Linked Learning San Bernardino (LLSB): Accelerating College and Career Readiness in Low-Performing Schools: An Investing in Innovation (i3) Development Grant Evaluation. Technical Report.
Arshan, N. L., & Bosetti, K. R. (2018). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International. https://www.sri.com/publication/linked-learning-san-bernardino-llsb-accelerating-college-and-career-readiness-in-low-performing-schools/.
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examining1,385Students, grades9-12
Practice Guide
Review Details
Reviewed: July 2024
- Practice Guide (findings for Linked Learning)
- Quasi-Experimental Design
- Meets WWC standards with reservations because it uses a quasi-experimental design in which the analytic intervention and comparison groups satisfy the baseline equivalence requirement.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
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Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Number of state-required college preparatory coursework requirements completed |
Linked Learning vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
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N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
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Student completed all state-required college preparatory coursework requirements |
Linked Learning vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
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N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Total number of credits earned |
Linked Learning vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Percent of days attended |
Linked Learning vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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Other or unknown: 100% -
Urban
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California
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Race Other or unknown 100% -
Ethnicity Other or unknown 100% -
Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch Other or unknown 100%
Study Details
Setting
The study took place in four high schools in one urban school district in Southern California.
Study sample
A total of 1,385 grade 9 students were included as the analytic sample in the study. Demographic characteristics of this sample of students were not reported in the manuscript.
Intervention Group
Students in the intervention condition enrolled in California Partnership Academies (CPA) within their high school, also referred to as Linked Learning academies. Linked Learning academies are a program that combines college-focused academics, rigorous technical education, work-based learning, and personalized student supports in small, career-themed high school academies that each serve multiple schools (i.e., small schools within larger comprehensive schools) in the same district. Students in the intervention condition could chose to transfer out of the Linked Learning academies back to traditional high school programs during later grades, and students in the comparison group traditional high school could choose to transfer into Linked Learning academies. In the sample, students enrolled in Linked Learning academies in grade 9. The intervention persisted for the full school year and concluded at the end of the sample’s grade 9 year. The manuscript designates the academies in this sample to be newly developed pathways in a pilot phase of program evaluation.
Comparison Group
Students in the comparison group elected to enroll in the business-as-usual traditional high school programs at their schools. They did not participate in Linked Learning academies.
Support for implementation
The California Center for College and Career Readiness (Connected) partnered with the study schools to develop and implement their CPAs in 2016-17. Implementation supports included professional development events (in-person trainings or workshops, online learning opportunities, as well as individual and group coaching), as well as development of systems and policies (e.g., school choice and transportation policies, leadership capacity) that allow for Linked Learning pathways to be successfully implemented.
Practice Guide
Review Details
Reviewed: April 2024
- Practice Guide (findings for Linked Learning)
- Quasi-Experimental Design
- Meets WWC standards with reservations because it uses a quasi-experimental design in which the analytic intervention and comparison groups satisfy the baseline equivalence requirement.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Average grade point average (GPA) in state-required college preparatory courses in grades 10–12 |
Linked Learning vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
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1.63 |
1.49 |
No |
-- |
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Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Number of state-required college preparatory coursework requirements completed |
Linked Learning vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
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9.81 |
8.25 |
Yes |
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| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
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Student completed all state-required college preparatory coursework requirements |
Linked Learning vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
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9.40 |
16.40 |
Yes |
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Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Total credits earned in grades 10-12 |
Linked Learning vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
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176.21 |
155.01 |
Yes |
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| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
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Credits earned |
Linked Learning vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
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57.19 |
51.15 |
No |
-- | ||
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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19% English language learners -
Female: 50%
Male: 50% -
Urban
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Race Asian 2% Black 7% Other or unknown 88% White 3% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 88% Other or unknown 12% -
Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch Free or reduced price lunch (FRPL) 97% Other or unknown 3%
Study Details
Setting
The study took place in four high schools in one urban school district in Southern California.
Study sample
A total of 639 students in grades 10 through 12 were included in the study. Approximately 50% of the students were female, 97% were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and 19% were English learners. Seven percent were Black, 3% were White, 2% were Asian, and 88% were other or unknown races. Approximately 88% were Hispanic or Latino.
Intervention Group
Students in the intervention condition enrolled in California Partnership Academies (CPA) within their high school, also referred to as Linked Learning academies. Linked Learning academies are a program that combines college-focused academics, rigorous technical education, work-based learning, and personalized student supports in small, career-themed high school academies that each serve multiple schools (i.e., small schools within larger comprehensive schools) in the same district. Students in the intervention condition could choose to transfer out of the Linked Learning academies back to traditional high school programs during later grades, and students in the comparison group traditional high school could choose to transfer into Linked Learning academies. In the main analytic sample, students enrolled in Linked Learning academies in grade 10. The intervention continued for three years until students were in grade 12.
Comparison Group
Students in the comparison group chose to enroll in the business-as-usual traditional high school programs at their schools. They did not participate in Linked Learning academies.
Support for implementation
The California Center for College and Career Readiness (Connected) partnered with the study schools to develop and implement their CPAs between 2014-15 and 2016-17. Implementation supports included professional development events (in-person trainings or workshops, online learning opportunities, as well as individual and group coaching), as well as development of systems and policies (e.g., school choice and transportation policies, leadership capacity) that allow for Linked Learning pathways to be successfully implemented.
Department-funded evaluation
Review Details
Reviewed: December 2021
- Department-funded evaluation (findings for Linked Learning)
- Quasi-Experimental Design
- Meets WWC standards with reservations because it uses a quasi-experimental design in which the analytic intervention and comparison groups satisfy the baseline equivalence requirement.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Total A-G requirements completed in 10th-12th grade |
Linked Learning vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
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9.81 |
8.25 |
Yes |
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| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
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Completed All A-G Requirements |
Linked Learning vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
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21.10 |
16.40 |
Yes |
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Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Total Credits Earned (10th-12th Grade) |
Linked Learning vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
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176.21 |
155.01 |
Yes |
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Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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19% English language learners -
Female: 50%
Male: 50% -
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California
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Ethnicity Hispanic 88% Not Hispanic or Latino 12%
Study Details
Setting
The study took place in two high-poverty, low-achieving high schools in the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) in California: Arroyo Valley High School and San Bernardino High School.
Study sample
In the analytic sample for the confirmatory contrasts (n=639), 19.1% were English Language Learners, 50.2% were female, 87.9% identified as Latina/o. Almost all students received free or reduced-price lunch (96.7%).
Intervention Group
ConnectEd, The California Center for College and Career, supported San Bernardino City Unified School District to develop a system of Linked Learning career-themed academies both by supporting the creation of new pathways and the further development of existing California Partnership Academies. Linked Learning career-themed academies combined college-focused academics, rigorous technical education, work-based learning, and personalized student supports in small cohorts in grades 9–12. To support the development of these academies, ConnectEd provided San Bernardino with a system of supports at various levels within the district and schools including coaching and professional development for the district leadership team, the district Linked Learning Director, school administrators, school-based coaches, and academy teachers. ConnectEd also supported the district to make changes to support the academies, including clear messaging and vision, staffing (e.g., a district Linked Learning coordinator, consistent staffing within academies), and development of school master calendars that support consistent student enrollment in academy classes.
Comparison Group
Students in the comparison condition chose to participate in the traditional academic programs at their school in 2014-15, when they were in 10th grade. Comparison students could choose to transfer into a CPA in 11th or 12th grade.
Support for implementation
The California Center for College and Career Readiness (Connected) partnered with the study schools to develop and implement their CPAs between the 2014-15 and 2016-17 school years. Implementation supports included professional development events (in-person trainings or workshops, online learning opportunities, and individual and group coaching), as well as development of systems and policies (e.g., school choice and transportation policies, leadership capacity) that allow for Linked Learning pathways to be successfully implemented.
An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
An outcome is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are attained as a result of an activity. An outcome measures is an instrument, device, or method that provides data on the outcome.
A finding that is included in the effectiveness rating. Excluded findings may include subgroups and subscales.
The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
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A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
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as defined in the
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and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).