Pepperdine University Pepperdine Digital Commons Theses and Dissertations 2018 Examining the effectiveness of Upward Bound on postsecondary success: a phenomenological study Marilyn E. Ingram Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd Recommended Citation Ingram, Marilyn E., "Examining the effectiveness of Upward Bound on postsecondary success: a phenomenological study" (2018). Theses and Dissertations. 931. https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd/931 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology EXAMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF UPWARD BOUND ON POSTSECONDARY SUCCESS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership by Marilyn E. Ingram April, 2018 Reyna Garcia-Ramos, Ph.D. – Dissertation Chairperson This dissertation, written by Marilyn E. Ingram under the guidance of a Faculty Committee and approved by its members, has been submitted to and accepted by the Graduate Faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION Doctoral Committee: Reyna Garcia-Ramos, Ph.D., Chairperson Robert Farrar, Ed.D. Thelma Day, Ed.D. ©Copyright by Marilyn E. Ingram (2018) All Rights Reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ..........................................................................................................................vi LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................vii DEDICATION ..............................................................................................................................viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... ix VITA ............................................................................................................................................... x ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 Background of Study ...........................................................................................................1 Purpose of Study ..................................................................................................................4 Importance of Study .............................................................................................................5 Definition of Terms..............................................................................................................6 Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................8 Research Questions ............................................................................................................10 Limitations .........................................................................................................................10 Delimitations ......................................................................................................................11 Assumptions .......................................................................................................................11 Organization of Study ........................................................................................................12 Summary ............................................................................................................................12 Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature .......................................................................................14 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................................14 College Access Programs ..................................................................................................17 Recognized College Access Programs...............................................................................18 I Have a Dream ..................................................................................................................21 Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs ............................22 Advancement Via Individual Determination Program ......................................................25 Upward Bound ...................................................................................................................28 Barriers to Success .............................................................................................................39 Summary ............................................................................................................................46 Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................................48 Introduction ........................................................................................................................48 Research Questions ............................................................................................................48 Methodology ......................................................................................................................49 Research Design.................................................................................................................50 Research Site ......................................................................................................................51 v Population, Sample, and Sampling Procedures .................................................................52 Data Collection and Data Analysis ....................................................................................53 Instrumentation ..................................................................................................................55 Validity and Reliability ......................................................................................................57 Data Management ..............................................................................................................59 Human Subject Considerations ..........................................................................................59 IRB Approval .....................................................................................................................60 Positionality .......................................................................................................................60 Summary ............................................................................................................................61 Chapter 4: Findings ........................................................................................................................63 Introduction ........................................................................................................................63 Background Information ....................................................................................................63 Data Collection Procedures ................................................................................................65 Data Analysis Procedures ..................................................................................................66 Study Participants ..............................................................................................................68 Review of the Research and Interview Questions .............................................................69 Summary ............................................................................................................................85 Chapter 5: Summary, Key Findings, Implications, and Recommendations ..................................86 Summary of the Study .......................................................................................................86 Summary of Findings .........................................................................................................88 Key Findings ......................................................................................................................90 Recommendations for Future Research .............................................................................94 Participant Recommendations ...........................................................................................95 Limitations of the Study.....................................................................................................97 Study Validity ....................................................................................................................98 Final Thoughts ...................................................................................................................98 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................100 APPENDIX A: IRB Approval