Alternative College Prep Programs

Alternative college preparatory programs provide different ways for students to increase their chances of going to college. Federal TRIO programs, such as Upward Bound and Talent Search, and the federal GEAR UP program are examined. Information about federally funded programs and examples of local, state, and privately funded college preparation programs are also included as well as key components for an effective college preparation program.

Keywords Advanced Placement; College Preparation; College Readiness; GEAR UP; High School Exit Exams; High-Stakes Testing; No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB); Standardized Testing; Supplemental Instruction; Talent Search; TRIO Programs; Upward Bound

Overview

An effective college preparation program offers students a variety of services that can help them develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to succeed in college. College preparation programs can provide students with information and personal experiences to help make the experience more relevant to them. College preparation programs can include instruction in specific content areas, special programs in the summer, counseling, tutoring, college campus visits, and mentoring (Oesterreich, 2000).

There are differing views as to what exactly college preparation and readiness means and how it is measured. Some feel that students who complete a college-preparatory curriculum are considered prepared for college, while others contend that students who score above a certain level on an admissions or college placement test are prepared for college (Olson, 2006). College readiness may be defined as having the skills and knowledge college professors deem necessary to successfully complete college-level coursework. It can also be defined as the skills necessary to cope with more ambiguous learning tasks that students do not encounter in high school; critical thinking, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills. This includes the ability to be able to express oneself in writing and orally, draw inferences and reach conclusions independently, and discern the importance and credibility of various sources of information. In most states, each college and university defines its own admissions standards and how well students must perform on certain assessments to avoid having to take remedial courses. This makes it difficult to define what is truly necessary to prepare students for college (Olson, 2006).

With all the differing definitions of college readiness, there is little wonder that secondary instructors and college professors disagree about how prepared for college students actually are. One survey found that 31 percent of high-school instructors felt their students were prepared for college, yet only 13 percent of college professors surveyed agreed with that assessment (Olson, 2006). Either way, those percentages are quite low and indicate a need for increased college preparation programs or more assistance for students and curricular changes to enable students to persist and succeed in college.

College Preparation Programs

There are several federally funded college preparation programs currently available for students. The largest programs are Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math-Science, and Talent Search, which all fall under the TRIO program, and GEAR UP.

As part of the Higher Education Act of 1965, Congress originally developed three programs expected to help low-income students enter college and graduate. These programs were called TRIO programs because there were originally just three programs (Council for Opportunity in Education, n.d.). However, there are currently eight different programs that fall under TRIO and are administered by the U.S. Department of Education (U.S. Department of Education, 2007a), and three of them-Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math-Science, and Talent Search-are intended for middle school and high school students. Unlike financial aid programs, whose intent is to help students overcome the financial barriers that may prevent them from enrolling in postsecondary education, these programs provide outreach and support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and are expected to aid students in defeating their prescribed class, social, and cultural barriers that may hinder them in going to college (Council for Opportunity in Education, n.d.). TRIO programs serve mainly students with low-income parents, who are the first in their families to attend college, or who have disabilities (U.S. Department of Education, 2007a).

Upward Bound

The Upward Bound program offers support to high-school students to help them prepare for college by succeeding in their classes and ultimately in college. This program serves students from low-income families and students from families where neither parent has a college degree. Upward Bound also helps low-income, first-generation military veterans who need help arranging for and anticipating postsecondary education. The program’s initiative is to improve the high school completion rate and advance the number of students who attend and graduate from college. All Upward Bound projects are required to educate their students in mathematics, laboratory sciences, English composition, literature, and foreign languages. The program also supports:

• Academic, financial, and/or personal counseling;

• Programs that expose students to academic programs and cultural events;

• Tutoring services;

• Mentoring programs;

• Exposure to postsecondary education programs and services;

• Assistance in finishing and submitting college-entrance and financial-aid applications;

• Assistance in studying for college-entrance examinations; and

• Work-study programs that can expose students to careers that require a postsecondary degree (U.S. Department of Education, 2007b).

The estimated funding allocation for 2007 for Upward Bound was over $279 million with over 800 programs funded nationwide. In 2006, over 61,000 students participated in Upward Bound (U.S. Department of Education, 2007c).

Upward Bound Math-Science

The Upward Bound Math-Science program funds specialized mathematics and science centers. The goals of the services are to make the mathematics and science skills of students more powerful and able, to aid students in recognizing and develop their potential to do well in mathematics and science, and to encourage students to pursue degrees in mathematics and science. The Upward Bound Math-Science program supports

• Summer programs that include intensive mathematics and science training,

• Programs that provide continuous counseling and advising for students,

• Programs that provide students with the availability of postsecondary faculty members who conduct research in mathematics and science fields,

• Programs that provide computer access and training, and

• Programs that can provide students with the opportunity to conduct scientific research under the supervision of college faculty members or graduate students who also agree to serve as mentors to participants (U.S. Department of Education, 2007d).

The Upward Bound Math-Science program is much smaller than the regular Upward Bound program. The estimated funding allocation for 2007 is over 34 million, with almost 130 programs funded nationwide. In 2006, over 6,700 students participated in Upward Bound Math-Science (U.S. Department of Education, 2007e).

Talent Search

The Talent Search program's aim is to identify and assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds who may be able to succeed in college if provided with the right opportunities. Talent Search provides counseling and encouragement to participants with a variety of support services. This program “also serves high school dropouts by encouraging them to come back to school and finish their education. The primary goal of Talent Search is to increase the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school and enroll in college” (Dodd, 2006, ¶ 4). Services supported by the Talent Search program are made up of academic, financial, career-based, and personal counseling; assistance on reentry into secondary programs and/or enrolling in college; career exploration services; aptitude assessment and counseling; “tutoring services; information on postsecondary education; exposure to college campuses and services; information about student financial assistance; help in completing college-admissions and financial-aid applications; assistance in preparing for college-entrance examinations; mentoring programs; special activities for sixth, seventh, and eight graders” to introduce them to the possibility of college; and workshops for families of program participants (U.S. Department of Education, 2007f, ¶ 2). The estimated funding allocation for Talent Search for 2007 is over $144 million with no new programs funded. In 2006, almost 400,000 students in over 500 programs participated in Talent Search (U.S. Department of Education, 2007g).

GEAR UP

GEAR UP was created in 1998 and stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (Burd, 2003). It is a funding program intended to maximize the number of impoverished students who are college-bound. GEAR UP offers states six-year grants that aid in helping low-income middle schools and high schools. Unlike the Upward Bound and Talent Search programs, which focus on individual students, GEAR UP provides its services to a broad range of students and begins their service from the seventh grade onward. GEAR UP “offers state and partnership grants. State grants are six-year matching grants that must include both early intervention and scholarship components. Partnership grants are six-year matching grants that support early intervention programs designed to increase college attendance and success and raise the expectations of low-income students” (U.S. Department of Education, 2007h, p. 83).

Examples of GEAR UP services for students include:

• Tutoring during and after school,

• Providing an enriched technology-based curriculum,

• Offering students trips to college campuses, and

• Providing scholarships for select students.

GEAR UP services for instructors include staff development in specific content areas such as English as a second language and reading. GEAR UP services for parents can include English as a second language, GED, and citizenship classes; leadership training; and workshops on what their children need to do to prepare for college, how to pay for college, applying for financial aid, and selecting a college (Washington State University, 2007). In 2007, over $303 million was allocated to 40 state grants and over 170 partnership grants (U.S. Department of Education, 2007i).

Other College Preparation Programs

There are other college preparation programs that are funded through local and state funds. These programs can be sponsored by local colleges and universities or in partnership with a college and school district, which can help make the programs more relevant. One program sponsored by a university works with minority students to help them learn the academic skills they will need to succeed in college. The program was initially designed to help high-school students, but it soon expanded to include middle-school students. Then it began working with students as early as the second grade. The university uses its elementary education students to tutor participants, assist them with their homework, play games, work in small groups, and be mentors to the students. The program has been around long enough that now some of the university students who participate in the program were former recipients of the services, which allows them to better relate to and empathize with the students while providing assistance and being a positive role model so students can see that success is possible (Wagner, 2006).

Another university's partnership with a local school district goes as far as guaranteeing admission to students who complete college-preparatory coursework, maintain a certain grade-point average, and meet proficiency standards for college-level coursework. The school district agreed to establish more rigorous academic standards in mathematics and language arts and make college preparation the educational track for most of its students (Hebel, 2007). Programs like this attempt to change the entire culture of a school or school district and improve all students' chances of attaining higher education.

Some private companies also offer college preparation programs. These programs can differ in duration and intensity, but many programs offer summer camps which provide students assistance on how to write their personal essays for college applications; individualized college counseling; SAT or ACT preparation classes; and workshops on subjects such as study skills, time management, and college interview preparation. One of the selling points of camps such as these is that they can offer individualized services for students who would otherwise be lost in a high school where the average student-to-counselor ratio is almost 500 to one (Tonn, 2005).

Further Insights

Effective College Preparation Programs

Academic Support

College preparation programs should offer students academic support. This support can come in many forms, including course selection, study skills, and test preparation. By helping students with course selection, they are encouraged to take classes that will help them do well on standardized tests, give them the knowledge they will need to succeed in college courses, and provide them with a high school transcript that may impress college admissions personnel. Proper course selection and successful completion of those courses may help students do well if they need to take college course placement testing and avoid remedial courses. Preparation programs can teach students how to take notes and study. These programs can also form student study groups, provide one-on-one and small group tutoring, and offer supplemental instruction (Oesterreich, 2000). With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, successfully passing high-stakes testing for students can mean the difference between getting into college or not passing a high school exit exam. Therefore, a good college preparation program should offer students workshops that focus on specific examinations, like Advanced Placement courses, the SAT or ACT, or regular school classes.

Social Support

Effective college preparation programs should also provide students with social support. This can come in the form of encouraging parental involvement, peer support, community assistance, and ethnic role models for minority students (Oesterreich, 2000). Parental involvement can be a key to student success. Studies have shown that students who have parents that discuss education are more likely to go farther in college than those who did not (Horn & Chen, 1998 as cited in Oesterreich, 2000). Programs should encourage parental involvement, such as helping their children with homework, encouraging them to succeed, and helping them fill out college applications and financial aid forms (Oesterreich, 2000).

Peer support can be vital for student success. Study groups and peer tutoring provide encouragement for academic achievement (Gandara & Maxwell-Jolly, 1999, as cited in Oesterreich, 2000). Programs should encourage students who participated in the program and are enrolled in college to come back and mentor current students in the program. Programs can also try to elicit the help of community members to help motivate students and serve as mentors and role models or guest speakers to help students and set an example of what is possible to attain with an education (Oesterreich, 2000). For minority students, an effective program needs to use students' cultures and backgrounds in a positive manner and use appropriate teaching methods and learning activities (Jun & Tierney, 1999, as cited in Oesterreich, 2000).

Financial Support & Advice

College preparation programs should also help students with the financial aspect of higher education. Financial barriers can be the greatest problem for enrollment and continuation in college. If programs are able to provide financial assistance of some kind to help students with tuition, fees, and books, it can help students persist. A good college preparation program should help students and their parents apply for financial aid. It can be overwhelming meeting all the deadlines for national scholarships and grants and college-specific aid, but helping students and their parents work through the process can help students secure funding necessary for them to attend. Program personnel can also help students and their parents locate other sources of funds, such as community grants, corporate assistance, and privately funded scholarships (Oesterreich, 2000).

Admissions Support

An effective college preparation program should also help students deal with the college admissions process and determine what colleges may be the right fit for them. By helping students understand the admissions process, students will be less likely to be intimidated or scared off by the process (Oesterreich, 2000). Programs can also help students assess colleges to determine those that may better meet their needs. It can be important for programs to provide students with opportunities to visit college campuses to get a better understanding of college life, the programs offered, and what support services are available (Fenske et al., 1997, as cited in Oesterreich, 2000). Ideally, if the program can partner with a local college to have a summer program on campus, students can have an opportunity to live and study in a college environment, which can help students more easily adjust when they enroll in college. Programs should also try to take students to college fairs and invite admissions personnel to speak to participants (Oesterreich, 2000).

Viewpoints

There are many people who feel that college preparation programs are necessary to aid impoverished, first generation students who aspire to succeed in college. Even former President Bill Clinton has established a program through his foundation to help students prepare for college examinations by offering after-school educational aid and exam study websites for students and training and curriculum development for instructors to allow them to assess their students' readiness for standardized tests while at the same time avoiding any jeopardizing their own curriculum ("Former President Launches College Prep Program," 2003).

However, there are differing opinions on whether college preparation programs are effective. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the federal programs are spending a lot of time trying to save their funding whenever the political climate changes in the U.S. This can mean that the programs' lobbyists work against each other whenever facing elimination. This can cause a dilemma for local programs because many program directors administer both TRIO and GEAR UP programs. When GEAR UP was created in 1998, supporters of the TRIO program felt that it was duplicating many services that Talent Search offered and that the money being spent to create this new program would be better used to increase funding for TRIO. GEAR UP supporters believe that there are enough differences in the two programs, primarily that Talent Search only works with individual students from low-income families while GEAR UP focuses on entire grades of students in middle schools in low-income neighborhoods. GEAR UP also helps instructors and school administrators design an appropriate college-preparatory curriculum (Burd, 2003).

When President Bush's proposed 2006 budget called for the elimination of Upward Bound, Talent Search, and GEAR UP, as well as 45 other education programs, it was necessary for the programs to once again prove their effectiveness (Powell, 2005). Part of the criticism of Upward Bound is that it focuses too much on counseling and does not spend enough time on academics. One report cited that students in Upward Bound did not fare much better than those students who did not participate in the program. However, criticism of that particular report, which the study's co-author conceded was true, was that the students in the control group received benefits from other college preparation programs, which skewed the findings (Morgan & Brainard, 2002).

Advocates for college preparation programs in general contend that there is a need for both GEAR UP and TRIO programs because students who fit these programs' criteria are in need of more than just the services one program can offer. These two programs complement each other and do not compete, and students can derive benefit from both programs (Morgan & Brainard, 2002). There are also advocates who point out that only students from higher-income families can afford to send their children to private summer college preparation camps or can afford to pay for private, individualized tutoring and assistance and that these are also the students who more often than not have adequate student support resources and services at their schools. Students from poorer school districts who cannot afford to pay for extra support services do not have adequate support services at their schools (Tonn, 2005).

Current statistics indicate that nearly 75 percent of high school graduates enroll in some kind of postsecondary education program. However, of those students enrolling in a four-year college or university, only a little over 60 percent earn a bachelor's degree within six years-and that percentage is much worse for poor, minority, or first-generation students and those enrolled in two-year colleges (Olson, 2006). These statistics indicate a need for more college preparation programs or more effective programs that can reach a greater number of students and provide the academic and practical support students need to gain a better understanding of what is needed to succeed in college and persist until a degree is earned.

Terms & Concepts

Advanced Placement: Advanced Placement courses are high school courses designed to emulate college-level classes and prepare students for secondary education. High school students may take Advanced Placement exams, and qualifying scores on such exams may result in college credits being granted at the discretion of the individual college or university.

High School Exit Exams: High school exit exams are tests that students are required to pass before graduating from high school and receiving a diploma.

High-Stakes Testing: High-stakes testing is the use of test scores to make decisions that have important consequences for individuals, schools, school districts, and/or states and can include high school graduation, promotion to the next grade, resource allocation, and instructor retention.

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB): The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is the latest reauthorization and a major overhaul of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the major federal law regarding K-12 education.

Standardized Testing: Standardized testing is the use of a test that is administered and scored in a uniform manner, and the tests are designed in such a way that the questions and interpretations are consistent.

Supplemental Instruction: Supplemental instruction entails having weekly review sessions guided by a person who has already taken the course for students enrolled in historically difficult courses and provides students with a chance to compare notes, discuss concepts, understand course content, and develop strategies for studying the subject.

Bibliography

Bausmith, J., & France, M. (2012). The impact of GEAR UP on college readiness for students in low income schools. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 17, 234-246. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=83351991&site=ehost-live

Burd, S. (2003). Programs for disadvantaged students feud over their futures. Chronicle of Higher Education, 49 , 21. Retrieved November 19, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Academic Search Premier http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=9339451&site=ehost-live

Council for Opportunity in Education (n.d.). What is TRIO? Retrieved November 23, 2007 from website http://www.coenet.us/ecm/AM/Template.cfm?Section=What_is_TRIO&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=2862

Dodd, C. (2006). Dodd, Lieberman laud funding for Connecticut higher education. Chris Dodd U.S. Senator for Connecticut. Retrieved November 23, 2007 from http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3559

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Hebel, S. (2007). In California, an unusual partnership expands the college track. Chronicle of Higher Education, 53 , 16-18. Retrieved November 19, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Academic Search Premier http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=25843392&site=ehost-live

Morgan, R. & Brainard, J. (2002). Upward Bound's slippery slope. Chronicle of Higher Education, 48 , p. A21. Retrieved November 19, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Academic Search Premier http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=6649200&site=ehost-live

Oesterreich, H. (2000). Characteristics of effective urban college preparation programs. Retrieved November 19, 2007 from Education Resources Information Center http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/16/b9/04.pdf

Olson, L. (2006). Views differ on defining college prep. Education Week, 25 , 1. Retrieved November 19, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Academic Search Premier http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=20976847&site=ehost-live

Powell, T. (2005). GEAR UP, TRIO officials mobilize support to save college-access programs. Black Issues in Higher Education, 22 , 6-7. Retrieved November 19, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Academic Search Premier http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=16625892&site=ehost-live

Tonn, J. (2005). A leg up. Education Week, 24 , 35-37. Retrieved November 19, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Academic Search Premier http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=18082087&site=ehost-live

U.S. Department of Education (2007a). Federal TRIO programs. Retrieved November 23, 2007 from http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html

U.S. Department of Education (2007b). Upward Bound program description. Retrieved November 23, 2007 from http://www.ed.gov/programs/trioupbound/index.html

U.S. Department of Education (2007c). Upward Bound funding status. Retrieved November 23, 2007 from http://www.ed.gov/programs/trioupbound/funding.html

U.S. Department of Education (2007d). Upward Bound Math-Science Program. Retrieved November 23, 2007 from http://www.ed.gov/programs/triomathsci/index.html

U.S. Department of Education (2007e). Upward Bound Math-Science funding status. Retrieved November 23, 2007 from http://www.ed.gov/programs/triomathsci/funding.html

U.S. Department of Education (2007f). Talent Search program description. Retrieved November 23, 2007 from http://www.ed.gov/programs/triotalent/index.html

U.S. Department of Education (2007g). Talent Search funding status. Retrieved November 23, 2007 from http://www.ed.gov/programs/triotalent/funding.html

U.S. Department of Education (2007h). Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) program description. Retrieved November 23, 2007 from http://www.ed.gov/programs/gearup/index.html

U.S. Department of Education (2007i). GEAR UP funding status. Retrieved November 23, 2007 from http://www.ed.gov/programs/gearup/funding.html

Wagner, C. (2006). College prep in elementary school. Futurist, 40 , 12. Retrieved November 19, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Academic Search Premier http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=19694969&site=ehost-live

Washington State University (2007). GEAR UP services. Retrieved November 25, 2007 from http://gearupserv.tricity.wsu.edu/v3/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=27

Suggested Reading

Krist, M. & Venezia, A. (2004). From High School to College: Improving Opportunities or Success in Postsecondary Education. Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass.

Lee, M. (2006). Ethnicity Matters: Rethinking How Black, Hispanic & Indian Students Prepare for & Succeed in College. New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing.

Tierney, W. (2002). Increasing Access to College: Extending Possibilities for All Students. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Tierney, W., Corwin, Z. & Colyar, J. (2004). Preparing for College: Nine Elements of Effective Outreach. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.