The effect of the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program (GEAR UP) on Algebra I enrollment, academic achievement, and enrollment rate in rigorous courses

The focus of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an early intervention program on Algebra I enrollment and achievement among eighth grade student cohorts, and the enrollment rate in rigorous courses. The specific intervention, GAINING EARLY AWARENESS FOR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM (GEAR UP) has been implemented in six school districts in the Lower Rio Grande Valley since the 1999--2000 academic year.; In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the GEAR UP program, a causal-comparative research design was implemented in which the enrollment, achievement, and the selection of rigorous courses by students in four cohort groups in six school districts were examined. The students differed with regard to one critical variable---participation or non-participation in the program but were otherwise comparable. The four experimental cohort groups were comprised of 12,188 seventh grade students who participated in the GEAR UP program. The comparison group consisted of a sample of 2,714 seventh grade students who did not participate in the GEAR UP program.; The results indicated that (1) the enrollment in Algebra I of eighth grade student cohorts which participated in GEAR UP was statistically significantly higher than the enrollment in Algebra I of eighth grade student cohorts which did not participate in GEAR UP; (2) while there were no statistically significant differences between the Algebra I academic achievement of eighth grade student cohorts in the first year of program implementation, there were statistically significant differences found in later years of program operation; (3) the enrollment rate in rigorous courses of the student cohorts which participated in GEAR UP was statistically significantly higher than the enrollment rate in rigorous courses of the student cohorts which did not participate in GEAR UP. Although the effect sizes obtained did not reach the criterion level for educational significance, the results suggest that the GEAR UP program had been effective with regard to Algebra I enrollment, effective with regard to academic achievement-particularly after the second year of implementation, and effective with regard to the enrollment rate in rigorous courses.