Project Activities
Research question
- How were Upward Bound projects implemented? What were common (or uncommon but potentially promising) practices?
Structured Abstract
Design
A survey was administered in July to September 2013 to all 800+ regular Upward Bound project directors to collect information about the strategies they used in delivering services. The survey data were analyzed to describe how Upward Bound projects were implemented and identify common (or uncommon but promising) practices that could inform future program improvement studies.
Key findings
- In four of the seven core service areas required by statute—coursework, tutoring, college exposure, and college application assistance—there was a dominant approach (used by at least 50 percent of projects) to how projects focused their activities. There was no dominant approach to how projects focused their efforts when it came to academic advising, ACT/SAT prep, and financial aid prep services.
- When, where, and how services were delivered differed across service areas. For example, tutoring and college entrance exam preparation services were most commonly delivered in groups, while academic advising, college application assistance, and financial aid assistance were typically provided one-on-one.
- Variation in the focus and delivery of services appears related to the urbanicity and type of institution (4-year, 2-year, and non-higher education) that hosts the project but not to other project characteristics examined. There were few substantive differences (at least 10 percentage points) in the percentage of projects reporting each potential approach by project size (number of students served), per-student funding, and whether the host institution was a Minority-Serving Institution.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
A report, titled Upward Bound at 50: Reporting on Implementation Practices Today, was released in November 2016.
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
