Data gathered by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., contractor for the Department of Education were used to analyze successful project level characteristics of the Upward Bound program. Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. provided two data files for this study: a student data file and a grantees data file. The first data file includes information from a nationally representative sample of students who applied to the Upward Bound program between 1992 and 1994 and were assigned to either the Upward Bound group or a control group. The second data file included information from a random sample of Upward Bound project grantees. Both the student and grantees data files were used to create a design to determine Upward Bound project level characteristics that highly correlated to student success. The project level characteristics that were examined included project setting (location, size and host institution), academic characteristics (student-staff ratio, course offerings during the summer and academic year, and the number of years a project has been in operation) and student characteristics (gender, race/ethnicity and employment). The student success measures used in this study included grade point average, total high school credits earned, Advanced Placement credits earned, high school dropout status and graduation status. Findings from this study suggest that Upward Bound projects with lower student to staff ratios and fewer academic year course offerings have students earning more high school credits and more student graduating from high school. In addition to academic characteristics, ethnicity seem to be related to the success of projects. When compared across project settings, projects from two-year rural colleges and four-year public suburban colleges have the most successful students. / Ph. D.

Thesis (M.S.) in Teaching--University of Maine, 2008. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 34-36).

The objective of this research is to explore the perceptions of UCF Upward Bound Program participants using focus groups and pre-posttest surveys in order to assess students' level of understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related coursework, secondary education preparation in science and mathematics, and their perceptions of barriers to a STEM college education. Also, this study centers on the summer 2010 science and mathematics residential portion of the Upward Bound Program. Program outcomes and effectiveness were evaluated based on the change in student insight of the Upward Bound Program's stake in their secondary education. In addition, pre-posttest measures and interviews allowed a greater understanding of teacher and parent involvement in high school coursework success. Factors that involve self-efficacy, same or other group orientation and perceptions of student college environment were also analyzed. This research facilitated the understanding of first generation, low income and multicultural student's perceptions and what they view as a benefit or a hindrance to entering and successfully completing degrees in post-secondary institutions, specifically in STEM-related disciplines.

Previous investigators have indicated that low socio-economic students have difficulty experiencing success on tests heavily loaded with verbal material. Differences in personality characteristics between students of high and low creativity have also been found. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of manifest needs and anxiety on creative thinking. The Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, which determines anxiety level, the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule, which measures manifest needs, and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, which provides an index of creativity were administered to Spanish-American, Anglo-American, Negro, and Navaho high school students, who constituted the 1967 Upward Bound population at Utah State University. The total sample, composed of the four ethnic backgrounds, was administered the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. The students were ranked on the basis of their total creativity score, and high and low creativity groups were extracted at the median. The results indicate that Upward Bound students are significantly higher in figural than in verbal creativity. No significant differences between high and low creativity students were found on anxiety or manifest needs, although a negative trend between anxiety and creativity was suggested.

Racial equality in the United States educational system has long been and continues to be a source of debate. Specifically, the disparities between whites and other minority groups have been increasingly more critical. Blacks and Latinos consistently score lower than whites on standardized tests and academic course work. There have been several explanations given for poorer school performance by certain minority groups than whites. In this dissertation, I explore the black white achievement gap through the examination of one widely known explanation, oppositional culture theory. This research investigates the major tenets of oppositional culture theory and the contemporary multicultural navigator concept. Using a grounded theory method of analysis, I examine the connections between suppositions of the theory and black students in the Upward Bound academic achievement program.

Thesis (M.S.)--Missouri State University, 2009. / "May 2009." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-62). Also available online.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of African American students on the impact of an Upward Bound Program on their academic performance, self-esteem, and the attitudes toward post-secondary educational success. Specifically, this study was concerned with the following variables: gender, family structure, and age as they related to the students aforementioned perceptions. A survey design was employed in this investigation to collect and analyze the data. Three hundred fifty-three (353) African American high school students participated in this empirical study. An instrument entitled “The Middleton Upward Bound Survey” was used to gather the data. The investigative instrument was validated by a group of Upward Bound professionals and university research professors. The instrument had an alpha coefficient of ¬¬.84 for the test as a whole. Moreover, the data was tested through the application of the One-Way Analysis of Variance and the Scheffe’ Multiple Comparison Test. Among the conclusions of this study were the following; in general it appeared the younger African American high school students are more favorable to his/her perceptions regarding the impact of an Upward Bound Programs on student academic achievement. African American high school students who reside with a guardian also tend to have more favorable perceptions regarding the impact of an Upward Bound Programs on their academic achievement. Regardless, of African American high school students’ age, gender or family structure, they tend to have similar perceptions regarding the impact of an Upward Bound Programs on their attitudes toward post-secondary educational success.

Higher education has experienced an increase in enrollment. Of the approximately 14.9 million students in higher education, 24.5% are minority students. Although this percentage is not far from the percentage of minorities in the U.S. population (24.7%), the distribution of minorities enrolled in higher education is significantly different than the distribution of minorities in the nation's population. The percentage of African Americans (10.1%) and Hispanics (7.3%) in higher education is lower than their population in the general population (12.1% and 9% respectively). There is also an unequal distribution of enrollment in higher education based on socioeconomic status. The percentage of students from the top family income quartile attending college is 86%. The percentage of students from the bottom family income quartile attending college, however, is 52%. The disproportionate representation by race and socioeconomic status in higher education has prompted campuses across the country to develop a variety of precollege programs. These programs provide students who are disadvantaged by race or socioeconomic status with the resources and academic skills needed to pursue higher education. One of these precollege programs is Upward Bound. Upward Bound serves high school participants aged 13 to 19 years who are either first generation, socioeconomically disadvantaged, or both. Upward Bound staff focus primarily on promoting academic performance among participants. There is a significant body of literature that suggests self-esteem directly correlates with academic performance. However, Upward Bound staff do not purposefully offer programs to promote self-esteem among participants. This study was designed to gain a better understanding of self-esteem among Upward Bound participants by race (majority versus minority) and gender. The Self-Esteem Index (SEI) was used to collect data. The SEI yields an overall self-esteem score as well as scores on four subscales. Data were analyzed using a series of two-way analyses of variance to explain differences by race (majority versus minority) and gender. There were no statistically significant differences in self-esteem by race. The findings, however, reflected a trend in which majority students consistently scored higher than did minority students. There were statistically significant differences in self-esteem by gender on the Academic Competence scale, Peer Popularity scale, and Personal Security scale. This study was significant for future practice in higher education. The results of the present study might benefit Upward Bound counselors, who might learn more about the self-esteem of Upward Bound students. The results might also inform Upward Bound students about their own self-esteem. In addition, the results of this study might provide directors of federal programs with baseline information about the self-esteem of students participating in the Upward Bound program. / Master of Arts

Upward Bound (UB) projects provide educational support services to high school students in order to address inequalities in college access for low-income (LI) and first-generation students (FGS). However, access alone does not eradicate systemic barriers to positive collegiate experiences and degree attainment. As a federally funded program, UB regularly collects mandated outcome data; however, little is known about the specific academic, social, and emotional supports these programs provide. Especially lacking are in-depth qualitative studies that follow students into college and focus on students’ own stories. To address this gap in research, this study used in-depth interviews to capture the stories of LI, FGS first-year college experiences. Thematic analysis was used to identify challenges, successes, and commonalities in how participants described impacts of their UB participation. The research questions included: 1) What are the academic and social experiences of Upward Bound alumni in their first year at a four-year postsecondary institution, and 2) What is the perceived relationship between Upward Bound participation and the first-year college experience of Program alumni? This research leveraged Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth framework to elevate diverse forms of capital involved in students’ UB participation and college experiences. Analysis revealed significant themes related to expectations, belonging, the pressure to succeed, mental health, the impact of the UB experience, and the power of voice, concluding that, through UB participation, students’ existing capital/cultural wealth is honored, leveraged, and ultimately multiplied. Recommendations for addressing pervasive obstacles to success in college are provided for Upward Bound projects and higher education.