Things Most People Don’t Know That Are Demonstrated in the Department of Education’s Evaluation of Upward Bound by Mathematica Policy Research

· Students who enroll in Upward Bound have impressive high school graduation and college attendance records – when compared to other low-income students.

o 89% of UB participants graduate from high school (Mathematica, 2004, p. 26), compared to approximately 68% of low-income 18 to 24 year olds (U.S. Census Bureau).

o More than 2/3rds of UB participants attend any postsecondary institution (Mathematica, 2004, pp. 36-37), compared to 54% of all low-income students (Adelman, 2004).

o Nearly 50% of UB participants attend a four-year institution (Mathematica, 2004, pp. 36-37), compared to 22% of low-income students (Condition of Education, 2002).

· Mathematica’s evaluation of Upward Bound didn’t ask what most people think of as the important policy question: “Do students who receive pre-college services such as summer programs and tutoring and rigorous academic coursework on Saturdays and after school do better than students that don’t?” Rather, it asked: “Do students who are accepted into Upward Bound (whether or not they actually receive Upward Bound services) do better than students who are not accepted into Upward Bound (whether or not they receive Upward Bound-like services from Math/Science Upward Bound, state and privately funded pre-college programs, or Talent Search).

· Enrollment in Upward Bound was shown to have a positive impact on completion of mathematics courses in high school. Participation in UB increased the mathematics credits earned by all students (Mathematica, 2004 pp. 26-7, pp D3-5), but particularly for those with lower initial educational expectations and White and Hispanic participants. This is particularly important for the chances of postsecondary education success, as research has shown a strong positive correlation exists between the math courses taken in high school and students’ ultimate educational attainment (Public Policy Institute of California). In addition, taking more math in high school is critical to attending a four-year institution, as most four-year colleges and universities require more high school math in order to be admitted (Riley, 1997).

· Enrollment in Upward Bound impacts a student’s chances of attending a four-year college – and that, in turn, impacts his or her chances of earning a baccalaureate degree (Mathematica, 2004, pp.36-39, 46-49, 52-53). By starting out a four-year institution, students are given the best chance to earn a bachelor’s degree; research has shown that students who begin at a four-year institution are nearly six times as likely to have completed their bachelor’s degree within six years compared to those who begin at a two-year institution (Tinto, 2004).