounds without a family history of a college education. They face the same barriers that other similar students face, yet they consistently overcome them to graduate from high school. What is not known is how these students overcome the barriers to high-school graduation.