The Connector Study: A Strategy for Collecting Post-Graduation Data About Low-Income High School Students

Arnold, Karen D.; Wartman, Katherine Lynk; Brown, Paul Gordon; Gismondi, Adam; Pesce, Jessica; Stanfield, David

doi:10.1080/10824669.2016.1172230

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…For rising freshmen in college, the months between high school graduation and the first day of college classes represent an extended period of out-of-school time. In many cases, high school college counselors are not required to track college enrollment or support students after graduation (Arnold et al, 2016).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Summer Before College: A Case Study of First-Generation, Urban High School Graduates

Tichavakunda

Galán

2020

Urban Education

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Often without guidance in completing college-related tasks, first-generation students face unique challenges during the summer before college. This case study investigates this critical time period by studying a cohort of 33 newly graduated students from the same urban, public high school. Guided by social capital, college readiness, and nepantla frameworks, results shed light on students’ barriers and pathways to transitioning to postsecondary education. The authors call for an extension of college readiness frameworks to the summer before college and also problematize the notion of a college-ready student.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Summer Before College: A Case Study of First-Generation, Urban High School Graduates

Tichavakunda

Galán

2020

Urban Education

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“…Eighty-five percent of alumni survey respondents had been in touch with their advisors in the five months after they graduated, and 20% had been in contact at least six times. Connector Study data show that advisors were able to give information about 95% of their former advisees two years after graduation (Arnold et al, 2016).…”

Section: Relationshipsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Vocational and personal outcomes for Big Picture alumni were gathered primarily from the Connector Study 5 in which advisors were interviewed by phone about their former advisory members (Arnold et al, 2016). As described, connectors were able to provide interviewers with information about 95% of their former students, including graduates who were conventionally successful and those who were struggling or not in college.…”

Section: Career Plans and Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postsecondary Outcomes of Innovative High Schools: The Big Picture Longitudinal Study

Arnold

Mihut

2020

Teachers College Record

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Context Educational reform efforts have taken the form of different school models intended to reduce educational inequality. Personalized, interest-based schools and academically focused, “No Excuses” schools are two leading small-school designs with sharply contrasting approaches to innovation. Given mixed research findings about the successes and challenges of school reform models in the United States, it is imperative to understand how educational outcomes of students relate to the philosophy and distinguishing characteristics of particular school models such as these. At the same time, evaluating social mobility effects of high school education across educational reform models requires examination of common metrics such as high school graduation rate and college entrance and degree attainment. Purpose This study sought to establish whether and how a personalized, interest-based secondary school reform model is associated with graduates’ characteristics and postsecondary outcomes—and to place these findings in relation to student outcomes reported by a leading No Excuses school network. Setting Big Picture Learning is a network of innovative small schools that serves primarily low-income and minoritized students through an individualized, relational, real-world-based high school experience. The Big Picture educational model features individualized learning plans connected to extensive internships, independent learning organized around student interests, authentic assessments, and close, informal relationships between students and adults. Research Design The Big Picture Longitudinal Study tracked 1900 graduates from six graduating high school classes. Data sources included student and school advisor surveys, National Student Clearinghouse college enrollment data, and interviews with graduates’ former advisors. Published outcomes data for KIPP No Excuses schools provided comparative information. Analyses comprised descriptive statistics of survey data and multivariate regression analyses connecting high school exit data to college outcomes. Findings The Big Picture Learning model is extremely successful in meeting its stated goals of fostering positive relationships, helping students discover and pursue their interests, and promoting high school graduation and college entrance. Results for academic subject achievement and college persistence are mixed, however. Big Picture graduates have similar college matriculation rates but somewhat lower six-year graduation rates than alumni from the KIPP No Excuses school network. Alumni from both networks show high rates of college attrition. Conclusion When taken alone and in context of other innovative school models, the Big Picture results point to the difficulty of sustaining secondary school gains in the post-high school lives of low-income students and highlight shortcomings of traditional colleges in serving this population.

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The Paradoxes of Pathways from College Aspirations to Attendance

Arnold¹,

Wartman²

2016

Research in Social Problems and Public Policy

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The Connector Study: A Strategy for Collecting Post-Graduation Data About Low-Income High School Students

Cited by 3 publications

References 15 publications

The Summer Before College: A Case Study of First-Generation, Urban High School Graduates

The Summer Before College: A Case Study of First-Generation, Urban High School Graduates

Postsecondary Outcomes of Innovative High Schools: The Big Picture Longitudinal Study

The Paradoxes of Pathways from College Aspirations to Attendance

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