It is estimated that 9-14% of children from birth to age 5 experience social and emotional problems that may significantly affect their ability to learn later in life and students of any age may experience an array of problems resulting in difficulty learning. Although interventions are available to address these issues within the school context, government funding for programs is often limited to those that are evidence based. Student Assistance Programs (SAPs) address a variety of barriers to learning but many are not supported by empirical evidence. The purpose of the study was to determine if Breakthrough, a specific SAP, had a significant effect on the dependent variables of grade point average, attendance, and behavioral referrals among N = 727 public school students in Grades 9-12. The independent variables were completion or noncompletion of the program, time, and grade level. This quantitative study used a systems perspective, nonequivalent control group design. The statistical analyses performed were a mixed ANOVA and a generalized estimating equation. The interaction of treatment, time, and grade level were found to be significant on attendance, and the interaction between treatment and time on was found to be significant for attendance. The main effect of time was found to be significant on grade point average, attendance, and behavioral referrals. The main effect of treatment was found to be significant on number of behavioral referrals. Increasing the types of supports for school-aged students may bring positive social change by allowing for higher academic achievement and by intervening with issues that may follow students into adulthood such as mental illness and substance abuse.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe and communicate a student-constructed model of student services for electronic distance education (EDE). This study seeks to answer the following questions: Do students enrolled in EDE perceive a need for student services? If not, why not? Which services do students want/need? How do students want the services delivered? If students constructed a model of student services for EDE, what would it look like? A phenomenological approach was used. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with ten students, a document review, a survey of computer competency, and follow-up e-mail. Data were analyzed and systematically compared through constant comparative analysis and an inductive grounded theory approach was taken. One predominant finding that emerged from the conversations with the co-researchers was that of access for all students, particularly accommodations for those with special needs. Participants identified a number of services as basic to the EDE experience. They categorized services into three levels, expressing the expectation that services would evolve over time and technology. At each level a theme emerged that characterized the co-researchers' expectations and perceptions of student support services for EDE: access, interaction, and independence. The intent of level one was to provide entry to the college services and curriculum; access was used to define this level. The second level expressed the concern that students have the opportunity to interact with and be engaged by the services and the technology: interaction. The third level emphasized the need for information and services to promote independence, exploration, and autonomy in using electronic student services as well as to have available an "expert" for specific questions that are not easily or quickly answered by the services online. This level emphasized the use of real time transactions. The study concluded that students participating in EDE perceive a need for student services via distance. Participants further suggested that services provided to EDE must be equal and of the same quality as those traditionally delivered. Using the three levels that emerged from conversations with co-researchers - access, interaction, and independence - the researcher further classified the services into a model of student services using categories put forth by Namm and Holly (2000). / Graduation date: 2002

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 117 p. : ill. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 91-97).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Graduate School of Public Policy Studies, June 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 212 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 200-204).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Florida State University, 2005. / Advisor: Dr. Beverly L. Bower, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 9, 2005). Document formatted into pages; contains xii, 130 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

ARAÚJO, Anne Caroline Costa. A percepção discente sobre a Residência Universitária no Brasil e o programa auxílio moradia no Campus da UFC em Sobral. 2016. 94f. – Dissertação (Mestrado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Políticas Públicas e Gestão da Educação Superior, Fortaleza (CE), 2016. / Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-05-27T12:21:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_dis_accaraujo.pdf: 701606 bytes, checksum: 62cdc1c5226a5b6dfecb4a264ec4f395 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-05-27T12:22:01Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_dis_accaraujo.pdf: 701606 bytes, checksum: 62cdc1c5226a5b6dfecb4a264ec4f395 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-27T12:22:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2016_dis_accaraujo.pdf: 701606 bytes, checksum: 62cdc1c5226a5b6dfecb4a264ec4f395 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016 / A democratização do acesso ao ensino superior aumentou a demanda por políticas de assistência estudantil, em especial por aquelas voltadas para os estudantes que se matricularam em cursos fora das suas cidades de origem. O campus da Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC) em Sobral não possui Residência Universitária e, para atender a demanda dos estudantes por moradia, foi implementado o Programa Auxílio Moradia. Diante do exposto, o objetivo geral deste estudo é compreender a percepção discente sobre o Programa Auxílio Moradia no campus da UFC em Sobral, estabelecendo um comparativo com a percepção de residentes universitários de diferentes universidades brasileiras. Para alcançar o objetivo proposto foi adotada a pesquisa bibliográfica e exploratória que permitiram a realização da fundamentação teórica e a compreensão do problema da pesquisa. Os dados obtidos na pesquisa foram analisados quantitativamente e qualitativamente. A comparação entre os dois pontos de vista permitiu que a pesquisa apresentasse, na visão dos estudantes, as vantagens e desvantagens do Programa Auxílio Moradia e da Residência Universitária. Também apontou que os dois grupos de estudantes possuem percepções opostas: para os bolsistas, o Auxílio Moradia é o programa que melhor atende as necessidades de seus beneficiários, enquanto que para os residentes, a Residência Universitária é o programa mais completo no que se refere à moradia estudantil. Estas percepções poderão servir de embasamento para auxiliar os gestores de políticas de assistência estudantil a repensarem os dois programas de assistência à moradia. Este trabalho permite compreender a necessidade de modificar a estrutura dos programas existentes de maneira que possam melhor atender às demandas dos seus beneficiários.

The purpose of this study was to examine a sample of students who participated in a student assistance program in Southwest Virginia. Using existing data from a school system in Southwest Virginia, this sample was observed to measure changes in student academic performance. The sample was also examined to determine the extent to which they instituted positive behaviors such as school attendance and reduction of disciplinary actions taken. In addition, this study assessed differences in demographic characteristics among student participants. Also studied was the extent to which gender differences related to academic performance and behavior. Significant changes in students’ academic performance, attendance and disciplinary measures were established in the present study. Negative associations were established for those participating in the student assistance program and grade point average. Positive associations were found for those participating in SAP and attendance and disciplinary measures. No significant differences were yielded in the comparison of gender to academic performance and behavior. SAP coordinators recorded that the majority of participants did improve since referral to program and most completed or currently remained in the student assistance program. However, a small percentage of students actually entered treatment programs following recommendations made to parents from the student assistance program committee. This research assessed only the demographic and individual characteristics: gender, gifted or special education status, ethnicity and age. Therefore, other demographics such as socio economic status may offer additional explanation into academic and behavior outcomes of students involved in student assistance programs. / Ph. D.

[pt] Este trabalho aborda a temática da assistência estudantil na UFRJ. Tem enfoque particular na percepção dos estudantes moradores da residência estudantil acerca dos programas existentes na universidade destinados a apoiar a permanência dos discentes nos cursos de graduação. Para respaldar o estudo procedeu-se a uma análise da conjuntura atual da educação superior no Brasil no contexto de reestruturação produtiva e da incorporação dos princípios neoliberais no desenvolvimento das políticas sociais. A presente dissertação reflete sobre os conceitos de políticas sociais, cidadania e de desigualdade, condição esta que historicamente caracteriza o acesso a educação superior no Brasil. Aborda também as transformações da educação superior no Brasil a partir do processo de ampliação do campo da educação com as políticas de democratização do acesso, decorrentes do REUNI e da Lei 12.711 que dispõe sobre o ingresso nas universidades federais e nas instituições federais de ensino técnico de nível médio. O trabalho apresenta um breve histórico da assistência estudantil no Brasil e, em especial na UFRJ, onde o seu desenvolvimento culminou com a criação da Superintendência Geral de Políticas Estudantis, no contexto da aprovação do Decreto PNAES. Parte-se do pressuposto de que as políticas de democratização do acesso à universidade pública só se efetivarão se forem acompanhadas de ações que viabilizem a permanência, em especial dos estudantes das classes populares ou dos grupos desiguais que estão ingressando nas universidades. A pesquisa, de natureza qualitativa, foi desenvolvida com estudantes inseridos no programa de moradia que ingressaram na universidade no ano de 2009. Foram realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas com 8 estudantes. Os resultados obtidos indicam que os programas de assistência estudantil existentes na UFRJ têm grande importância para a permanência dos estudantes em condição de desigualdade social e econômica. Apontam também para a necessidade de ampliação tanto quantitativa quanto qualitativa dos diversos serviços que compõem os programas de assistência estudantil. / [en] This study addresses the issue of student assistance at UFRJ. It has a particular focus on the perceptions of students who live in the student residence about existing programs at the university to support the stay of students in undergraduate courses. To support the study, an analysis of the current situation of higher education in Brazil in the context of productive restructuring and incorporation of neoliberal principles in the development of social policies was performed. This essay reflects on the concepts of social policy, citizenship and inequality, conditions that historically characterizes the access to higher education in Brazil. It also discusses the transformations of higher education in Brazil since the process of expansion of the education field with the policies of democratization of access arising from REUNI and Law 12.711 which describes the admission into federal universities and the federal institutions of technical high school education. The paper presents a brief history of student assistance in Brazil and especially in UFRJ, where its development resulted in the creation of the General Superintendent of Student Policies in the context of the approval of Decree PNAES. It is assumed that the policies of democratizing the access to public universities will only be successful if accompanied by actions that facilitate the stay, especially for students of social classes with economic difficulties or the unequal groups that in entering universities. The research is qualitative and it was developed with students, placed in housing program, who joined the university in 2009. Semi-structured interviews with eight students were performed. The results show that the exisiting student assistance programs at UFRJ have a great importance for the permanence at the university of students that are inserted in a condition of social and economic inequality. The data also indicate the need for both quantitative and qualitative expansion of the various services that compose the student assistance programs.

[pt] O presente estudo busca tratar do tema assistência estudantil em uma instituição federal de ensino superior – a UFRJ. É fundamentado pelo entendimento de que a assistência estudantil é um importante instrumento para a efetivação do direito à educação superior pública, gratuita e de qualidade que a democratização do acesso, por si só, não propicia, especialmente quando se refere a determinado segmento de estudantes que sofrem as consequências das desigualdades sociais, presentes em nossa sociedade. A atual política que visa a reestruturação das instituições federais de ensino superior conduziu a assistência estudantil para um nova dimensão, ampliando suas ações e definindo, de forma mais efetiva, a sua prioridade para os estudantes cuja condição socioeconômica muitas vezes impede a sua permanência na universidade. As ações de assistência estudantil vem sendo implementadas pela UFRJ há décadas e não sofreram alterações em seu formato ao longo desse tempo, apesar das mudanças ocorridas no contexto da educação superior, em especial nas universidades federais.A pesquisa desenvolvida teve como objetivo identificar de que forma a bolsa de assistência estudantil contribui para permanência do aluno bolsista da UFRJ. Para isso foram realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas com estudantes selecionados para uma das modalidades de bolsas de assistência estudantil. O estudo tem ainda a intenção de oferecer subsídios para que o auxílio oportunizado pelo programa de bolsas de assistência estudantil implementado pela UFRJ esteja alinhado às necessidades dos alunos e ao alcance dos objetivos preconizados pela assistência estudantil - a permanência e conclusão de curso com adequado aproveitamento acadêmico. / [en] The aim of this study is to address the student assistance in a federal institution of higher education - UFRJ. It is based on the understanding that the student assistance is an important tool for ensuring the right to free and quality public higher education, once the democratization of access, by itself, does not provide, especially when referring to a particular segment of students who suffer the consequences of social inequalities present in our society. The current policy to restructure the universities led the student assistance to a new dimension, extending its actions and targeting, more effectively, the priority to students whose socioeconomic status often prevents their permanence at university. The acts of student assistance have been implemented for decades by the UFRJ and have not changed its format over that time, despite changes in the context of higher education, especially in federal universities. This research aimed at identifying how the student scholarship assistance contributes to the permanence of the scholarship student from UFRJ. To assess this, semi-structured interviews were performed with students selected for one of the types of scholarships for student assistance. The study also intends to provide support so that the aid offered by the scholarship program of student assistance implemented by the UFRJ may be aligned to the needs of students and may achieve the objectives pursued by the student assistance - the permanence and conclusion of the course with a great academic achievement.