An Interim Report on the

Talent Search Program:

2002–03 and 2003–04, With 

Select Data From 2000–02

U . S . D E P A R T M E N T O F E D U C A T I O N

Prepared for:

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Postsecondary Education

Federal TRIO Programs

By:

Yung-chen Hsu

Tsze Chan

Margaret Hale

American Institutes for Research

2006

An Interim Report on the

Talent Search Program:

2002–03 and 2003–04, With 

Select Data From 2000–02

U . S . D e p a r t m e n t o f Edu c a t i o n
This report was prepared for the U.S. Department of Education under Contract No. ED-01-CO-0026/0010 by the 

American Institutes for Research. Kathy Fuller provided technical review of the content. Shirley Johnson served 

as the contracting officer’s representative. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions 

or policies of the Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any 

product, commodity, service, or enterprise mentioned in this publication is intended or should be inferred. 

U.S. Department of Education

Margaret Spellings 

Secretary

Office of Postsecondary Education

James Manning

Acting Assistant Secretary

Federal TRIO Programs

Larry Oxendine

Director

September 2006

This report is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. While permission 

to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should be: U.S. Department of Education, Office of 

Postsecondary Education, An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select 

Data From 2000–02, Washington, D.C., 2006.

To obtain copies of this report:

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On request, this publication is available in alternate formats, such as Braille, large print or computer diskette. For 

more information, please contact the Department’s Alternate Format Center at 202-260-0852 or 202-260-0818.
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 iii

Contents

Tables........................................................................................................................................................iv

Figures...................................................................................................................................................... vi

Foreword.................................................................................................................................................. vii

Acknowledgments.....................................................................................................................................ix

Introduction...............................................................................................................................................1

Section I: Talent Search Program Projects and Participants.......................................................................3

Section II: Target Schools........................................................................................................................11

Section III: Program Outcomes................................................................................................................17

Appendix A: Supporting Tables.................................................................................................................23

Glossary...................................................................................................................................................31
iv An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Tables

1. Talent Search Program funding characteristics by reporting year: 2001–02 through 2003–04 ..................5

2. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search projects, number and percentage of Annual 

Performance Reports submitted, and number and percentage distribution of participants reported, 

by type of host institution and reporting year: 2001–02 through 2003–04.................................................6

3. Number and percentage of Talent Search participants with limited English proficiency, by type of 

host institution: 2003–04.........................................................................................................................10

4. Number of projects and number and percentage distribution of Talent Search and Educational 

Opportunity Centers target schools, by type of host institution and reporting year: 2001–02 and 

2003–04...................................................................................................................................................13

5. Percentage of students eligible for federally supported free meals under the National School Lunch 

Program in Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers target secondary schools, nontarget 

secondary schools and all secondary schools, by federal region: 2003–04................................................13

6. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers projects 

and target schools served, by locale and type of host institution: 2003–04 ..............................................15

7. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers 

target secondary schools, by percentage of students eligible for federally supported free meals under 

the National School Lunch Program and locale: 2003–04.......................................................................16

A-1. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by participant status and 

reporting year: 2001–02 through 2003–04...............................................................................................23

A-2. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by eligibility status: 2003–04..........23
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

A-3. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by gender: 2003–04........................23

A-4. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by race and ethnicity: 2003–04 ......24

A-5. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by academic status or grade level: 

2003–04...................................................................................................................................................24

A-6. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by age (years): 2003–04..................24

A-7. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers target 

secondary schools and all secondary schools in the United States, by locale: 2003–04 ...........................25

A-8. Number and percentage of targeted Talent Search participants who attained secondary school 

promotion, graduation or reentry, by reporting year: 2000–01 through 2003–04 .....................................26

A-9. Number and percentage of college-ready Talent Search participants who received assistance in 

applying for postsecondary admission or financial aid, by reporting year: 2000–01 through 2003–04 .....27

A-10. Number and percentage of college-ready Talent Search participants who gained postsecondary 

admission or postsecondary reentry, by reporting year: 2000–01 through 2003–04 .................................28

A-11. Number and percentage distribution of postsecondary placements of Talent Search participants, 

by type of host institution: 2003–04 ........................................................................................................29

A-12. Number of Talent Search projects not identifying a program outcome as a project objective, 

by program outcome measure: 2003–04 ..................................................................................................29

A-13. Number of Talent Search projects with numbers of reported successes in meeting program outcome 

measures exceeding numbers of eligible participants, by program outcome measure: 2003–04 ..............30
vi An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Figures

1. Percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by participant status and reporting year: 

2001–02 through 2003–04.........................................................................................................................7

2. Percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by eligibility status: 2003–04 .................................7

3. Percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by gender: 2003–04...............................................8

4. Percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by race and ethnicity: 2003–04..............................8

5. Percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by academic status or grade level: 2003–04...........9

6. Percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by age (years): 2003–04.........................................9

7. Percentage distribution of Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers target secondary 

schools and all secondary schools in the United States, by locale: 2003–04 ............................................14

8. Percentage of secondary school Talent Search participants who attained secondary school promotion, 

graduation or reentry, by reporting year: 2000–01 through 2003–04........................................................19

9. Percentage of college-ready Talent Search participants who received assistance in applying for 

postsecondary admission or financial aid, by reporting year: 2000–01 through 2003–04 .........................20

10. Percentage of college-ready Talent Search participants who gained postsecondary admission 

or reentry, by reporting year: 2000–01 through 2003–04..........................................................................21

11. Percentage distribution of postsecondary placements of Talent Search participants, by type of 

TS host institution that participants attended: 2003–04 ..........................................................................22
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 vii

Foreword

To ensure the success of the No Child Left Behind Act, high-quality educational opportunities must be 

made available to all students. In keeping with this goal, the Talent Search (TS) Program of the Federal 

TRIO Programs encourages sixth- to 12th-grade students from disadvantaged backgrounds to complete 

high school and enroll in postsecondary education. TS projects also reach out to middle school, high 

school and postsecondary dropouts to encourage them to complete their education.

We are pleased to present this document, An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 

and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02, which describes selected aspects of the program primarily 

for reporting years 2002–03 and 2003–04. Two previously published comprehensive profiles of the TS 

Program, available from the U.S. Department of Education, present data on reporting years 1998–2000. 

The next comprehensive TS report is expected to cover the entire 2002–06 grant cycle. 

We are proud to continue our process of sharing national statistical information on the TS Program 

with staff, grantees, members of Congress and the larger education community. It is our hope that 

collecting and disseminating this information will foster a dialogue among these groups that is aimed 

at furthering our mission and implementing measures to see how well we are doing. We look forward 

to continuing to work together to improve program services and increase the number of disadvantaged 

students who pursue postsecondary education.

Larry Oxendine

Director

Federal TRIO Programs

U.S. Department of Education
viii An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 ix

Acknowledgments

Publishing this report was a team effort, and we appreciate the support of all who contributed. 

First, we thank the staff members of the Talent Search projects who reported the data on which this 

report is based. Frances Bergeron, team leader, Program Management and Development, Federal TRIO 

Programs, coordinated the data collection and reporting processes. Special thanks also to Kathy Fuller 

of the Federal TRIO Programs for her valuable comments and meticulous edits on the contents and 

figures presented in this report. 
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 

Introduction

Created in 1965, the Talent Search (TS) Program, one of eight Federal TRIO programs, funds TS 

projects at two- and four-year colleges and universities and public or private agencies or organizations to 

identify and assist sixth- to 12th-grade students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential 

to succeed in higher education. Participants are recruited from target schools (i.e., middle and high 

schools designated by TS projects to receive program services). The TS Program also serves middle school, 

high school and postsecondary dropouts (generally not more than 27 years of age) by encouraging and 

assisting them to complete their education. 

An individual older than 27 years of age may participate in a TS project if he or she cannot be 

appropriately served by a project of the Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) Program–another 

of the Federal TRIO Programs—and if the individual’s participation would not dilute the TS project’s 

services to its primary recipients. In each funded project, at least two-thirds of the participants must 

be both low-income and potentially first-generation college students. Program activities offered by TS 

grantees include: academic, financial and career counseling; tutorial services; mentoring; and assistance 

with postsecondary applications. 

Each participating grantee is required to provide project information to the TS Program through its 

Annual Performance Report (APR), with content stipulated by the program. The current report is based 

on the APRs submitted by TS projects for the 2002–03 and 2003–04 reporting years, with select data 

from 2000–01 and 2001–02.

Fall 2002 (reporting year 2002–03) marked the beginning of a new funding cycle, which funded a 

total of 474 projects. Among them, 357 were previously funded projects and 117 were projects funded 

for the first time. Three of the 474 TS projects did not submit their 2002–03 APR. In the following 

reporting year (2003–04), two of the 474 projects did not receive continued funding. One of the 472 

projects did not submit its 2003–04 APR. 

National profiles published in previous years have offered a comprehensive analysis of TS Program 

activities, participant characteristics and program outcomes.1 This report provides essential data on the 

first two-years (2002–04) of the 2002–06 funding cycle, compares select data from the preceding and 

current cycles and makes available information on outcomes of the program through 2004. The program’s 

next comprehensive report will cover the period through the end of the 2002–06 funding cycle. 

1

 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, A Profile of the Talent Search Program: 1999–2000, 

Washington, D.C., 2002; U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, A Profile of the Talent Search 

Program: 1998–99, Washington, D.C., 2002. 
 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

This report has three sections. Section I describes selected characteristics of the program’s projects and 

participants for the 2003–04 reporting year. Data from earlier years are also presented for characteristics 

that either are of key interest to the TS Program or have shown changes over time. Section II describes 

the distribution and characteristics of the program’s target schools. To demonstrate what the program has 

achieved across the two funding cycles, all figures and tables in section III present four-years of program 

outcomes, starting with the 2000–01 reporting year. In each section, major findings are presented as 

highlights followed by tables and figures. Appendix A of this report presents the actual numbers from 

which the percentages were derived. The glossary defines the terms used in this report. 

Introduction
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 

Section I

Talent Search Program Projects and Participants

This section presents selected characteristics of the TS Program projects and the students served, 

with select data on the previous cycle. 

• Reporting year 2002–03 was the first year of a new funding cycle. In the last year of the 1998–2002 

funding cycle, a total of 360 projects were funded. In the 2002–06 funding cycle, the number of 

projects funded increased to more than 470 (table 1). Total annual funding for the TS projects also 

increased from less than $110 million in the 1998–2002 cycle to over $143 million in the 2002–06 

funding cycle (table 1).

• The average number of students that projects were funded to serve decreased from 891 in 2001–02 

of the 1998–2002 funding cycle to 820 in 2002–03 and 821 in 2003–04 (table 1). The average 

amount per participant that projects were funded to serve increased from $343 in 2001–02 to $369 

in 2002–03 and $374 in 2003–04 (table 1).

• The average number of students actually served dropped from 923 in the last year of the 1998–2002 

cycle to 805 in 2002–03, then increased to 842 in 2003–04 (table 2). The number actually served 

was larger than the number funded to serve because some projects were able to become more cost 

efficient and serve more students. Also, a number of projects recruited additional students to take 

the place of participants who had left the program earlier than anticipated.

• The number of students who received TS Program services increased from 328,538 in 2001–02 

to 379,173 in 2002–03 and 396,595 in 2003–04 (table 2). 

• Compared with the last year of the 1998–2002 funding cycle, the percentage of projects hosted 

by public four-year institutions decreased by nearly 3 percentage points in 2002–03, and the 

percentage of projects hosted by two-year institutions increased by nearly 4 percentage points in 

2002–03 (table 2). 

• The percentage of students served by different types of host institutions remained relatively stable 

between the 1998–2002 and 2002–06 funding cycles. Two-year and public four-year institutions 

continued to serve the largest percentage of students in the 2002–04 reporting years (table 2). 

Relative to 2001–02, the percentage of students served by public four-year institutions dropped 

slightly in 2002–03 and 2003–04. The percentage of students served by two-year institutions rose 

from 30 percent to nearly 34 percent (table 2).

• In 2001–02, about 39 percent of the participants were participating in the program for the first 

time. Because 2002–03 was the beginning of a new cycle with 117 new projects, the percentage 
 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Section I: Talent Search Program Projects and Participants

of new participants increased to 48 percent. By 2003–04, the share of new participants dropped 

to almost the 2001–02 level, at about 40 percent (fig. 1).

• In 2003–04, approximately 73 percent of the participants were low-income and potentially firstgeneration college students. Another 15 percent were potentially first-generation only, and nearly 

7 percent were low-income only (fig. 2).

• About 62 percent of all participants in 2003–04 were female (fig. 3).

• More than two-thirds of the students were racial or ethnic minorities. In 2003–04, about 35 percent 

of the students served were African-American; another 22 percent of students were Hispanic or 

Latino (fig. 4). American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific 

Islander students constituted less than 5 percent each (fig. 4).

• In terms of academic status or grade level, the largest portion of the students, 44 percent, were in 

ninth to 11th grade; another 33 percent were in sixth to eighth grade; and 19 percent were seniors 

(fig. 5). Not surprisingly, about 67 percent of the participants were between the ages of 14 and 18; 

another 28 percent were between the ages of 11 and 13 (fig. 6).

• In 2003–04, about 7 percent of the participants had limited English proficiency (table 3). 
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 

Section I: Talent Search Program Projects and Participants

Table 1. Talent Search Program funding characteristics by reporting year: 2001–02 through 2003–04 

2001–02	 2002–03a	 2003–04

Funding Characteristics

Number of projects funded 360 474 472

Number of participants projects were funded to serveb 320,854 388,854 387,741

Average project award $305,444 $302,333 $307,154 

Amount per participant projects were funded to serve $343 $369 $374

Average number of students projects were funded to serve 891 820 821

 Total funding $109,960,000 $143,305,809 $144,976,822 

SOURCE: Data for total funding and number of participants funded to serve are from the program files of the U.S. 

Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs. Other data are based on the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO 

Programs, Talent Search Annual Performance Reports, 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04.

a

The TS Program began a new, four-year funding cycle in 2002–03. Two projects funded in 2002–03 were not funded in 

2003–04.

b

Participants funded to serve refers to the project’s planned level of service in terms of numbers of students, as agreed to by 

the TRIO national office before the beginning of the funding year. 

Reporting year
 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Section I: Talent Search Program Projects and Participants

Table 2. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search projects, number and percentage of 

Annual Performance Reports submitted, and number and percentage distribution of participants 

reported, by type of host institution and reporting year: 2001–02 through 2003–04

	 	 Number of	 Percent of	 	 	 Average

	 	 projects that	 projects that	 Number of	 Percent of all	 number of

Number of 	 Percent of	 submitted	 submitted	 participants	 participants	 participants	

projects	 all projects	 APRs	 APRs	 reported	 reported	 reported

Type of Host Institution	

2001–02

Public four-year 123 34.2 123 100.0 112,283 34.2 913

Private four-year 49 13.6 49 100.0 41,518 12.6 847

Two-yeara 123 34.2 123 100.0 98,448 30.0 800

Community organizationsb 65 18.1 61 93.8 76,289 23.2 1,251

 All projects 360 100.0 356 98.9 328,538 100.0 923

2002–03c

Public four-year 149 31.4 148 99.3 120,645 31.8 815

Private four-year 58 12.2 58 100.0 46,712 12.3 805

Two-yeara 179 37.8 179 100.0 122,431 32.3 684

Community organizationsb 88 18.6 86 97.7 89,385 23.6 1,039

 All projects 474 100.0 471 99.4 379,173 100.0 805

2003–04

Public four-year 147 31.1 147 100.0 124,323 31.3 846

Private four-year 58 12.3 58 100.0 48,137 12.1 830

Two-yeara 179 37.9 179 100.0 134,006 33.8 749

Community organizationsb 88 18.6 87 98.9 90,129 22.7 1,036

 All projects 472 100.0 471 99.8 396,595 100.0 842

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04. 

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

a

Two-year includes public and private two-year institutions.

b

Community organizations include agencies, organizations, secondary schools and state education agencies. 

c

The TS Program began a new, four-year funding cycle in 2002–03. Two projects funded in 2002–03 were not funded in 

2003–04.
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 

Section I: Talent Search Program Projects and Participants

New participants Continuing participants

2001–02 2002–03a 2003–04

0

20

40

60

80

100

Reporting year

38.5

61.5

47.9 52.1

39.6

60.4

Percent

Figure 1. Percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by participant status and reporting 

year: 2001–02 through 2003–04

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04.

a

The TS Program began a new, four-year funding cycle in 2002–03. Two projects funded in 2002–03 were not funded in 

2003–04.

Low-income and potentially first-generation (72.6%)

Low-income only (6.7%)

Potentially first-generation only (15.2%)

Other (5.5%)

Figure 2. Percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by eligibility status: 2003–04

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2003–04.

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. 
 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Section I: Talent Search Program Projects and Participants

African-American (34.7%)

Hispanic or Latino (21.9%)

White (31.2%)

American Indian or Alaska Native (4.3%)

Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (1.1%) Asian (3.3%)

More than one race reported (2.6%)

Unknown (0.8%)

Figure 4. Percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by race and ethnicity: 2003–04

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2003–04.

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

0

20

40

60

80

100

Male Female

Gender

38.3

61.7

Percent

Figure 3. Percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by gender: 2003–04

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2003–04.
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 

Section I: Talent Search Program Projects and Participants

Percent

6th–8th grades

9th–11th grades

12th-grade only

High school graduate or GED

Secondary school dropout

Adult without high school credential

Postseconday dropout

Postsecondary trasfer

0 10 20 30 40 50

33.4

43.6

19.2

1.3

1.0

1.0

0.4

0.1

Academic status or grade level

Figure 5. Percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by academic status or grade level: 

2003–04

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2003–04.

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. Not shown in the graph are eight postsecondary students or about 

0.002 percent of the total number of participants.

Age 11–13 (28.2%)

Age 14–18 (67.0%)

Age 19–27 (3.9%)

Age 28 and above (0.6%)

Unknown (0.3%)

Figure 6. Percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by age (years): 2003–04

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2003–04.

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
10 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Section I: Talent Search Program Projects and Participants

Table 3. Number and percentage of Talent Search participants with limited English proficiency, by type 

of host institution: 2003–04

	 	 	 Number	 Percent of all participants reported

Type of host institution

Public four-year 8,276 6.7

Private four-year 3,810 7.9

Two-yeara 7,415 5.5

Community organizationsb 7,818 8.7

 All projects 27,319 6.9

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2003–04. 

a

Two-year includes public and private two-year institutions. 

b

Community organizations include agencies, organizations, secondary schools and state education agencies.
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 11

Section II

Target Schools

As briefly mentioned in the introduction, target schools are middle and high schools that receive 

program services from TS projects hosted by two- and four-year colleges and universities and public or 

private agencies or organizations. In areas where there are no TS projects available, projects from the 

Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) Program—one of the Federal TRIO Programs aimed at providing 

counseling and services to qualified adults who want to continue their education—are authorized to 

provide to target schools the same services as those of TS projects. Because target schools from these 

two programs provide similar services to the participants, the analysis in this section combines the target 

schools from both programs.

In the last year of the 1998–2002 funding cycle, a combined total of 368 grantees from TS and EOC 

reported serving a total of 5,834 target schools. Among the 368 grantees, 344 were from the TS Program 

and served 5,533 target schools. The 2002–2006 funding cycle saw an increase in the number of both 

grantees and target schools. In 2003–04, a combined total of 510 grantees reported serving 7,710 target 

schools. Among the 510 grantees, 470 were from the TS Program and served 7,190 target schools.

The APRs report only the names and addresses of the target schools. School characteristics needed 

for the current analysis were captured through merging with the Common Core of Data (CCD). In 

both the 2002–03 and 2003–04 reporting years, about 92 percent of the data on target schools merged 

successfully with the CCD. This section presents the various characteristics of these target schools.

• In 2003–04, about 35 and 34 percent of the target schools were served by projects hosted in public 

four-year educational institutions and in two-year institutions, respectively (table 4). Less than 

20 percent of the target schools were served by private four-year institutions or by community 

organizations (table 4). 

• When compared with the 1998–2002 funding cycle, the percentage of target schools served 

by public four-year and private four-year institutions dropped slightly in the 2002–06 funding 

cycle—from 37 percent to 35 percent, and from 14 percent to 12 percent, respectively (table 4). 

The percentage of target schools served by two-year institutions increased by 4 percentage points, 

from 30 percent to 34 percent (table 4).

• The representation of economically disadvantaged students is higher among target schools than 

among nontarget schools. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the 

poverty level are eligible for free meals under the National School Lunch Program. On average, 

about 37 percent of the students attending the middle and high schools targeted by TS projects 
12 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Section II: Target Schools

were eligible for federally supported free meals. In comparison, an average of 21 percent of students 

attending nontarget schools were eligible for federally supported free meals (table 5). The difference 

varies by region, ranging from a 7 percentage point difference in Region X to a 22 percentage point 

difference in Region V (table 5).

• Whereas 54 percent of all secondary schools in the nation were located in urban areas, about 

51 percent of secondary schools served by TS projects were located in urban areas (fig. 7). In 

contrast, proportionally more target schools were located in rural areas outside the Core-Based 

Statistical Areas (CBSA) than were all secondary schools in the nation—24 percent and 19 percent, 

respectively (fig. 7). These schools tend to be the most isolated rural schools.

• The distribution of target schools between urban and rural areas varies by type of host institution. 

In 2003–04, the majority of the target schools served by community organizations were located in 

urban areas. TS projects hosted by two-year institutions, however, served a higher percentage of 

target schools that were located in rural areas (45 percent) than were located in urban areas (39 

percent) (table 6).

• The geographic distribution of target schools also varies by the mix of economic backgrounds in 

the student population. Among target schools with 50 percent or more of their students eligible 

for federally supported free meals, between 53 and 56 percent were located in urban areas. In 

comparison, among target schools with less than 50 percent of students eligible for federally 

supported free meals, less than 48 percent were located in urban areas (table 7).

• Overall, at approximately two-thirds of the target schools, less than 50 percent of their students 

were eligible for federally supported free meals (table 7). This finding should be considered in 

conjunction with the statistics reported in table 5 that show that when compared with all secondary 

schools in the nation, target schools had, on average, a higher concentration of students eligible 

for federally supported free meals.
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 13

Section II: Target Schools

Table 4. Number of projects and number and percentage distribution of Talent Search and Educational 

Opportunity Centers target schools, by type of host institution and reporting year: 2001–02 and 

2003–04

	 Number of	 Percent of	 	 Number of	 Percent of

Number of	 TS and EOC	 TS and EOC	 Number of	 TS and EOC	 TS and EOC

projects	 target schools	 target schools	 projects	 target schools	 target schools

Type of host institution

Public four-year 127 2,164 37.1 160 2,731 35.4

Private four-year 51 837 14.3 62 900 11.7

Two-yearc 121 1,749 30.0 193 2,656 34.4

Community organizationsd 69 1,084 18.6 95 1,423 18.5

 Total 368 5,834 100.0 510 7,710 100.0

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2001–02 and 2003–04. 

Note: The TS and EOC programs began a new, four-year funding cycle in 2002–03. Percentages may not sum to 100 due to 

rounding. 

a

In 2001–02, 344 TS projects served a total of 5,533 target schools. The remaining 301 target schools were served by 24 

EOC projects.

b

In 2003–04, 470 TS projects served a total of 7,190 target schools. The remaining 520 target schools were served by 40 

EOC projects.

c

Two-year includes public and private two-year institutions. 

d

Community organizations include agencies, organizations, secondary schools and state education agencies. 

Reporting year

2003–04b 2001–02a

Table 5. Percentage of students eligible for federally supported free meals under the National School 

Lunch Program in Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers target secondary 

schools, nontarget secondary schools and all secondary schools, by federal region: 2003–04

TS and EOC target 	 Nontarget	 All

secondary schools 	 secondary schools	 Difference	 secondary schools	 Difference

Federal region

Percent

Region I 27.9 11.7 16.2 14.2 13.7

Region II 20.6 9.2 11.4 10.4 10.2

Region III 33.4 16.5 16.9 19.7 13.7

Region IV 34.1 25.7 8.4 27.8 6.3

Region V 37.2 15.1 22.1 18.2 19.0

Region VI 46.6 32.8 13.8 36.0 10.6

Region VII 36.3 19.9 16.4 23.1 13.2

Region VIII 29.3 17.8 11.5 20.2 9.1

Region IX 41.3 29.3 12.0 32.1 9.2

Region X 29.3 22.8 6.5 23.9 5.4

 All federal regions 36.5 21.3 15.2 24.3 13.7

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2003–04 and Educational Opportunity Centers Annual Performance Reports, 2003–04; and the 

Common Core of Data, 2003–04.

Note: Figures are based on secondary schools only. Secondary schools are those in which the lowest grade is sixth grade or 

higher and those that serve only fifth and sixth grades. In 2003–04, 470 TS projects served a total of 7,190 target schools. 

The remaining 520 target schools were served by 40 EOC projects. 
14 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Section II: Target Schools

Urbana Large town Small town Rural, outside CBSAb Rural, inside CBSAb Otherc

0

20

40

60

80

100

TS and EOC target secondary schools All secondary schools in the United States

Schools

1.8 11.0

23.5

11.7

1.3

50.7

1.2 14.1

19.4

10.4

1.0

54.0

Percent

Figure 7. Percentage distribution of Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers target 

secondary schools and all secondary schools in the United States, by locale: 2003–04 

SOURCE: Data from the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual Performance Reports 

and Educational Opportunity Centers Annual Performance Reports, 2003–04; and the Common Core of Data, 2003–04. 

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. In the Common Core of Data, schools in the 50 states and the 

District of Columbia are assigned locale codes reflecting their communities’ proximity to metropolitan areas and their 

population size and density (see glossary). Secondary schools are those in which the lowest grade is sixth grade or higher 

and those that serve only fifth and sixth grades.

a

Urban includes schools in large cities, midsize cities, urban fringes of large cities, and urban fringes of midsize cities. 

b

CBSA refers to Core Based Statistical Areas. 

c

Other includes schools in neither the 50 states nor the District of Columbia, closed schools and schools for which addresses 

could not be coded. 
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 15

Section II: Target Schools

Table 6. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers 

projects and target schools served, by locale and type of host institution: 2003–04

	 TS and	 	 	 	 	 	

	 EOC target 	 	 	 	 Rural,	 Rural,	 	

TS and EOC	 schools	 	 Large 	 Small	 outside	 inside	 	

projects	 served	 Urbana	 town	 town	 CBSAb	 CBSAb	 All ruralc	 Otherd	 Total

Type of host institution

Number

Public four-year 159 2,381 1,188 35 244 597 266 863 51 2,381

Private four-year 61 789 412 2 53 180 76 256 66 789

Two-yeare 190 2,289 882 48 316 722 302 1,024 19 2,289

Community organizationsf 93 1,192 696 2 110 258 96 354 30 1,192

 Total 503 6,651 3,178 87 723 1,757 740 2,497 166 6,651

Percent

Public four-year 31.6 35.8 49.9 1.5 10.3 25.1 11.2 36.3 2.1 100.0

Private four-year 12.1 11.9 52.2 0.3 6.7 22.8 9.6 32.4 8.4 100.0

Two-yeare 37.8 34.4 38.5 2.1 13.8 31.5 13.2 44.7 0.8 100.0

Community organizationsf 18.5 17.9 58.4 0.2 9.2 21.6 8.1 29.7 2.5 100.0

 Total 100.0 100.0 47.8 1.3 10.9 26.4 11.1 37.5 2.5 100.0

SOURCE: Data from the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual Performance Reports 

and Educational Opportunity Centers Annual Performance Reports, 2003–04; and the Common Core of Data, 2003–04. 

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. In the Common Core of Data, schools in the 50 states and the 

District of Columbia are assigned locale codes reflecting their communities’ proximity to metropolitan areas and their 

population size and density (see glossary). In 2003–04, 470 TS projects served a total of 7,190 target schools. The 

remaining 520 target schools were served by 40 EOC projects. 

a

Urban includes schools in large cities, midsize cities, urban fringes of large cities and urban fringes of midsize cities. 

b

CBSA refers to Core Based Statistical Areas.

c

All rural combines Rural outside CBSA with Rural inside CBSA. Both numbers and percentages of All rural are excluded 

from the totals shown here to avoid overcounts.

d

Other includes schools in neither the 50 states nor the District of Columbia, closed schools and schools for which addresses 

could not be coded.

e

Two-year includes public and private two-year institutions. 

f

Community organizations include agencies and organizations, secondary schools and state education agencies.

Locale

Rural
16 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Section II: Target Schools

Table 7. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers 

target secondary schools, by locale and percentage of students eligible for federally supported 

free meals under the National School Lunch Program: 2003–04 

	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 Rural,	 Rural,	 	

	 Large 	 Small	 outside	 inside	 	

Urbana	 town	 town	 CBSAb	 CBSAb	 All ruralc	 Otherd	 Total

Percent of all students	 	

eligible for free meals

Number

0–24.9 979 23 248 549 261 810 6 2,066

25–49.9 952 37 314 711 291 1,002 23 2,328

50–74.9 824 20 108 333 127 460 52 1,464

75–100 419 7 52 164 61 225 85 788

Missinge 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 5

 Total 3,178 87 723 1,757 740 2,497 166 6,651

Percent

0–24.9 47.4 1.1 12.0 26.6 12.6 39.2 0.3 100.0

25–49.9 40.9 1.6 13.5 30.5 12.5 43.0 1.0 100.0

50–74.9 56.3 1.4 7.4 22.8 8.7 31.5 3.6 100.0

75–100 53.2 0.9 6.6 20.8 7.7 28.5 10.8 100.0

Missinge 80.0 0.0 20.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0

 Total 47.7 1.3 10.8 26.4 11.1 37.5 2.5 100.0

SOURCE: Data from the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual Performance Reports 

and Educational Opportunity Centers Annual Performance Reports, 2003–04; and the Common Core of Data, 2003–04. 

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. In the Common Core of Data, schools in the 50 states and the 

District of Columbia are assigned locale codes reflecting their communities’ proximity to metropolitan areas and their 

population size and density (see glossary). Secondary schools are those in which the lowest grade is sixth grade or higher 

and those that serve only fifth and sixth grades. In 2003–04, 470 TS projects served a total of 7,190 target schools. The 

remaining 520 target schools were served by 40 EOC projects. 

a

Urban includes schools in large cities, midsize cities, urban fringes of large cities and urban fringes of midsize cities. 

b

CBSA refers to Core Based Statistical Areas. 

c

All rural combines rural outside CBSA with rural inside CBSA. Both numbers and percentages are excluded from the totals 

shown here to avoid overcounts.

d

Other includes schools in neither the 50 states nor the District of Columbia, closed schools and schools for which addresses 

could not be coded.

e

Missing refers to the schools that did not report students who are eligible for federally supported free meals under the 

National School Lunch Program.

Locale

Rural
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 17

Section III

Program Outcomes

TS-funded projects hosted by two- and four-year colleges and universities and public or private agencies 

or organizations identify and assist sixth- to 12th-grade students from disadvantaged backgrounds in 

completing high school and enrolling in higher education, and encourage middle school, high school 

and postsecondary dropouts to complete their education. To monitor how well the projects fulfill their 

mission, the TS Program identified the following academic milestones as program outcomes:2

• Secondary school promotion, reentry and graduation;

• Postsecondary admission and financial aid assistance;

• Postsecondary admission and reentry; and

• Postsecondary placements. 

During the TS grant application process, potential grantees included in their proposals their target 

rates of success in each of these identified outcomes. In their APRs, projects reported the number of 

participants who had attained one or more milestones in the reporting year. 

Because data reported vary across projects, program outcomes presented in this section are based 

on projects that: 1) had identified a target rate to be achieved in a particular objective; 2) had recruited 

the appropriate participants to receive project services; and 3) had participants attaining the identified 

objectives. Furthermore, a few projects reported more students in the outcome measures than the 

number of students served. Because the number of projects with this problem was small, their data were 

included in the analysis without further editing. Tables A-12 and A-13 of Appendix A list the distribution 

of projects with various reporting problems in 2003–04.

Figures 8–10 present the first three measures for the years 2000–04. Figure 11 presents postsecondary 

placements for 2003–04.

• The overwhelming majority of nonsenior TS participants continued their academic pursuits. In the 

four-years examined (2000–04), about 97 percent of participants who were middle or nonsenior 

high school students were promoted to the next grade (fig. 8, secondary school promotion). 

• Over the same period, approximately 91 to 93 percent of participating 12th-grade students and 

secondary school dropouts received a high school diploma or completed a high school equivalency 

program (fig. 8, secondary school graduation).

2

 For the grant cycle beginning in 2006, the TS Program established five mandatory objectives for all projects: secondary school 

promotion; secondary school graduation; application for student financial aid; application for postsecondary admissions; and 

enrollment in postsecondary education.
18 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Section III: Program Outcomes

• In three of the four-years observed, about 66 to 72 percent of the participating secondary school 

dropouts reentered secondary schools (fig. 8, secondary school reentry). The exceptionally low 

secondary reentry rate for 2001–02 (51.4 percent) is partially explained by the fact that some 

grantees that year did not report students who entered GED preparation programs in their APR 

submissions. 

• Over the same four-year period, about 87 to 88 percent of college-ready3

 participants received 

assistance in applying for postsecondary admission (fig. 9, assistance in applying for postsecondary 

admission). Another 85 to 86 percent of the college-ready participants also received assistance in 

applying for financial aid (fig. 9, assistance in applying for postsecondary financial aid). 

• Between 77 and 79 percent of the college-ready participants were actually admitted into a 

postsecondary institution in the four-years examined (fig. 10, postsecondary admission). Another 69 

to 74 percent of the participants who were postsecondary dropouts reenrolled in or were readmitted 

to a program at a postsecondary institution (fig. 10, postsecondary reentry). 

• In 2003–04, a majority of those who entered a postsecondary institution that year enrolled in twoyear (41 percent) or public four-year institutions (40 percent, fig. 11). Students in TS projects 

hosted by two-year and public four-year institutions tended to enroll in a postsecondary institution 

of the same type as that of the TS project in which they had participated.

3 College-ready participants are defined as 12th-grade high school students and high school (and high school equivalency) 

graduates.
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 19

Section III: Program Outcomes

Promotionb Graduationc Reentry

d

0

20

40

60

80

100 97.7 97.9 97.2 96.9

90.6 90.5 93.4 92.2

65.9

51.4

71.6 67.2

2000–01 2001–02 2002–03a 2003–04

Reporting year

Percent

Figure 8. Percentage of secondary school Talent Search participants who attained secondary school 

promotion, graduation or reentry, by reporting year: 2000–01 through 2003–04

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04. 

Note: The percentages for each outcome measure were calculated on the basis of the projects that had identified a target 

rate to be achieved, recruited the appropriate participants to serve and reported having participants attaining the identified 

objectives.

a

The TS Program began a new, four-year funding cycle in 2002–03. 

b

The percentage of participants who attained secondary school promotion was derived by dividing the number of secondary 

school participants who were promoted to the next grade in middle school or high school (except those who graduated) by 

the number of secondary school participants (except 12th-grade students).

c

The percentage of participants who attained secondary school graduation was derived by dividing the sum of the number of 

12th-grade students who received high school diplomas or others who completed a high school equivalency program by the 

sum of 12th-grade students and secondary school dropouts.

d

The percentage of participants who gained secondary school reentry was derived by dividing the number of those dropouts 

who reentered secondary schools by the number of secondary school dropouts.
20 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Section III: Program Outcomes

Assistance in applying for admissionb Assistance in applying for financial aidc

87.4 88.1 87.4 86.8

85.6 85.8 85.6 85.1

0

20

40

60

80

100

2000–01 2001–02 2002–03a 2003–04

Reporting year

Percent

Figure 9. Percentage of college-ready Talent Search participants who received assistance in applying 

for postsecondary admission or financial aid, by reporting year: 2000–01 through 2003–04

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04. 

Note: College-ready participants are defined as 12th-grade high school students and high school (and high school 

equivalency) graduates. The percentages for each outcome measure were calculated on the basis of the projects that had 

identified a target rate to be achieved, recruited the appropriate participants to serve and reported having participants 

attaining the identified objectives. 

a

The TS Program began a new, four-year funding cycle in 2002–2003. 

b

The percentage of participants receiving assistance in applying for postsecondary admission was derived by dividing the 

number of participants who applied for admission to postsecondary education programs by the number of college-ready 

participants.

c

The percentage of participants receiving assistance in applying for postsecondary financial aid was derived by dividing the 

number of participants who applied for student financial aid for postsecondary education by the number of college-ready 

participants.
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 21

Section III: Program Outcomes

77.1 78.0 78.6 77.6

69.1

74.4 73.4 71.7

Postsecondary admissionb Postsecondary reentry

c

0

20

40

60

80

100

2000–01 2001–02 2002–03a 2003–04

Reporting year

Percent

Figure 10. Percentage of college-ready Talent Search participants who gained postsecondary 

admission or reentry, by reporting year: 2000–01 through 2003–04

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04. 

Note: College-ready participants are defined as 12th-grade high school students and high school (and high school 

equivalency) graduates. The percentages for each outcome measure were calculated on the basis of the projects that had 

identified a target rate to be achieved, recruited the appropriate participants to serve and reported having participants 

attaining the identified objectives.

a

The TS Program began a new, four-year funding cycle in 2002–2003. 

b

The percentage of participants who gained postsecondary admission was derived by dividing the number of participants 

enrolled in or admitted to a program of postsecondary education (first-time enrollment in postsecondary education) by the 

number of college-ready participants. 

c

The percentage of participants who gained postsecondary reentry was derived by dividing the number of participants 

reenrolled in or readmitted to a program of postsecondary education (including transfer participants) by the number of 

postsecondary dropouts.
22 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Section III: Program Outcomes

Public four-year Private four-year Two-yearb Otherc

0

20

40

60

80

100

Percent

Type of TS host institution

Public four-year

6.6

35.6

8.7

49.1

Private four-year

9.9

31.4

19.6

39.1

Two-year

7.0

53.0

8.8

31.2

Community organizationsa

8.6

39.5

13.0

38.9

All projects

7.7

41.2

11.2

39.9

Figure 11. Percentage distribution of postsecondary placements of Talent Search participants, by type of 

TS host institution that participants attended: 2003–04 

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2003–04. 

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

a

Community organizations include agencies and organizations, secondary schools and state education agencies.

b

Two-year includes public and private two-year institutions.

c

Other includes public or nonprofit vocational or technical schools, proprietary schools and unknown schools.
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 23

Appendix A

Supporting Tables

Table A-1. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by participant status and 

reporting year: 2001–02 through 2003–04

New 	 Continuing	 Total	 New 	 Continuing	 Total	 New 	 Continuing	 Total

Number 126,462 202,076 328,538 181,754 197,419 379,173 157,084 239,511 396,595

Percent 38.5 61.5 100.0 47.9 52.1 100.0 39.6 60.4 100.0

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04.

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

a

The TS Program began a new, four-year funding cycle in 2002–03. 

Reporting year

Participant status

2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 a

Table A-2. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by eligibility status: 

2003–04

Low-income and	 Low-income	 Potentially firstpotentially first-generation	 only	 generation only	 Other	 Total

Number 287,979 26,507 60,100 22,009 396,595

Percent 72.6 6.7 15.2 5.5 100.0

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2003–04.

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

Eligibility status

Table A-3. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by gender: 2003–04

Male	 Female	 Total

Number 151,821 244,774 396,595

Percent 38.3 61.7 100.0

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2003–04.

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

Gender
Appendix A: Supporting Tables

24 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Table A-4. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by race and ethnicity: 

2003–04

	 	 	 	 	 Native

American	 	 	 	 	 Hawaiian	 More than	 	

Indian or	 	 African- 	 Hispanic	 	 or Other	 one race

	 Alaska Native 	 Asian 	 American 	 or Latino 	 White 	 Pacific Islander	 reported 	 Unknown 	 Total

Number 17,060 13,134 137,636 86,858 123,821 4,560 10,268 3,258 396,595

Percent 4.3 3.3 34.7 21.9 31.2 1.1 2.6 0.8 100.0

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2003–04. 

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

Race and ethnicity

Table A-5. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by academic status or 

grade level: 2003–04

	 	 	 High school	 Secondary	 Adult without	 Post-	 Post-	 Post-

	 6th–8th 	 9th–11th	 12th-grade	 graduate	 school	 high school	 secondary	 secondary	 secondary

	 grades 	 grades 	 only 	 or GED	 dropout	 credential	 dropout 	 student	 transfer	 Total

Number 132,549 172,729 76,271 4,982 3,883 4039 1,634 8 500 396,595

Percent 33.4 43.6 19.2 1.3 1.0 1.0 0.4 0.002 0.1 100.0

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2003–04.

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

Academic status or grade level

Table A-6. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search participants, by age (years): 2003–04

11–13	 14–18	 19–27	 28 and above 	 Unknown 	 Total

Number 111,905 265,625 15,554 2,345 1,166 396,595

Percent 28.2 67.0 3.9 0.6 0.3 100.0

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2003–04.

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

Age (years)
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 25

Appendix A: Supporting Tables

Table A-7. Number and percentage distribution of Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Centers 

target secondary schools and all secondary schools in the United States, by locale: 2003–04

	 	 	 	

	 	 Rural,	 Rural,	 	 	 	

Urbana	 Large town	 Small town	 outside CBSAb	 inside CBSAb	 All ruralc	 Otherd	 Total

TS and EOC target secondary schools 

Number 2,773 72 642 1,284 604 1,888 96 5,471

Percent 50.7 1.3 11.7 23.5 11.0 34.5 1.8 100.0

All secondary schools in the United States

Number 18,711 333 3,617 6,722 4,878 11,600 412 34,673

Percent 54.0 1.0 10.4 19.4 14.1 33.5 1.2 100.0

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2003–04.

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. In the Common Core of Data, schools in the 50 states and the 

District of Columbia are assigned locale codes reflecting their communities’ proximity to metropolitan areas and their 

population size and density (see glossary). Secondary schools are those in which the lowest grade is sixth grade or higher 

and those that serve only fifth and sixth grades. In 2003–04, 470 TS projects served a total of 7,190 target schools. The 

remaining 520 target schools were served by 40 EOC projects. 

a

Urban includes schools in large cities, midsize cities, urban fringes of large cities and urban fringes of midsize cities.

b

CBSA refers to Core Based Statistical Areas. 

c

All rural combines Rural outside CBSA with Rural inside CBSA. Both numbers and percentages of All rural are excluded 

from the totals shown here to avoid overcounts.

d

Other includes schools in neither the 50 states nor the District of Columbia, closed schools and schools for which addresses 

could not be coded.

Locale

Rural
Appendix A: Supporting Tables

26 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

 Table A-8. Number and percentage of targeted Talent Search participants who attained secondary 

school promotion, graduation or reentry, by reporting year: 2000–01 through 2003–04

Secondary school 	 Secondary school	 Secondary school

promotiona	 graduationb	 reentryc

Number and target achievement rate

2000–01

Projects providing complete data 355 352 119

Participants reported to have attained the identified objective 234,617 68,007 2,407

Participants appropriate to the outcome measure recruited and served 240,157 75,051 3,652

 Percent participants in relevant projects who met objective 97.7 90.6 65.9

2001–02

Projects providing complete data 355 353 117

Participants reported to have attained the identified objective 238,391 68,275 2,240

Participants appropriate to the outcome measure recruited and served 243,554 75,458 4,360

 Percent participants in relevant projects who met objective 97.9 90.5 51.4

2002–03d

Projects providing complete data 455 434 134

Participants reported to have attained the identified objective 277,013 71,395 1,899

Participants appropriate to the outcome measure recruited and served 284,966 76,410 2,652

 Percent participants in relevant projects who met objective 97.2 93.4 71.6

2003–04d

Projects providing complete data 463 465 136

Participants reported to have attained the identified objective 291,902 73,700 1,803

Participants appropriate to the outcome measure recruited and served 301,207 79,924 2,684

 Percent participants in relevant projects who met objective 96.9 92.2 67.2

SOURCE: Data from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search Annual 

Performance Reports, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04.

Note: The percentages for each outcome measure were calculated on the basis of the projects that had identified a target 

rate to be achieved, recruited and served participants appropriate to the outcome measure, and reported having participants 

attaining the identified objectives.

a

The percentage of participants who attained secondary school promotion was derived by dividing the number of secondary 

school participants who were promoted to the next grade in middle school or high school (except those who graduated) by 

the number of secondary school participants (except 12th-grade students). 

b

The percentage of participants who attained secondary school graduation was derived by dividing the sum of 12th-grade 

students who received high school diplomas plus those who completed high school equivalency programs by the sum of 

12th-grade students and secondary school dropouts. 

c

The percentage of participants who gained secondary school reentry was derived by dividing the number of those dropouts 

who reentered secondary schools by the number of secondary school dropouts.

d

The TS Program began a new, four-year funding cycle in 2002–03. Two projects funded in 2002–03 were not funded in 

2003–04. 
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 27

Appendix A: Supporting Tables

Table A-9. Number and percentage of college-ready Talent Search participants who received 

assistance in applying for postsecondary admission or financial aid, by reporting year: 

2000–01 through 2003–04

Applying for	 Applying for

postsecondary admissiona 	 postsecondary financial aidb

Number and target achievement rate

2000–01

Projects providing complete data 339 343

Participants reported to have attained the identified objectives 63,893 62,835

Participants appropriate to the outcome measure recruited and served 73,084 73,448

 Percent participants in relevant projects who met objective 87.4 85.6

2001–02

Projects providing complete data 342 345

Participants reported to have attained the identified objectives 64,843 63,309

Participants appropriate to the outcome measure recruited and served 73,639 73,765

 Percent participants in relevant projects who met objective 88.1 85.8

2002–03c

Projects providing complete data 419 425

Participants reported to have attained the identified objectives 66,154 65,855

Participants appropriate to the outcome measure recruited and served 75,723 76,975

 Percent participants in relevant projects who met objective 87.4 85.6

2003–04

Projects providing complete data 449 453

Participants reported to have attained the identified objectives 68,783 67,816

Participants appropriate to the outcome measure recruited and served 79,247 79,682

 Percent participants in relevant projects who met objective 86.8 85.1

SOURCE: Data are from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search 

Annual Performance Reports, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04.

Note: College-ready participants are defined as 12th-grade high school students and high school (and high school 

equivalency) graduates. The percentages for each outcome measure were calculated on the basis of the projects that had 

identified a target rate to be achieved, recruited and served participants appropriate to the outcome measure and reported 

having participants attaining the identified objectives.

a

The percentage of college-ready participants receiving assistance in applying for postsecondary admission was derived by 

dividing the number of participants who applied for admission to programs of postsecondary education by the number of 

college-ready participants.

b

The percentage of college-ready participants in receiving assistance in applying for postsecondary financial aid was derived 

by dividing the number of participants who applied for student financial aid for postsecondary education by the number of 

college-ready participants.

c

The TS Program began a new, four-year funding cycle in 2002–03. 

Received assistance in
Appendix A: Supporting Tables

28 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Table A-10. Number and percentage of college-ready Talent Search participants who gained 

postsecondary admission or postsecondary reentry, by reporting year: 2000–01 through 

2003–04

Postsecondary	 Postsecondary

admissiona reentryb

Number and target achievement rate

2000–01

Projects providing complete data 353 114

Participants reported to have attained the identified objective 57,394 1,561

Participants appropriate to the outcome measure recruited and served 74,431 2,262

 Percent participants in relevant projects who met objective 77.1 69.1

2001–02

Projects providing complete data 354 95

Participants reported to have attained the identified objective 58,304 1,486

Participants appropriate to the outcome measure recruited and served 74,772 1,997

 Percent participants in relevant projects who met objective 78.0 74.4

2002–03c

Projects providing complete data 433 98

Participants reported to have attained the identified objective 61,342 1,250

Participants appropriate to the outcome measure recruited and served 78,051 1,704

 Percent participants in relevant projects who met objective 78.6 73.4

2003–04

Projects providing complete data 464 100

Participants reported to have attained the identified objective 62,538 1,361

Participants appropriate to the outcome measure recruited and served 80,624 1,897

 Percent participants in relevant projects who met objective 77.6 71.7

SOURCE: Data are from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search 

Annual Performance Reports, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04.

Note: College-ready participants are defined as 12th-grade high school students and high school (and high school 

equivalency) graduates. The percentages for each outcome measure were calculated on the basis of the projects that had 

identified a target rate to be achieved, recruited and served participants appropriate to the outcome measure and reported 

having participants attaining the identified objectives. 

a

The percentage of participants who gained postsecondary admission was derived by dividing the number of participants 

enrolled in or admitted to a program of postsecondary education (first-time enrollment in postsecondary education) by the 

number of college-ready participants. 

b

The percentage of participants who gained postsecondary reentry was derived by dividing the number of participants 

reenrolled in or readmitted to a program of postsecondary education (including transfer participants) by the number of 

postsecondary dropouts.

c

The TS Program began a new, four-year funding cycle in 2002–03. Two projects funded in 2002–03 were not funded in 

2003–04. Seven projects in 2002–03 and five projects in 2003–04 were excluded from the postsecondary reentry measure 

because they reported successes in excess of the number of eligible participants.
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 29

Appendix A: Supporting Tables

Table A-11. Number and percentage distribution of postsecondary placements of Talent Search 

participants, by type of host institution: 2003–04

Public four-year	 Private four-year	 Two-yeara

	 Otherb Total

Type of TS host institution

Number

Public four-year 9,450 1,678 6,852 1,263 19,243

Private four-year 2,356 1,185 1,892 598 6,031

Two-yeara 5,485 1,551 9,301 1,228 17,565

Community organizationsc 8,620 2,892 8,760 1,899 22,171

 All projects 25,911 7,306 26,805 4,988 65,010

Percentage

Public four-year 49.1 8.7 35.6 6.6 100.0

Private four-year 39.1 19.6 31.4 9.9 100.0

Two-yeara 31.2 8.8 53.0 7.0 100.0

Community organizationsc 38.9 13.0 39.5 8.6 100.0

 All projects 39.9 11.2 41.2 7.7 100.0

SOURCE: Data are from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search 

Annual Performance Reports, 2003–04.

Note: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

a

Two-year includes public and private two-year institutions. 

b

Other includes public or nonprofit vocational or technical schools, proprietary schools and unknown schools.

c

Community organizations include agencies and organizations, secondary schools and state education agencies.

Type of postsecondary placement

Table A-12. Number of Talent Search projects not identifying a program outcome as a project objective, 

by program outcome measure: 2003–04

	 	 	 Number not identifying outcome as an objective

Program outcome measure

Secondary school promotion 8

Secondary school graduation 3

Secondary school reentry 120

Postsecondary admission assistance 20

Postsecondary financial aid assistance 15

Postsecondary admission 5

Postsecondary reentry 202

SOURCE: Data are from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search 

Annual Performance Reports, 2003–04.

Note: The number of Talent Search projects is based on the total number of projects that submitted Annual Performance 

Reports.
Appendix A: Supporting Tables

30 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Table A-13. Number of Talent Search projects with numbers of reported successes in meeting program 

outcome measures exceeding numbers of eligible participants, by program outcome 

measure: 2003–04

Projects 	 Successes reported	 Eligible participants

Program outcome measure

Secondary school promotion 8 4,301 4,180

Secondary school graduation 0 0 0

Secondary school reentry 0 0 0

Postsecondary admission assistance 36 7,167 6,696

Postsecondary financial aid assistance 36 7,442 6,912

Postsecondary admission 6 1,160 1,012

Postsecondary reentry 5 425 25

SOURCE: Data are from the program files of the U.S. Department of Education, Federal TRIO Programs, Talent Search 

Annual Performance Reports, 2003–04.

Note: The number of Talent Search projects includes the projects that had identified a target rate for the measure to be 

achieved, recruited and served participants appropriate to the outcome measure but reported more participants attaining the 

identified objectives than had been recruited. 

Number
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 31

Glossary

This glossary lists the terms used in the report. Some of them are specific to the TRIO Program and 

do not necessarily apply to other U.S. Department of Education programs or grants.

Annual Performance Reports (APRs) are submitted annually to TRIO by each project. The Talent 

Search APRs provide data on the participants, activities and outcomes for the funded projects.

College-ready participants are defined in the instructions for the Talent Search APRs as 12th-grade 

high school students and high school (and high school equivalency) graduates.

Common Core of Data (CCD) is the U.S. Department of Education’s primary database on public 

elementary and secondary education in the United States. The CCD is a comprehensive, annual, 

national statistical database of all public elementary and secondary schools and school districts, which 

contains data that are designed to be comparable across all states. The objectives of the CCD are 

twofold: 1) to provide an official listing of public elementary and secondary schools and school districts 

in the nation, which can be used to select samples for other NCES surveys; and 2) to provide basic 

information and descriptive statistics on public elementary and secondary schools and schooling in 

general. 

Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSA) are used by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and 

the U.S. Census Bureau to refer collectively to metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. The 

general concept of a metropolitan or micropolitan area is that of a core area containing a substantial 

population nucleus, together with adjacent communities having a high degree of economic and 

social integration with that core. Each CBSA must contain at least one urban area of 10,000 or 

more inhabitants; each metropolitan statistical area, at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more 

inhabitants; and each micropolitan statistical area, at least one urban cluster of at least 10,000 but 

less than 50,000 inhabitants. For more information, see http://www.census.gov/population/www/

estimates/aboutmetro.html.

Federal regions are as follows:

Region I: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont 

Region II: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands 

Region III: Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West 

Virginia

Region IV: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and 

Tennessee
Glossary

32 An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02

Region V: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin

Region VI: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas

Region VII: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska

Region VIII: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming

Region IX: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, the Federated States of 

Micronesia, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands

Region X: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington

First-generation college student is an individual neither of whose natural or adoptive parents received 

a baccalaureate degree, or a student who, prior to the age of 18, regularly resided with and received 

support from only one natural or adoptive parent and whose supporting parent did not receive a 

baccalaureate degree.

Locale codes, one of three major systems used by federal agencies to classify the urbanicity of particular 

geographical or governmental units, were developed by the National Center for Education Statistics 

in the 1990s and revised in 2002. The codes signify the urbanicity or rurality of individual schools in 

the 50 states and the District of Columbia and are used in the CCD and for other purposes at the 

U.S. Department of Education. Locale codes are based on the addresses of the individual schools 

and reflect three aspects of the schools’ communities: proximity to metropolitan areas, population 

size and density.

• Large city is a principal city of a metropolitan Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA) with a population 

greater than or equal to 250,000.

• Midsize city is a principal city of a metropolitan CBSA with a population less than 250,000.

• Urban fringe of a large city is any incorporated place, census-designated place, or non-place territory 

within a metropolitan CBSA of a large city and defined as urban by the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Urban fringe of a midsize city is any incorporated place, census-designated place, or non-place 

territory within a CBSA of a midsize city and defined as urban by the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Large town is an incorporated place or census-designated place with a population greater than or 

equal to 25,000 and located outside a metropolitan CBSA or inside a micropolitan CBSA.

• Small town is an incorporated place or census-designated place with a population less than 25,000 

and greater than or equal to 2,500 located outside a metropolitan CBSA or inside a micropolitan 

CBSA.

• Rural, outside CBSA is any incorporated place, census-designated place, or non-place territory not 

within a metropolitan CBSA or within a micropolitan CBSA and defined as rural by the U.S. Census 

Bureau. The population for any place or non-place territory in this code is less than 2,500.

• Rural, inside CBSA is any incorporated place, census-designated place, or non-place territory 

within a metropolitan CBSA and defined as rural by the U.S. Census Bureau. The population for 

any place or non-place territory in this code is less than 2,500.
An Interim Report on the Talent Search Program: 2002–03 and 2003–04, With Select Data From 2000–02 33

Glossary

Low-income individual is an individual whose family’s taxable income did not exceed 150 percent 

of the poverty level amount in the calendar year preceding the year in which the individual initially 

participates in the project. The poverty level amount is determined by using criteria established by 

the U.S. Census Bureau.

Participant status indicates involvement in the Talent Search Program for each student in the reporting 

year.

• A new participant is an individual who participated in the Talent Search Program for the first time 

in the current reporting period.

• A continuing participant is an individual who participated in the Talent Search Program in both 

the current reporting period and in a previous reporting period.

• All participants include new and continuing participants reported by each project.

Participants funded to serve refers to the project’s planned level of service, in terms of numbers of 

students, as agreed to by the TRIO national office before the beginning of the funding year.

Postsecondary admission refers to participants who are high school graduates, or who have completed 

the requirements to obtain a high school equivalency degree and other eligible individuals who have 

enrolled in programs of postsecondary education for the first time during this reporting period or have 

been admitted for the next academic term.

Postsecondary reentry refers to participants who were previously dismissed or who halted their 

educational progress toward a postsecondary degree, but who reenrolled in a program of postsecondary 

education during the reporting period or have been readmitted for the next academic term.

Secondary school graduation refers to all high school seniors (and GED or alternative education 

students) who receive a high school diploma or complete a high school equivalency program during 

the reporting period. 

Secondary school promotion refers to all middle and high school students (not including 12th-grade 

high school students) who will continue in secondary school for the next academic term.

Secondary school reentry refers to secondary school dropouts who reenter a program of secondary 

education during the reporting period.

Talent Search projects, housed at two- or four-year colleges and universities and public or private 

agencies or organizations, receive funds from the Talent Search Program to identify and assist sixthto 12th-grade students from disadvantaged backgrounds in completing high school and enrolling in 

higher education, and encourage middle school, high school and postsecondary dropouts to complete 

their education.

Target school refers to a middle or high school designated by a Talent Search project as a focus of 

project services.


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