Referrals, Collaborative Actions, and Norm-Setting Practices : How College Access Programs Partner with High Schools (Journal Article)

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Abstract: Purpose: Schoolwide college access programs are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in high schools across the country. Research on their effectiveness in improving college-going rates is inconclusive, prompting scholars to question how programs affect practices in schools. To better understand how schools and college access programs work in partnership to expand college advising resources, we study the practices of high schools partnered with a national college access program. Research Methods/Approach: We conducted case studies of two schools, interviewing 118 teachers, staff, parents, students, and program partners over 2 years of data collection. Using the concept of school social capital—the cognitive, material, and social resources that schools derive from their partnership with other organizations—we examined the different ways that school staff interact and collaborate with college access partner staff.