Study: 89339

Success Boston Coaching Intervention Report - Supporting Postsecondary Success

Review Details

Reviewed: September 2020

At least one finding shows moderate evidence of effectiveness

At least one statistically significant positive finding

Meets WWC standards with reservations

For:

Success Boston Coaching Intervention Report - Supporting Postsecondary Success

Using:

Rating:

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.

Please see the WWC summary of evidence for Success Boston Coaching.

Findings

Academic achievement outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome measure	Comparison	Period	Sample	Intervention mean	Comparison mean	Significant?	Improvement index	Evidence tier
Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)	Success Boston Coaching vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Full sample; 1,990 students	2.45	2.26	Yes	7

Progressing in College outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome measure	Comparison	Period	Sample	Intervention mean	Comparison mean	Significant?	Improvement index
College persistence - enrolled in a second year of higher education	Success Boston Coaching vs. Business as usual	0 Days	Full sample; 2,512 students	83.00	75.00	Yes	12
Show Supplemental Findings
College persistence - enrolled in a third year of higher education	Success Boston Coaching vs. Business as usual	1 Year	Full sample; 1,103 students	75.00	62.00	Yes	14

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.

15% English language learners
Female: 61%
Male: 39%
Suburban, Urban
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Massachusetts

Race
Asian		12%
Black		42%
Other or unknown		38%
White		8%

Ethnicity
Hispanic		37%
Not Hispanic or Latino		63%

Study Details

Setting

Success Boston Coaching was implemented in the Boston, Massachusetts metro area. Partners included The Boston Foundation, the City of Boston, Boston Public Schools, the University of Massachusetts Boston, Bunker Hill Community College, other regional colleges and universities, uAspire, the Boston Private Industry Council, and other local nonprofit organizations. During the 2013–14 and 2014–15 academic years, students received coaching from seven nonprofit organizations: American Student Assistance, Boston Private Industry Council, Bottom Line, Freedom House, Hyde Square Task Force, Sociedad Latina, and West End House. A national nonprofit organization, uAspire, delivered financial aid advising to students and professional development for coaches. Students attended nine partner colleges: Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, Bridgewater State University, Bunker Hill Community College, Massachusetts Bay Community College, Northeastern University, Roxbury Community College, Salem State University, Suffolk University, and University of Massachusetts Boston.

Study sample

The study sample was comprised of 42 percent African-American students, 38 percent Hispanic students, 12 percent Asian students, and eight percent White students. Sixty-one percent of the study sample was female, 15 percent were English learners, 10 percent had an Individualized Education Plan, and 85 percent received free or reduced price lunch.

Intervention Group

Students in Success Boston Coaching began receiving one-on-one coaching from experienced counselors starting as early as the end of high school and continuing through the first two years of college. Coaching was available on demand to help students navigate the college process while developing their sense of agency, autonomy, and independence. The coaching was designed to develop students' life, study, help-seeking, and academic skills and helped students hone their relationship, goal setting, and networking skills. Job and career mentoring were also provided. Coaching activities began after high school graduation for 92 percent of students.

Comparison Group

Students in the comparison group did not participate in Success Boston Coaching but were eligible to receive traditional counseling services while in high school and college.

Support for implementation

The Boston Foundation oversaw the Success Boston Coaching network that facilitates communication across the initiative. The network also provided coaches access to specialized training about financial aid from uAspire, a national nonprofit organization, as well as access to training on other topics.

Additional Sources

In the case of multiple manuscripts that report on one study, the WWC selects one manuscript as the primary citation and lists other manuscripts that describe the study as additional sources.

Linkow, Tamara; Gamse, Beth; Unlu, Fatih; Bumgarner, Erin; Didriksen, Hayley; Furey, Jane; Meneses, Michael; Sami, Mona; Nichols, Austin. (2017). The Power of Coaching: Highlights from the Interim Report on the Impact of Success Boston's Transition Coaching on College Success. Abt Associates.
Linkow, T., Dadisman, K. Gamse, B., Didriksen, H., Schwartz, G., Hillard, M., & Karuu, M. (2015). Degrees of coaching: Success Boston’s transition coaching model – Implementation of Success Boston Coaching 2014-15. Cambridge, MA: Abt Associates.

The power of coaching: Interim report on the impact of Success Boston’s transition coaching on college success