Running head: ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 1. Fostering Academic Achievement Through LEAP. Hannah Brukardt and Kaleena Davidson

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1 Running head: ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 1 Fostering Academic Achievement Through LEAP Hannah Brukardt and Kaleena Davidson The Pennsylvania State University

2 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 2 For many students, transitioning from high school to college can be equally as terrifying as it is exciting. To aid in this process, many universities offer a range of programming and support to their incoming first-year students including seminars, classes, and orientations. Gaining popularity are summer bridge programs in which students attend a brief summer session before their first fall semester. Summer bridge programs not only affect a student s transition from high school to college, but also one s entire college career. Penn State s LEAP program provides a means for students to adjust and advance both academically and socially. Based on prior theory and research, LEAP students should earn higher GPAs and have greater retention rates than their peers. Because there is no empirical evidence to support this claim, we have suggested an assessment for administrators to implement to gauge the effectiveness of LEAP. Defining Academic Achievement as an Outcome For this analysis, academic achievement will be measured by two criteria; GPA and student retention rates. The measurement of academic achievement is important because GPA is indicative of higher enrollment and retention rates. A student s GPA is also highly correlated with other measures of student persistence and success. Retention from first year to second year of college indicates strong student persistence. Traditionally, strong student persistence relates to higher rates of student graduation. In determining actual academic achievement, a specific number for GPA will not be addressed. Instead, we will compare the GPAs of similar summer school students based on demographics, socioeconomic status, and previous high school experiences. Retention will be measured by student enrollment and with graduation. In

3 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 3 order to study academic achievement through GPA and retention, we will look at Penn State s version of a summer bridge program. Learning Edge Academic Program (LEAP) According to their website, The Learning Edge Academic Program (LEAP), provides incoming first year Penn State students the opportunity to participate in a summer bridge program geared towards aiding in the transition from high school to college. Offered to all accepted incoming first year summer students, LEAP is optional and is run separately from classes taken by other first year summer school students. LEAP enables summer school students the ability to engage in groups that live, learn, and socialize together. Once in the LEAP program, students are placed in prides, which are designed to place students of the same major together. Prides consist of about 25 students, keeping classes small, although a few classes may combine to form larger lecture sessions. Each pride takes two integrated classes together. One class focuses on speech or English composition while the other class is geared towards the prides academic interest. In addition to taking class together, each LEAP pride resides on the same floor of a residence hall separate from other summer school students. Upper level student mentors assigned to each pride, help the students with study skills and help to navigate the campus and university. LEAP students also have access to their own subject librarian who assists them with effectively utilizing the library as well as understanding other college researching techniques. From an organizational standpoint, the director of office for summer session oversees all aspects of LEAP. An administrative assistant works directly with the

4 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 4 director and are the two only full-time employees working with the program. Mentor coordinators and assistant mentor coordinators support and supervise the work of the mentors, who work directly with LEAP students. Instructors and librarians also work directly with LEAP students (The Pennsylvania State University). According to the director, LEAP consists of three goals. LEAP promotes active collaborative learning on the part of students by enrolling them in two small, linked classes. The program fosters a better living and learning community for the students entering the large university environment. Lastly, LEAP provides students with the practical skills and familiarity with available resources necessary to succeed (Agawu- Kakraba & Gaudelius, 2013). Measuring Academic Achievement Considering the outcome of academic achievement, we assessed LEAP and the effectiveness of its goals when looking at GPA and retention in students participating in the program. We hypothesize that if the LEAP students accomplish the goals stated by LEAP, they will earn higher GPAs and will have a higher levels of retention than they would without participating in LEAP or when compared to non-leap students. When assessing the goals and the outcome, the measures of academic achievement have limitations. Foremost, grades affecting GPA are not a perfect measure of academic achievement because they compare one student s progress to another s instead of measuring actual academic advancement. Furthermore, calculation of grades can be very subjective across varying departments and their faculty (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). Another limitation is the uncertainty of how LEAP students would have performed if they weren t in the LEAP program. More specifically, would LEAP

5 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 5 students achieve the same academic goals if they weren t in the program? Are the more highly motivated students more likely to enroll in LEAP during the summer? There are fewer limitations when using retention rates to predict academic achievement. One limitation is that drop out or retention could be based on reasons outside of what students are achieving in the classroom. Pascarella and Terenzini (2005) suggest that socioeconomic status shapes college enrollment and persistence. They also lay out numerous qualities that could affect persistence such as gender and specific institutional qualities (Pascarella &Terenzini, 2005). While student persistence leads to retention, academic achievement is not the only factor in determining if a student will graduate LEAP and Measuring Academic Achievement According to the director, LEAP does not have empirical data that assesses academic achievement. LEAP does administer a survey at the end of the six-week summer school session but only a single question deals with expected grades. The remaining questions deal with mentors, library usage, living with prides, and the overall summer experience during LEAP. Positive verbal feedback from students along with increasing enrollment suggests to the director that the program is doing well. The director and his administrative assistant were adamant about their desire to assess academic achievement but haven t been able to due to lack of administrative help in his office. The amount of time and manpower it would take to track GPA and retention is not feasible for his office at this time. They are, however, in the process of hiring an intern who would be in charge of program evaluation. They are hoping that academic achievement will be monitored in the future.

6 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 6 With no system in place to monitor academic achievement in LEAP, we consider a few ways to collect and gather data for assessment. Taken from Cabrera, Miner, and Milem (2013), one way to assess LEAP is to have participating students engage in a longitudinal study. The study should follow LEAP students along with a similar control group, not participating in the bridge program. When compiling the data, basic demographics, pre-college preparation, and desired college outcomes should be addressed and self-assessments should be derived. We can measure the outcome goals by administering a survey three times over a student s career: before LEAP,after the second semester, and finally after the eighth semester. A limitation with this type of survey includes response rates especially when counting on students to return numerous surveys (Cabrera, Miner, & Milem 2013). The LEAP office suggested tracking students GPAs and graduation rates, showing retention, by using registrar office data. By accessing grades and graduation success, LEAP could monitor the achievement of the students throughout the first summer and throughout their college career until graduation. Limitations with tracking student data include availability and having the legal right to monitor individual student progress. Having students sign waivers during the program and tracking the students that released GPA and graduation completion solves the major issue with the limitation. Names would not be associated with GPA tracking or retention throughout college. LEAP should also monitor the summer students not participating in LEAP in order to have a comparison between groups, better enabling them to assess the impact of the program.

7 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 7 We propose that a combination of the two assessments would provide the most accurate information demonstrating the outcome of academic achievement in LEAP. Three questionnaires should be administered to LEAP and non-leap summer school students throughout their Penn State careers. The first would be a pre-leap or presummer school survey asking questions about high school GPA, intended major, length of program, intent to re-enroll next semester, and demographics (Appendix A). At the end of the second semester, student surveys will ask about current college GPA, current major, length of the program, intent to re-enroll next semester, and demographics (Appendix B). The final post-leap survey, conducted at the end of the eighth semester, will look similar to the second semester survey with the addition of the intent to graduate (Appendix C). The three surveys will avoid satisfaction assessments and will lean towards more outcome-based information to avoid appealing to emotions versus something measurable. Theory and Research Although Penn State s LEAP program did not consciously model its program around a specific theory, Director of Summer Session Yaw Agawu-Kakraba and his colleague Yvonne Gaudelius cite Anderson, Goodman, and Schlossberg s work on transition theory in an article justifying the success of LEAP (2013). Anderson et al. believe transitions in life provide both challenges and opportunities for growth and transformation. Agawu-Kakraba and Gaudelius apply this transition theory to validate the goals and missions of LEAP as well as explain its continued success by claiming, LEAP functions to provide opportunities for first-year students to grow through its programming in collaborative teaching and learning (2013). To complement this theory,

8 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 8 we identified several theories that may also explain LEAP s success. Primarily, we apply Tinto s Theory of Student Departure and supplement his findings with research focusing on learning communities and student engagement. Tinto s (1988) Theory of Student Departure is cited widely as the theoretical influence for many student achievement, persistence, and retention programs in higher education. Based on Van Gennep s rites of passage theory, Tinto posits that for students to be successful they must pass through three stages: separation, transition, and incorporation (Tinto, 1988). During the crucial step of separation, students are expected to abandon their old community and transition into their new college community by adopting the college s norms and values. Tinto further argues that the inability to make this transition leads to early student departure (Tinto, 1988). Programs such as Penn State s LEAP reinforce Tinto s notion that early assistance to students during this transitional period is paramount. Summer bridge programs, like LEAP, aid first-year students in various academic and social capacities by providing them with a new learning community to replace their old community (Cabrera, Miner, & Milem, 2013; McCurrie, 2009; Walpole, Simmerman, & Mack, 2008). Traditionally, summer bridge programs target underrepresented and underprepared students (McCurrie, 2009; Walpole et al., 2008). These students may be given provisional acceptance to an institution based on the successful completion of the summer bridge program (McCurrie, 2009; Walpole et al., 2008). Many programs focus on remedial courses in composition, reading, and mathematics, but they also expose firstyear students to the college climate and campus resources while promoting healthy and helpful life skills like time management, study skills, and self-efficacy (Cabrera et al.,

9 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP ; McCurrie, 2009; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Walpole et al., 2008). According to Pascarella and Terenzini (2005), studies of summer bridge programs show that participants earn higher grades and have higher completion rates. They also report increased feelings of confidence, control, and self-esteem. These are all important qualities that factor into one s academic success (Ackermann, 1991; Fitts, 1989). It is the promotion and development of these academic and social skills and their subsequent impact on student incorporation that interests the authors of this paper. Summer bridge programs provide students with the means to navigate through Tinto s three stages of separation, transition, and incorporation. In their study of first-year students, Elkins, Braxton, & James (2000) found that students who successfully passed through the separation stage were more likely to be retained for a second year. The authors state that the empirical evidence of this study lends itself to the validity, albeit untested, of the last two stages of Tinto s theory (Elkins et al., 2000). As Tinto argued, the successful negotiation of these stages leads to a greater likelihood of student persistence in college (Elkins et al., 2000; Tinto, 1988). The LEAP Program helps students navigate Tinto s three phases by establishing learning communities that enable students to transition and incorporate into the Penn State community more easily (Agawu-Kakraba & Gaudelius, 2013). A large part of summer bridge program student success can be attributed to the effectiveness of learning communities. Learning communities are one type of program used to acclimate first-year students to their new environment (Keup, 2005). Learning communities can be curricular, classroom, residential, or student type based (Zhao & Kuh, 2004). In their research, Zhao and Kuh (2004) found that student involvement in

10 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 10 learning communities positively related to higher grades and more engagement. These effects continued on through students senior years (Zhao & Kuh, 2004). For the intents and purposes of this paper, incorporation, engagement, and integration are synonymous because they all lead to the same outcome. Based on our research, we argue that successful negotiation of Tinto s phases leads to greater rates of student engagement, which in turn increases academic achievement and retention in students (Kuh, Cruce, Shoup, Kinzie, & Gonyea, 2008; Walpole et al., 2008; Zhao & Kuh, 2004). However, the empirical research to support this is conflicted. Kuh et al. (2008) found that first-year student engagement neutralized or greatly diminished all other pre-college experiences that may affect college academic achievement, like parent education and high school achievement. They also found the student engagement correlated with higher GPAs in both freshmen year and senior year, as well as with greater retention rates into the second year (Kuh et al., 2008). However, their study did not specifically address student engagement via bridge programs for first-year students. Barnett, Bork, and Mayer (2012) found that participants in summer bridge programs were more likely to be retained versus the control group. They also found that participants of summer bridge programs did not report being involved in official campus activities, but they still socialized with their peers and became familiar with campus. Interestingly, participants in this study reported earning mostly B s, but their GPAs reflected getting mostly C s (Walpole et al., 2008). Other studies found even more conflicting results. Barnett, Bork, and Mayer (2012) found that participation in summer bridge programs across eight Texas colleges and universities did not affect the number of college credits attempted, nor had an impact

11 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 11 on student persistence. McCurrie (2009) found that although summer bridge program participants were initially retrained at greater rates, this effect diminished over their college careers. Finally, Cabrera et al. (2013) found that although participation in a summer bridge program at the University of Arizona affected GPA more than other demographics, the effects of the program were more indirect and became non-significant when controlling for other first-year experiences. Conclusion Although it is difficult to measure, summer bridge programs promote the outcome of academic achievement, measured by GPA and retention. While both measures have limitations, they are the most researched and readily available data to analyze. Prior research has shown that GPA leads to higher enrollment and retention rates, which predicts higher levels of graduation and persistence throughout college. Penn State s LEAP fosters this outcome of academic achievement by striving to reach its goals through prides. LEAP combines collaborative learning and living communities in order to positively affect student transitions to college. Although LEAP is not currently assessing academic achievement, a longitudinal study along with tracking students GPA and retention rates will provide necessary information when comparing LEAP and non-leap students. Supported by research of student engagement and learning communities, both influenced by Tinto s Theory of Student Departure, LEAP students should have higher GPAs and retention rates compared to their non-leap peers.

12 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 12 References Ackermann, S. P. (1991). THE BENEFITS OF SUMMER BRIDGE PROGRAMS FOR UNDERREPRESENTED AND LOW-INCOME TRANSFER STUDENTS. Community/Junior College Quarterly of Research and Practice,15(2), Agawu-Kakraba, Y., & Gaudelius, Y. (2013). Learning edge academic program (leap): A successful model in programming and collaborative teaching and learning. Summer Academe: A Journal of Higher Education, 7, Retrieved from Barnett, E., Bork, R., & Mayer, A. (2012). Bridging the Gap: An Impact Study of Eight Developmental Summer Bridge Programs in Texa. National Center for. Retrieved from Cabrera, N. L., Miner, D. D., & Milem, J. F. (2013). Can a Summer Bridge Program Impact First-Year Persistence and Performance?: A Case Study of the New Start Summer Program. Research in Higher Education, 54(5), doi: /s Elkins, S. A., Braxton, J. M., & James, G. W. (2000). TINTO S SEPARATION STAGE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON FIRST-SEMESTER COLLEGE STUDENT PERSISTENCE. Research in Higher Education, 41(2), Fitts, J. D. (1989). A Comparison of Locus of Control and Achievement among Remedial Summer Bridge and Nonbridge Students in Community Colleges in New Jersey. Keup, J. R. (2005). The impact of curricular interventions on intended second year reenrollment. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice, 7(1), Kuh, G. D., Cruce, T. M., Shoup, R., Kinzie, J., & Gonyea, R. M. (2008). Unmasking the Effects of Student Engagement on First-Year College Grades and Persistence. The Journal of Higher Education, 79(5), doi: /jhe McCurrie, M. (2009). Measuring Success in Summer Bridge Programs: Retention Efforts and Basic Writing. Journal of Basic Writing, 28(2), Retrieved from type=crawler&jrnl= &an= &h=p59dod1evr0efnhlfl4bcfumf KGDkp7bdRGNwtGtJx27koWwTlmKL3PaxEggWao3McUMG5jlgbZwazxThHby OA%3D%3D&crl=c Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How College Affects Students (2nd ed.). San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

13 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 13 The Pennsylvania State University. (n.d.). Leap. Retrieved from Tinto, V. (1988). Stages of student departure: Reflections on the longitudinal character of student leaving. The Journal of Higher Education, 59(4), Retrieved from Walpole, M., Simmerman, H., & Mack, C. (2008). Bridge to success: Insight into summer bridge program students college transition. & Students in Transition, 20(1), Retrieved from Zhao, C., & Kuh, G. (2004). Adding value: Learning communities and student engagement. Research in Higher Education, 45(2), Retrieved from

14 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 14 Appendix A 3/6/2014 Pre-LEAP Assessment Pre-LEAP Assessment Edit this form What was your high school GPA? Below Above 4.0 Did you take any the following types of classes? Check all that apply Honors Advanced Placement (AP) College courses for credit What is your intended major? How long is your intended program of study? 3 years 4 years 5 years 6 years More than 6 years Do you intend to return to re-enroll next semester? Yes No If 'No', why don't you intend to re-enroll? I am transferring to another institution. I am leaving to pursue a career. I can't re-enroll due to financial reasons. I can't re-enroll due to family obligations. I am pursuing another type of degree. Other: What is your racial or ethnic identification? Check all that apply 1/2

15 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 15 3/6/2014 Pre-LEAP Assessment American Indian or other Native American Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander Black or African American White (non-hispanic) Hispanic or Latino Other What is your gender? Male Female Other Submit Never submit passwords through Google Forms. Powered by This content is neither created nor endorsed by Google. Report Abuse - Terms of Service - Additional Terms 2/2

16 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 16 Appendix B 3/6/2014 Post LEAP Assessment - Semester 2 Post LEAP Assessment - Semester 2 Edit this form What is your cumalitive GPA? Below Above 4.0 Have you taken honors classes? Yes No How long is your intended program of study? 3 years 4 years 5 years 6 years More than 6 years Do you intend to re-enroll next semester? Yes No If 'No', why don't you intend to re-enroll? I am transferring to another institution. I am leaving to pursue a career. I can't re-enroll due to financial reasons. I can't re-enroll due to family obligations. I am pursuing another type of degree. Other: What is your gender? Male Female Other What is your racial or ethnic identification? 1/2

17 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 17 3/6/2014 Post LEAP Assessment - Semester 2 Check all that apply American Indian or other Native American Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander Black or African American White (non-hispanic) Hispanic or Latino Other Submit Never submit passwords through Google Forms. Powered by This content is neither created nor endorsed by Google. Report Abuse - Terms of Service - Additional Terms 2/2

18 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 18 Appendix C 3/6/2014 Post LEAP Assessment - Semester 8 Post LEAP Assessment - Semester 8 Edit this form What is your cumalitive GPA? Below Above 4.0 Have you taken honors classes? Yes No How long is your intended program of study? 3 years 4 years 5 years 6 years More than 6 years Do you intend to re-enroll next semester? Yes No If 'No', why don't you intend to re-enroll? I am graduating. I am transferring to another institution. I can't re-enroll due to financial reasons. I can't re-enroll due to family obligations. I am pursuing another type of degree. Other: What is your gender? Male Female Other What is your racial or ethnic identification? 1/2

19 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH LEAP 19 3/6/2014 Post LEAP Assessment - Semester 8 Check all that apply American Indian or other Native American Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander Black or African American White (non-hispanic) Hispanic or Latino Other Submit Never submit passwords through Google Forms. Powered by This content is neither created nor endorsed by Google. Report Abuse - Terms of Service - Additional Terms 2/2