| The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of African American students on the impact of an Upward Bound Program on their academic performance, self-esteem, and the attitudes toward post-secondary educational success. Specifically, this study was concerned with the following variables: gender, family structure, and age as they related to the students aforementioned perceptions.;A survey design was employed in this investigation to collect and analyze the data. Three hundred fifty-three (353) African American high school students participated in this empirical study. An instrument entitled "The Middleton Upward Bound Survey" was used to gather the data. The investigative instrument was validated by a group of Upward Bound professionals and university research professors. The instrument had an alpha coefficient of .84 for the test as a whole.;Moreover, the data was tested through the application of the One-Way Analysis of Variance and the Scheffe' Multiple Comparison Test. Among the conclusions of this study were the following; in general it appeared the younger African American high school students are more favorable to his/her perceptions regarding the impact of an Upward Bound Programs on student academic achievement. African American high school students who reside with a guardian also tend to have more favorable perceptions regarding the impact of an Upward Bound Programs on their academic achievement. Regardless, of African American high school students' age, gender or family structure, they tend to have similar perceptions regarding the impact of an Upward Bound Programs on their attitudes toward post-secondary educational success. |
