In the early 1980s, the United States experienced a high school dropout epidemic, leading school systems to adopt reform efforts. College readiness programs (CRPs) became a tool to address educational disparities in secondary and postsecondary education for over three decades. While decreases occurred in the overall high school dropout rate across racial and ethnic groups, they have been minimal. This study addressed a research gap on the lack of student input and perceptions about their experiences in CRP programs. This phenomenological study used in-depth, semi-structured interviews with criterion-selected former high school students from 3 schools within the ABC County School System in the southern United States. The sample of 12 students provided data about their lived experiences as Project GRAD scholars. The theoretical framework for this study was Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory (EST) based on human development and systems of the environment. Based on results of the interview questions and emergence of themes, 95% of the students indicated their motivation for attending college was based on family. While the traditional college readiness program had some positive influence on student's secondary and post-secondary plans, such programs were not the primary contributing factor, but rather parental/family support was. Furthermore, personal student accounts of their involvement with the Project GRAD program reflect a positive experience. However, such accounts did not reflect a consistent and active supporting relationship with the organization. This finding is in opposition to reported data by many college readiness programs. Implications for social change will bring awareness and modification to programs with the intent of alleviating educational dropout epidemics.

Målet med den här uppsatsen är att undersöka sambandet mellan grundskolans arbete med studie- och yrkesvägledning och elevernas genomströmningsgrad (examensgrad). Grundskolan har inte på enhetsnivå systematisk kännedom eller statistiska uppgifter om hur det går för eleverna när de lämnat skolan trots att de har ansvaret för studie- och yrkesvägledningen, elevernas valkompetens samt överlämnande och övergångar.  Datainsamlingen består av två delar som bygger på varandra. En del är ett nytt statistiskt deskriptivt underlag över ungdomars genomströmningsgrad i kommunal skola i Helsingborg som har tagits fram och bearbetats. Den andra delen är intervjuer som genomförts med skolledare och studie- och yrkesvägledare på fyra grundskoleenheter utifrån det statistiska materialet. Mixed methods har använts som metod och intervjuerna är analyserade tematiskt. z Det går i detta specifika sammanhang att konstatera att de grundskolor som har högre resultat i genomströmning också har ett arbete som ligger i linje med tidigare forskning kring framgångsfaktorer inom studie- och yrkesvägledning. Genomströmning följs inte upp på grundskolorna trots att examen kan vara avgörande för långsiktig etablering på arbetsmarknaden. Detta grundas i att ingen av respondenterna har kännedom om elevernas genomströmningsresultat. Grundskolorna har inte heller kopplat sitt studie- och yrkesvägledande arbete specifikt mot elever med låga meritpoäng trots att det är en avgörande parameter för att klara en gymnasieutbildning. Samtliga undersökta grundskolor arbetar dock kompensatoriskt på olika sätt. De kompensatoriska insatserna riktas främst mot elever med hög frånvaro, elever med låg studiemotivation eller till elever med utlandsfödda föräldrar. Studie- och yrkesvägledningen beskrivs delvis som personberoende och icke likvärdig. De grundskolor med höga genomströmningsresultat har en ansvarsfördelning, ett arbete och förhållningssätt som genomsyrar hela skolan. Grundskolorna har vidare samordnat och organiserat för studie- och yrkesvägledning med stabilitet i lärarkåren och skolledning och har ett relationsskapande förhållningssätt gentemot elever i behov av kompensatoriska insatser. / The aim of this thesis is to examine the relationship between primary school career guidance practices and student graduation rates. Primary schools lack systematic knowledge and statistical data at the unit level regarding students' outcomes after they leave school, despite being responsible for career guidance, students' decision-making competencies, and transitions. The data collection consists of two parts. The second part uses findins of the first part. The first part is a new descriptive statistical findings on the graduation rates of youths in municipal schools in Helsingborg, which has been developed and processed. The second part involves interviews conducted with school leaders and career counselors at four units based on the statistical material. Mixed methods were used as the methodology, and the interviews were analyzed thematically. In this specific context, it can be observed that those units with higher graduation rates also have practices aligned with previous research on success factors in career guidance.Graduation results are not tracked at the school units, even though graduation can be crucial for long-term labor market participation. This is based on the fact that none of the respondents have awareness of the students' graduation results. Furthermore, the schools have not specifically linked their career guidance efforts to students with low grade point averages, despite it being a crucial parameter for completing upper secondary education. However, all the investigated schools work compensatory education in various ways. These compensatory measures are primarily directed towards students with high absenteeism, low academic motivation, or students with foreign-born parents. Career guidance is described as partly dependent on individuals and thus unequal. Schools with high graduation rates have an effective division of responsibility, as well as practices and an approach that permeates the entire school. These schools have also coordinated and organized career guidance with stability among the teaching staff and school leadership, and they adopt a relationship-building approach towards students in need of compensatory measures.