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Abstract

We evaluate two interventions designed to improve students’ postsecondary readiness, as measured by their GPA, self-reported career readiness, and self-reported social emotional constructs, in rural districts. Student Success Planning (SSP) was implemented by 17 rural districts in New York and Ohio and included quarterly meetings between students and school staff to discuss their postsecondary interests and goals, and action plan their trajectories throughout high school to achieve those goals. Career Exposure (CE) was implemented by 11 rural districts in New York and Ohio and included monthly presentations by community members regarding their career trajectories and connections with skills and content learned in high school. Both interventions were evaluated using multi-site block randomized controlled trials. We estimate effects using Bayesian methods with diffuse priors. We find no certain effects of either SSP or CE on students’ GPA or career readiness overall, although we do find differences in effects across student populations and districts. We find suggestive evidence of improvements in students’ social emotional outcomes as a result of SSP, but no certain effects of CE on students’ social emotional outcomes. Implementation challenges and cross-site variation are discussed.

Citation

Swanson, Elise, Jennifer Ash, Sativa Thompson, Lisa Sanbonmatsu, Christopher Avery, Douglas O. Staiger, and Thomas J. Kane. "Supporting Postsecondary Readiness in Rural Districts: Experimental Evidence from a Rural Research Network." Center for Education Policy Research and National Center for Rural Education Research Networks, December 2024.