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##  Characteristics of Effective Urban College Preparation Programs.                ERIC Digest Number 159.                                                      

College preparation programs for minority youth living in low-                  income neighborhoods help them develop the skills, knowledge,                   confidence, and aspirations they need to enroll in higher education.            Over time, the strategies for expanding the college access,                     attendance, and graduation rates of these youth have grown in                   complexity, as have the funding sources, which are now a mesh of                support from the Federal and state governments, organizations, and              colleges and universities. Although, both in extent of a program's              services and in duration, long- term investments in students have a             stronger impact than short-term interventions (Gandara &                        Maxwell-Jolly, 1999), program strategies leading to student success             differ, based on the interests, needs, and resources of the                     student's local communities. Nevertheless, certain approaches have              been proven effective in a variety of situations and can easily be              customized for local contexts. This digest reviews these general                approaches to help developers maximize the benefits which students              derive from programs. PROGRAM ORGANIZATIONRange of                        Services 
Pre-college programs that offer comprehensive approaches             and combine a variety of services have the largest impact on college            access for minority youth in low-income neighborhoods.                          Traditionally, however, programs have tended to focus on a specific             type of service because of time, expertise, and funding constraints.            Some programs, for example, specialize in test                                  preparation (Princeton Review), counseling and academics (Liberty               Partnerships Program), enrichment in a specialized subject (MESA),              or learning based on cultural integrity (Neighborhood Academic                  Initiative). Others concentrate on providing a better education in              general through systemic school change (Frederick Douglass Academy).            Still others function only as supplemental school resource                      centers. 
Program Duration 
The most effective college preparation            programs are of substantial duration and focus on "readiness" rather            than "re-mediation" (Fenske, Geranios, Keller, & Moore, 1997). They             begin offering students services and information about college and              financial aid as early as possible, certainly in time to influence              the educational outcomes for the students. Most Federal and state               programs require services to begin no later than the seventh grade              and to continue through the twelfth grade, although challenges                  associated with inequitable academic preparation exist as early as              the fourth grade (Nettles & Perna, 1997). Programs such as I Have A             Dream (IHAD) start as early as the third grade. 
Educational                   Strategies 
The key element of a college preparation program is its            ability to provide students with the information and experiences                necessary for post-secondary attainment. An effective program uses a            wide variety of teaching strategies to offer students different                 types of relevant experiences and to ensure learning, including the             following: direct teaching in a variety of content areas, summer                enrichment programs, individual and group counseling, tutoring,                 college visits and courses, peer and adult mentoring, and                       motivational speakers. TYPES OF SUPPORTAcademic                           Support 
Effective programs provide students with rich academic                content as well as other support to promote their intellectual                  development (Fashola & Slavin, 1997): 
* Pipeline Courses. These               include algebra, geometry, calculus, biology, chemistry, and physics            so that students gain the knowledge necessary for standardized                  testing; a transcript for a well-rounded, competitive college                   application; and the skills to succeed in college courses. Close                monitoring of students' selection and successful completion of the              courses should begin as early as junior high school. 
* Study                  Skills. Students need to master strategies to excel in these                    pipeline courses. Workshops and courses teach how to take notes,                study, and complete homework assignments. Supportive networks, such             as peer study groups and one-on-one tutoring, provide additional                learning opportunities. Supplemental coursework adapted to students'            particular learning needs augments existing curricula. 
* Test                 Preparation. Many students are now required to negotiate high                   school, college, state, and nationally-developed high stakes tests              to ensure admittance to higher education. Thus, the most useful                 college preparation programs offer courses or workshops that focus              exclusively on students' preparation for each required exam. 
*                High Expectations. Finally, students in college preparation programs            for minority youth in low-income neighborhoods, traditionally                   stigmatized as "at-risk," should be viewed as highly talented                   individuals who can achieve their goals. Thus, programs for them                should be geared toward learning and achieving, and provide students            with encouragement, understanding, and structural support. 
Social             Support 
* Parent Involvement. It has long been assumed that parent            involvement is critical to program success and student                          achievement (Jun & Tierney, 1999). Horn and Chen (1998), for                    example, found that students whose parents discussed education goals            with them went farther in post-secondary institutions than those who            did not. Some programs, therefore, require parents to sign contracts            agreeing to support their children's attendance, assist with                    homework, and follow through on necessary paperwork for college                 admission and financial aid. Programs may also invite parents to                nonacademic performances or ask for assistance in raising funds or              providing supplies. 
* Peer Support. The strongest social support              strategy used by programs is the fostering of student community                 through opportunities for interaction in academic and nonacademic               activities. Study groups provide a space for peer tutoring as well              as encouragement in academic aspirations (Gandara & Maxwell-Jolly,              1999). Networking students who have graduated from the program and              are currently enrolled in four-year institutions with program                   participants provides another important level of peer support. 
*              Cultural Affirmation. For minority students from low-income                     neighborhoods, success in school and college aspirations are often              equated with a rejection of their identity and background (Deyhle,              1995). To prevent such an identity problem, programs use students'              cultures and backgrounds--race, class, and gender--in a positive                manner in their curricula, teaching methods, and learning                       activities (Jun & Tierney, 1999). 
* Community Involvement.                    Mentors, role models, community leaders, and speakers motivate                  students and raise their self-esteem, expectations, and sense of                accountability. They help students realize that their college                   attendance is  part of a community pattern, preceded by earlier                 college graduates and to be followed by others heeding their                    example. 
Financial Support 
* Funding. Socioeconomic status is               the greatest determinant of enrollment and persistence in college               for all students. Financial resources not only affect a student's               decision to attend college but also impact on the amount of time                available for study after enrollment (Gandara & Maxwell-Jolly,                  1999). Ideally, therefore, programs include direct financial aid                such as full or partial scholarships, stipends for attendance, or               book grants (Perna & Swail, in press). 
* Aid Application Process.             Filling out financial aid packets and meeting deadlines for                     scholarships, loans, and grants are crucial for securing necessary              funding for college. Simply making forms available and deadlines                explicit is important, but programs which help families negotiate               the mass of paperwork, including reproducing tax forms and preparing            applications for the Free Application for Federal Student                       Aid (FAFSA), Pell Grants, and scholarships tend to secure more                  funding for students. 
* Resource Procurement. Staff members of                effective programs also actively seek additional avenues for student            financial support. They explore sources such as local community                 grants, professional organizations, corporate sponsorships, and                 endowed private scholarships. 
Support for Success in the College              Climate 
* Admissions Process. Programs facilitate the admissions              process for students by providing information about how to get into             a college and how to assess whether a college is a good match                   culturally and financially. Successful programs teach students how              to look critically at a university's student body and policies to               determine its cultural milieu and how to ask tough questions about              retention rates, financial aid, and the  climate. 
* College                   Visits. Opportunities for students to participate in university                 life, programs, and resources are essential elements of college                 preparation programs (Fenske et al., 1997). Programs partnered with             universities or colleges can offer summer enrichment programs                   enabling students to live and study on campus. College classrooms               can be the site of an after-school program, a test preparation                  module, or an enrichment course. Students can utilize computer                  rooms, the library, and sports/exercise equipment on campus.                    Programs that cannot directly use higher education facilities can               take students on college trips and to local college fairs and                   recruitment presentations. 
Necessary Competencies 
* Social and              Cultural Capital. Student differences in social and cultural capital            create differences in college enrollment, retention, and graduation             rates (McDonough, 1997). Social capital for students preparing for              college is the availability of information-sharing networks about               college and financial aid. Cultural capital is the value placed on              obtaining a college education, and the information available about              the means of acquiring one (McDonough, 1997). Effective programs                create this capital by teaching social norms, values, and expected              behaviors necessary for college admittance and persistence. 
*                 Social Critique. In a society where inequities in college access                still reflect racism, classism, and sexism, it is useful to assist              students in understanding the realities of the social and economic              stratification that impacts on college admittance. Students can be              given opportunities not only to critique social structures, but also            to be active agents in the fight against inequities. STAFF                    DEVELOPMENTThe staff of a pre-college program is essential to               its success. Effective programs provide staff members with                      continuous, in-depth professional development to keep them                      up-to-date on the following: high school-to-college transition                  issues, which are changing more rapidly than previously; high school            graduation requirements; college admissions requirements;                       re-mediation policies; and student re-mediation options. Inservice              training should also provide instruction in culturally responsive               curricular and teaching strategies that are effective with their                particular students (Knight & Oesterreich, in                                   press). REFERENCESDeyhle, D. (1995, Fall). Navajo youth and               Anglo racism: Cultural integrity and resistance. Harvard Educational            Review, 65(3), 403-444. (EJ 509 515) 
Fashola, O. S., & Slavin, R.             E. (1997, March). Effective dropout prevention and college                      attendance programs for Latino students. Paper presented at the                 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association,                Chicago, IL. (ED 410 084) 
Fenske, R.H., Geranios, C.A., Keller,               J.E., & Moore, D.E. (1997). Early intervention programs. Opening the            door to higher education. (ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report, Vol.              25, No. 6). Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher                        Education. (ED 412 863) 
Gandara, P., & Maxwell-Jolly, J. (1999).              Priming the pump: Strategies for increasing achievement of                      underrepresented minority graduates. New York: The College                      Board. 
Horn, L.J., & Chen, X. (1998). Toward resiliency: At-risk              students who make it to college (Report No. PLLI-98-8056).                      Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. (ED 419 463) 
Jun,            A., & Tierney, W.G. (1999, Spring). At-risk students and college                success: A framework for effective preparation. Metropolitan                    Universities, 9(4), 49-60. (EJ 584 060) 
Knight, M.G., &                       Oesterreich, H. (in press). (In)(Di)Visible youth identities:                   Insights from a feminist intersectional framework in college                    preparation policy. In L.S. Hagedorn & W.G. Tierney (Eds.),                     Extending their reach: Strategies for increasing access to college.             Albany: State University of New York Press. 
McDonough,                        P.M. (1997). Choosing colleges: How social class and schools                    structure opportunity. Albany: State University of New York                     Press. (ED 415 323) 
Nettles, M.T., & Perna, L.W. (1997). The                  African American education data book, Volume II: Preschool through              high school education. Fairfax, VA: Frederick D. Patterson Research             Institute of the United Negro College Fund. 
Perna, L.W,. & Swail,             W.S. (in press). Pre-college outreach and early intervention                    programs: A national imperative. In L. S. Hagedorn & W.G.                       Tierney (Eds.), Extending their reach: Strategies for increasing                access to college. Albany: State University of New York                         Press. 
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This Digest was developed by the ERIC Clearinghouse            on Urban Education, with funding from the Office of Educational                 Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under                   contract no. ED-99-CO-0035. The opinions in this Digest do not                  necessarily reflect the position or policies of OERI or the                     Department of Education                                                      **Title:** Characteristics of Effective Urban College Preparation Programs.                ERIC Digest Number 159.                                                      **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education, Institute for Urban and                  Minority Education, Box 40, Teacher College, Columbia University,               New York, NY 10027. Tel: 800-601-4868 (Toll Free); For full text:               http://eric-web.tc.columbia.edu.                                             **Descriptors:** Access to Education,  College Preparation,  Cultural Awareness,                 Disadvantaged Youth,  High School Students, High Schools,  Minority             Groups,  Program Effectiveness, Urban Schools,  Urban Youth                  **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests                                                                 
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