ABSTRACT
The benefits of a college education are large and varied (Levy & Michel, 1991; Mishel & Bernstein 1994; Topel, 1993; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1996; U.S. Department of Education, 2000; Wilson, 1991). Unfortunately, the United States has been plagued by a persistent education gap. Children from low-income and ethnic minority backgrounds are (a) more likely to attend poorly funded, less rigorous elementary and secondary schools; (b) less likely to graduate from high school; and (c) less likely to attend and graduate from college (Baker & Velez, 1996; Berkner & Chavez, 1997; Gamoran, 1987). Despite overall increases in college attendance during the last three decades, the proportion of ethnic minority and low-income students attending college still lags behind the rates for White and more affluent students (Bankston & Cladas, 1997; U.S. Department of Education, 2000). Educators, policymakers, and parents have searched for ways to combat these troubling statistics. Summerbridge is a program that has the potential to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of the students it serves. This chapter describes the Summerbridge program, as well as the design and preliminary findings from the multifaceted evaluation effort that is currently being undertaken to assess the effectiveness of the program.
