The Leaky Pipeline - Assessing the college outcomes of Ohio’s high-achieving low-income students

Oct 15, 2026

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Analyzes the education trajectories of HALO (high-achieving, low-income) students in Ohio and how their K–12 experiences relate to college outcomes. Based on anonymous student-level records, the report examines what HALO students experience in K–12, how many enroll in four-year colleges (including selective “top colleges”), and which K–12 factors best predict attendance. Key results show lower advanced coursework access, fewer AP/IB/dual-enrollment completions, and reduced gifted services, indicating persistent under-service and lost postsecondary opportunity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages81

Reading Time3 h 24 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword

Executive Summary

HALO Students and College-Going: What Research Tells Us

A Descriptive Look at Ohio’s HALO Students

HALO Students’ Districts of Residence and College-Going

HALO Students’ High Schools and College-Going

HALO Students Taking Advanced Coursework

Summary and Policy Implications

Appendixes

The Leaky Pipeline: Assessing the college outcomes of Ohio’s high-achieving low-income students Stéphane Lavertu November 2025 The Leaky Pipeline: Assessing the college outcomes of Ohio’s high-achieving low-income students By Stéphane Lavertu November 2025 About the author Stéphane Lavertu is a senior research fellow at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and professor in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. Any opinions or recommendations are his and do not necessarily represent policy positions or views of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, or The Ohio State University. Acknowledgments I am grateful for the extensive and helpful feedback I received from Fordham’s Chad Aldis, Aaron Churchill, Chester Finn, and Michael Petrilli (listed in alphabetical order by last name), as well as from external readers Richard Kahlenberg, Vladimir Kogan, and Jonathan Plucker. The report improved greatly because of their feedback. The weaknesses that remain are entirely my fault. — Stéphane Lavertu I offer my deepest gratitude to Stéphane Lavertu for his fine work carrying out this project. Special thanks also to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce for providing the data that made possible this report. I wish to thank David Yontz, who copy edited the report, and Dave Williams, who designed the layout. Finally, I thank my Fordham Institute colleagues Jeff Murray, Victoria McDougald, Meredith Coffey, and Stephanie Distler for their support in report publication and dissemination. — Aaron Churchill Ohio Research Director The Thomas B. Fordham Institute promotes educational excellence for every child in America via quality research, analysis, and commentary, as well as advocacy and charter school authorizing in Ohio. It is affiliated with the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, and this publication is a joint project of the Foundation and the Institute. For further information, please visit our website at [www.fordhaminstitute.org](www.fordhaminstitute.org) or write to the Institute at P.O. Box 82291, Columbus, OH 43202. The Institute is neither connected with nor sponsored by Fordham University. Contents Foreword 2 Executive Summary 6 HALO Students and College-Going: What Research Tells Us 9 A Descriptive Look at Ohio’s HALO Students 12 HALO Students’ Districts of Residence and College-Going 19 HALO Students’ High Schools and College-Going 31 HALO Students Taking Advanced Coursework 38 Summary and Policy Implications 41 Appendixes 44 The Leaky Pipeline: Assessing the college outcomes of Ohio’s high-achieving low-income students 1 Foreword By Aaron Churchill and Michael J. Petrilli America is wasting much of its human capital. That’s because many high-achieving, low-income students—we call them HALO students—fall off the education track and never reach the gates of our top colleges and universities. Regrettably, these capable young people won’t reap the benefits of a four-year degree, which remains a solid engine for upward mobility and career success. Their families, communities, and states won’t benefit from maximizing their capabilities. This represents a tragic loss of potential, while also leaving our best colleges and—later—our most promising occupations bereft of socioeconomic diversity and looking less like the nation writ large. We at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute have long been troubled by this leaky pipeline from K–12 to higher education. Through various empirical studies, we have drawn attention to the disappointing outcomes of high achievers from less advantaged backgrounds. We have also worked to develop and widely share policies and practices that would help more high achievers reach their full potential. The present study builds on those efforts to strengthen advanced education in U.S. schools, both generally and the Buckeye State particularly. We commissioned Ohio State University professor and Ford

FAQs

What does the report investigate about Ohio’s HALO students?

It examines their K–12 educational experiences, how many attend four-year colleges including selective “top colleges,” and which K–12 factors best predict college attendance.

How are HALO students defined in this report?

HALO students are identified based on top-20% statewide performance in math and ELA exams and economically disadvantaged status, largely determined by eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch.

What major gaps does the report find for Ohio’s HALO students?

Compared with similarly scoring students from more affluent backgrounds, Ohio’s HALO students are less likely to take advanced math in middle school, complete AP/IB/dual-enrollment in high school, and receive gifted services in middle or high school.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Melati