UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECT OF AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM ON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES - Access and Opportunity Program Study in St. Cloud, Minnesota

Oct 15, 2026

Facing a continuing racial high school graduation gap, Minnesota emphasizes resources and opportunities to help young adults succeed after high school. The study evaluates the Access and Opportunity Program, focusing on targeted mentoring and a supportive learning environment, and estimates effects on retention and graduation. A longitudinal quasi-experimental analysis uses administrative student-level data from a central Minnesota district for 2008–2013. Results show higher graduation odds for students of color participants versus eligible non-participants and increased retention across cohorts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages14

Reading Time35 min

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UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECT OF AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM ON HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES: THE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM IN ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA MÓNICA GARCÍA-PÉREZ St. Cloud State University ROBERT C. JOHNSON St. Cloud State University ABSTRACT Facing a continuing racial high school graduation gap, the state of Minnesota is emphasizing the importance of offering resources and opportunities to close this gap to prepare young adults to be adequately ready for success at the post-secondary level, that is, college and career. With this in mind, it is important to evaluate educational programs that offer resources such as targeted mentoring and a supportive learning environment and to estimate their impact on high school retention and graduation rates. We extend our analysis to a longitudinal study of 4-year-cohort graduation and retention rates across years using student-level administrative data from a school district in Central Minnesota on Access and Opportunity Program participants from 2008 to 2013. The combination of different cohorts allows us to disentangle cohort specific characteristics that could be correlated to rapid demographic changes that could impact students’ success rates but are not related to the program itself. For instance, the entrance of new English learners in the system may bias educational outcome rates, underscoring the short-run effect of educational programs in the district. On the other hand, educational programs evolve across time and looking across the years would allow us to identify the intensity of the program and its evolution. We correct for selectivity and attrition issues based on observable characteristics and design a quasi-experimental analysis with information before and after the program started. We use as a control group most similar non-participant students. Furthermore, students who have been identified as eligible participants, but who elected not to participate, serve as another form of control. Our results show that compared to eligible non-participants, students of color participating in the program have higher odds to graduate from high school and, across cohorts, there is an increase in retention rates. INTRODUCTION High school graduation is of great national interest and significance. For example, President Obama has emphasized the importance of students studying hard, working to overcome challenges, and completing high school to go on to other facets of their lives. (Obama's speech on importance of education, 2009). Obama's administration has called for a redesigning of the high school experience to better prepare young people for the challenges ofthe 21st century (Next Generation High Schools, n.d.) . National data indicate that the high school graduation rate is increasing. However, highschool completion varies by factors such as race or ethnicity, socioeconomic status, English language learner status, geography, gender among other conditions. (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016). Nationally, there have long been calls for efforts to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for underserved and at risk groups. Some examples of more recent efforts of the past three decades include the National Commission on Excellence in Education's 1983 report, “A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform,” (A Nation At Risk, 1983); the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB); Race to the Top (Fundamental Change, 2015); and the pending Every Student Succeeds Act (Hinrichs, 2016). In Minnesota, similar efforts focus on improving educational outcomes for at risk students groups. The research reported in this paper comes from one such initiative. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (MnSCU), now called Minnesota State, developed an initiative Educational Planning 41 Vol. 24, No. 2 stressing research, demonstration and service to address these problems, funding three centers for this purpose. The St. Cloud Center for Access and Opportu

FAQs

What problem does the study focus on?

The study targets a continuing racial gap in high school graduation outcomes and the need to provide resources that improve readiness for post-secondary success.

How is the Access and Opportunity Program evaluated?

It is assessed using a longitudinal, quasi-experimental design that analyzes 4-year cohort graduation and retention rates from 2008 to 2013 using student-level administrative data.

What groups are used for comparison?

Most similar non-participant students form the control group, and eligible students who chose not to participate provide an additional comparison group to support estimates of program impact.

Oct 15, 2026

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