A college readiness intervention program’s impact on college-going self-efficacy and college knowledge.

EnAbled for College functions as a model postsecondary education (PSE) transition program to assist high school students who are at risk and/or low socioeconomic status. EnAbled for College pairs graduate student mentors with high school students who meet weekly with students to cover a research based curriculum designed to instill strategies for persisting until high school graduation and skills for preparing for PSE attainment and success. This study analyzes the results for a three-year span of the program and includes a comparison group that is similar in gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic level, and first generation status. The participants for the comparison group were selected based on a proportional stratified sample to represent the demographics of the EnAbled for College participants. The study was a quasi-experimental pre- and post-intervention design with a post hoc data analysis. Pre- and post-intervention surveys were obtained from both groups and a multiple regression analysis was used to measure growth in self-efficacy attendance, self-efficacy persistence, and college knowledge. The National Student Clearinghouse data was used to determine enrollment in PSE and a logistic regression was used to measure the differences in PSE enrollment between groups. The findings indicate the EnAbled for College participants’ high school graduation, college attendance, and growth in college knowledge were statistically different from the comparison group. PSE enrollment for the EnAbled for College participants exceeded the comparison group as well as the national average. The analysis did not show a statistical difference between groups for self-efficacy attendance and persistence, but the difference in growth from the pre- to the post-surveys for the EnAbled for College participants exceeded the comparison group. The program provides interventions for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds to increase knowledge of PSE readiness. Steps to implement a transition program are presented as well as practical implications and directions for future research