A BluePrint for Success: Case Studies of Successful - Educational ...

A Blueprint for Success
FCE. One group provided an evaluation of FCE’s parent engagement program and the other looked
at the pros and cons of creating a middle school program.
Evidence of Success
According to Dr. Waring, FCE loses very few students during high school because the initial hurdle
they go through to apply to the program is pretty high. In the last four years, the program asked
three students to leave and two left due to family reasons, resulting in attrition of five students out of
70 (7 percent). Once students and families decide to be in the program, they are committed to participating
in the events. Dr. Waring indicated that if students stay in the program, “100 percent
graduate from high school” and almost every one of them has gained admission to a four-year institutions.
In 2010, 3 of 11 FCE students attended a two-year college immediately after high school.
FCE recognizes that the challenges these students face are different compared to those who attend a
four-year college, but FCE maintains a good relationship with the two-year institutions and works
with the students to make sure they are paired with the appropriate resources and have a plan for
transferring to a four-year college or university.
To date, FCE has sent 122 students to college. Fifty-three have graduated (43 percent) and 55 are
still enrolled in college (45 percent). Dr. Waring explained that college graduation rates are largely
predicted by the type of institution their students attend. That is, students attending private college
are more likely to graduate on time. For FCE students, 85 percent of those who start college graduate.
Approximately 64 percent graduate in four years and 89 percent graduate in five years. This latter
statistic enables FCE to determine whether they are meeting their goal of having 85 percent of
students receive their degrees within 5 years (see Figure 2).
Figure 2. FCE College Student Completion Rates vs. National Averages
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
FCE College Student Comple9on Rates vs. Na9onal Averages
4 years 5 years
FCE College
Comple]on Rate
Na]onal College
Comple]on Rate
Black College
Comple]on Rate
Hispanic College
Comple]on Rate
Educational Policy Institute 79 www.educationalpolicy.org