Enhanced Opening Doors

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

This program is a part of MDRC’s multisite Opening Doors demonstration project. MDRC is a firm which evaluates programs and policies with the goal of changing social policy and improving the well-being of low-income individuals.

From 2003 to 2009, six community colleges across the United States offered innovative programs to help students increase their academic performance. Chaffey Community College, in Southern California, focused on improving academic outcomes among students who were on academic probation. They enhanced the original “Opening Doors” program by making certain parts of the program mandatory. Specifically, all students who enrolled in the program were required to take a “College Success” course. In this course a college counselor taught students how do well in school and get off probation. Students were expected to visit Chaffey’s “Success Centers” where they could receive supplementary individualized or group instruction in math, reading, and writing. The two-semester program operated during fall 2006 and spring 2007.

Goal / Mission

The goal of this program is to improve outcomes among Community College students who are on academic probation.

Impact

Enhanced Opening Doors helps low-income students earn college credentials as the pathway to better jobs and further education.

Results / Accomplishments

In 2006, MDRC and Chaffey Community College randomly assigned 444 students to either the Enhanced Opening Doors program or a control group. Study results revealed that the Enhanced Opening Doors program increased the average number of credits earned (P=0.01), the proportion of students who earned a grade point average of 2.0 or higher (P=0.01), and the proportion who moved off probation (P=0.01).

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Chaffey Community College
Primary Contact
Susan Scrivener
MDRC
19th Floor
16 East 34 Street
New York, NY 10016-4326
(212) 532-3200
publications@mdrc.org
https://www.mdrc.org/about/susan-scrivener
Topics
Education / Educational Attainment
Organization(s)
Chaffey Community College
Source
MDRC
Date of publication
Apr 2009
Date of implementation
2005
Location
California, Louisiana, New York, Ohio
For more details
http://www.mdrc.org/project/opening-doors#overview
http://www.mdrc.org/publication/getting-back-track
Target Audience
Adults
Additional Audience
Community College Students

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Related Content for: Enhanced Opening Doors

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.