By Bill DeBaun, Senior Director, Data and Strategic Initiatives
Reading time: Four minutes
A growing body of college access research demonstrates the impact of long-term, place-based investments on students’ postsecondary outcomes. A recent independent evaluation of Rhode Island’s statewide GEAR UP program contributes to this research base
and shows that the benefits of sustained college access advising spill beyond access, persistence, and completion measures.
A recently released impact study of the Onward We Learn GEAR UP program followed three cohorts of students who entered
the program as sixth graders in 2007–08, 2008–09, and 2009–10. Using a rigorous quasi-experimental design, researchers matched 745 GEAR UP participants to 745 similar peers and tracked both groups from middle school through six years after expected
high school graduation using state longitudinal data and National Student Clearinghouse records.
The results are striking and instructive for National College Attainment Network (NCAN) members working to build durable systems of postsecondary advising and support.
Impacts on College Completion
Across all 6th graders in the study, 28.6% of GEAR UP participants earned a postsecondary credential within six years of expected high school graduation, compared to 19.3% of the comparison group. That 9.3 percentage point difference represents a 48%
increase in the likelihood of college completion.
When the researchers broadened the lens to include students who were still enrolled in college after six years, the benefit conferred by Onward We Learn remained substantial. More than 37% of GEAR UP participants achieved a “positive college outcome,”
compared to 26% of comparison students.
These outcomes matter because they reflect the full educational pathway, not just the students who made it to college right away. The gains are cumulative, sustained over time, and driven by fewer students falling off at each transition point.
“The results demonstrate that durable advising systems—rooted in middle school and sustained through postsecondary transitions—can meaningfully move completion outcomes”, stated Andrew Bramson, Onward We Learn CEO and Rhode Island GEAR UP Project Director.
“This is what’s possible when data, long-term investment, and student-centered support work together at scale.”
Plugging a Leaky Pipeline, Promoting Continuous Enrollment
The evaluation shows consistent advantages for GEAR UP participants at each stage from middle school through postsecondary education:
82.8% of participants reached 12th grade on time (compared to 74.1% of peers)
76.9% graduated high school on time (68.1%)
55% of all sixth graders enrolled in college immediately after high school (42.4%)
Each individual gain compounds. By reducing attrition at every opportunity, Onward We Learn produced much larger long-term effects on enrollment, persistence, and completion.
“The evidence shows that small advantages at each educational transition accumulate over time, resulting in substantially higher rates of postsecondary success for GEAR UP participants,” said Dr. Neeta Fogg, who co-authored the study
with Dr. Paul Harrington.
Strong Results for Students Facing Higher Risk
The study also sheds light on who benefits most from sustained early intervention.
Latino/a students in GEAR UP were nine percentage points more likely to complete college within six years than their peers and 11 percentage points more likely to reach a positive college outcome. Black students saw particularly strong gains in college
persistence and positive outcomes.
Students with 6th behavioral risk factors also benefited. Among students with one or more suspensions in sixth grade, GEAR UP participation was associated with an 11.6 percentage point increase in both college completion and positive outcomes relative
to the comparison group. Attendance patterns told a similar story, with GEAR UP participants outperforming peers across every attendance quartile. This suggests that participating in GEAR UP helped to avert negative impacts from risky behaviors.
Academic preparation mattered, but the program narrowed gaps rather than reinforcing them. While 6th reading proficiency strongly predicted long-term success, GEAR UP participants outperformed comparison students across nearly every proficiency level,
including students who entered middle school with substantial reading deficits.
Rhode Island Postsecondary Commissioner Dr. Shannon Gilkey credited the state’s longitudinal data system as being a key component in supporting Rhode Island’s GEAR UP efforts, stating “our state’s ability to link education data across
sectors makes it possible to understand what works—and this study shows the power of sustained, statewide investment in student success.”
Implications for the Field
When an NCAN member succeeds, the field succeeds. Pure and simple. We should collectively celebrate our successes because we all know how hard-won they are. Beyond that, there are several implications from this evaluation that should resonate with NCAN
members.
First, this is evidence that early, sustained advising and support can move completion outcomes, not just enrollment. The largest effects appear when programs reduce leakage across multiple years and transitions.
Second, the findings reinforce the importance of systems that begin well before high school (as early as sixth grade in this case!). Interventions that stabilize grade progression, attendance, and behavior in middle school shape postsecondary outcomes
more than any single senior-year effort.
Finally, the results underscore the value of statewide, coordinated approaches. Rhode Island’s ability to link K–12 and postsecondary data made it possible to measure true long-term impact and to understand where and how students benefit most.
As NCAN members work to strengthen advising systems, align state and local investments, and build pathways that extend beyond enrollment, this evaluation offers rare, long-term evidence of what sustained commitment can deliver. Congratulations to Onward
We Learn and all of their students, families, and partners.
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