Kehoe, Stacy
(2017)
Bridging the college completion gap with comprehensive support systems: A mixed-methods impact evaluation of the Dell Scholars Program.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
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Abstract
Despite widespread efforts to address barriers to college success, low-income and first-generation students continue to complete college at substantially lower rates that their more advantaged peers. A review of causal research to date has linked comprehensive interventions (e.g. programs that provide students with a combination of financial, academic and social support) to promising persistence and degree attainment outcomes for low-income and first-generation students. However, the body of causal research on the impact of these type of interventions remains nascent. This mixed-methods dissertation study contributes to this critical research area by using rigorous quasi-experimental methods to examine the impact of the Dell Scholars Program on the college persistence trajectories of its participants. An earlier regression-discontinuity study revealed large and significant impacts on degree attainment rates. Specifically, the study found that the program has a 9 percentage-point and 16 percentage-point impacts on four- and six-year bachelor’s degree completion rates, respectively (Page, Castleman, Kehoe, & Sahadewo, 2017). This work builds off this prior investigation in two important ways. First, I couple difference-in-differences and matching analytic strategies to estimate program impacts for Dell Scholars beyond the selection threshold. I find significant impacts on persistence, degree attainment, stopout rates, and dropout rates. To explore the mechanisms underlying these impacts, I estimate first-difference impact estimates on first-year loan borrowing behavior, academic progress, and academic achievement.
I find significant program effects for all outcomes, with notably larger impacts for students enrolled in less selective institutions. In the second part of my study, I move beyond the question of whether the Dell Scholars Program impacts enrollment and degree completion outcomes to address the critical question of how the program achieves successful results. I conduct an explanatory case study that draws on interviews with program staff and students, program administrative data, observations and program artifacts. I identify four key program components that drive the observed causal impacts: the program’s use of a proactive, data-informed support system that is highly responsive to persistence risk indicators; the program model’s flexible, client-focused practices; the program’s work environment and staff background; and the implementation of continuous quality improvement strategies.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
25 September 2017 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
17 May 2017 |
| Approval Date: |
25 September 2017 |
| Submission Date: |
31 July 2017 |
| Access Restriction: |
5 year -- Restrict access to University of Pittsburgh for a period of 5 years. |
| Number of Pages: |
202 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Education > Learning Sciences and Policy |
| Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Postsecondary success; quasi-experimental |
| Date Deposited: |
25 Sep 2017 17:46 |
| Last Modified: |
25 Sep 2022 05:15 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/33211 |
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