2019-2020 Faculty Research Grants
Melissa Ponce-Rodas (Behavioral Sciences)
Summer High School Advancement Program Evaluation
Last summer, the Summer High School Advancement Program was able to secure funding for a pilot summer enrichment class for students from a neighboring public school district who had not passed algebra one the previous school year. The program was holistic in its design and approach, and included student recruitment, transportation, meals, academic instruction, and activities designed to build a college-bound culture. Intentionally, the tutor-student ratio was small to allow for individual attention, and to aid a sense of membership and belonging between group members. The program covered both the two semester’s math content and was successful. Students achieved only As and Bs at the conclusion of the program. However, due to limited funding, evaluation efforts were limited. More comprehensive evaluation efforts are required for this project’s assessment, and for potential growth and continuation. However, due to the limited information available on programs of this nature, the evaluation requires both qualitative and quantitative assessments. This research project will focus on developing appropriate measures, conducting interviews and surveys, and then evaluating the data gathered for reports, grants, publication and future work.