Upward Bound: Helping At-Risk Students Attend College

For more than 30 years, Upward Bound has sought to help economically disadvantaged students prepare for, enter, and succeed in college. Upward Bound provides students with a variety of services, including tutoring and counseling. But its high-intensity instruction in academic subjects, especially in the summer, is what distinguishes Upward Bound from other federal programs. In addition, the Upward Bound Math Science program was established as a math and science initiative within Upward Bound to strengthen disadvantaged high school students' skills in math and science and encourage them to pursue postsecondary degrees in these fields.

Since December 1991, Mathematica has been conducting the national evaluation of Upward Bound for the U.S. Department of Education. The evaluation has examined program implementation, but in recent years, it has focused on the program's effects on students. To measure the effects of participating in a traditional Upward Bound program, we used a scientifically based method known as random assignment. The national evaluation of Upward Bound is distinctive because it provides a nationally representative picture of the program's effectiveness.

The most recent report assessed college outcomes approximately three years after graduation from high school. For the average participant, Upward Bound has no effect on overall postsecondary attendance, although it may increase attendance at four-year colleges and universities. For students who did not expect to earn a four-year college degree when they applied for Upward Bound, the program has a large positive effect on attendance at four-year colleges and universities.

We are also conducting an evaluation of the Upward Bound Math Science (UBMS) program to estimate its effects. The key outcome measures include math and science courses and grades in high school and postsecondary studies in math or science. An interim report notes that UBMS provides intensive academic instruction in math and science, and impact estimates suggest that it improves several student outcomes in high school and college. In addition, preliminary estimates suggest that participation increases the odds of majoring in math or science.

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