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impacts were 0.72 and 0.41. While the calculation of the expected impacts is based upon theunverifiable assumption that additional program group registrants attempted and earned creditsat the same rate as control group registrants, this analysis provides some evidence that theincreases in credits attempted and earned were driven by increased registration rates during thesecond program semester.This example highlights two interesting points. First, increased registration is an extremelyimportant program impact since it is almost certain to affect most other key educationaloutcomes. Second, because of the relationship between registration and other outcomes ofinterest, it is difficult to disentangle the program’s direct impact on credits earned from itsindirect impact on credits earned that are a result of its impact on registration. Nevertheless,while the results are not independent, there is strong evidence that the Opening Doors programhad a positive impact on registration, credits attempted, and credits earned during the secondprogram semester.Also of note is the fact that during both program semesters, program group studentswithdrew from at least one course at a higher rate than did control group students. While theother second semester impacts (increased registration, increased credits attempted, and increasedcredits earned) are positive program outcomes, the higher rate of withdrawing from anycourse among program group students is an ambiguous finding. It is possible that programgroup students were advised to withdraw from courses that were a mismatch for them orcourses that they were on track to fail. Withdrawing from such courses might enable students tofocus their energies on completing their other courses, an outcome that could be viewed aspositive. However, it is also possible that the Opening Doors counselors successfully convincedstudents to attempt more credits than they could handle, leading to increased withdrawalsamong program group students, an outcome that could be viewed as negative. Finally, much asthe average number of credits attempted and earned may be influenced by the program’s impacton registration rates, the percentage of students who withdraw from any course is also likely tobe influenced by the program’s impact on registration rates. Notably, in the first programsemester, there was no impact on registration, so in this semester the impact on withdrawalsappears to be a direct result of the program, not an artifact of increased registration.registrants as a result of the program — registrants who otherwise would have attempted and earned zerocredits. If these additional registrants attempted and earned credits at the same rate as registered control groupmembers, then the program group could expect an additional 805 (74.6 × 10.8) attempted credits and anadditional 454 (74.6 × 6.1) earned credits as a result of increased registration rates alone. Averaging theseadditional credits across all program group students yields 0.75 (805 ÷ 1,073) additional credits attempted and0.42 (454 ÷ 1,073) additional credits earned. (Numerical discrepancies are a result of rounding.)46
Program Control Difference StandardOutcome Group Group (Impact) ErrorFirst program semesterRegistered for any courses (%) 89.9 88.6 1.3 1.3Average number of credits attempted 9.8 9.7 0.2 0.2Regular credits 6.2 6.3 -0.1 0.2Developmental credits 3.5 3.3 0.2 * 0.1Average number of credits earned 5.3 5.1 0.2 0.2Regular credits 3.5 3.6 -0.1 0.2Developmental credits 1.8 1.5 0.2 ** 0.1Passed all courses (%) 31.3 31.3 0.0 2.0Withdrew from any courses (%) 30.0 26.2 3.8 ** 1.9Term GPA (%)0 to 1.9 34.9 34.3 0.7 2.02.0 or higher 44.1 43.0 1.0 2.1No GPA a 21.0 22.7 -1.7 1.8Second program semesterThe Opening Doors DemonstrationTable 4.1Transcript Outcomes, First and Second Program SemestersLorain County Community College and Owens Community College ReportRegistered for any courses (%) 65.3 58.3 7.0 *** 2.1Average number of credits attempted 7.0 6.3 0.7 *** 0.3Regular credits 5.4 4.9 0.4 ** 0.2Developmental credits 1.6 1.3 0.3 ** 0.1Average number of credits earned 4.0 3.5 0.4 ** 0.2Regular credits 3.2 3.0 0.2 0.2Developmental credits 0.7 0.5 0.2 ** 0.1Passed all courses (%) 24.2 22.0 2.2 1.8Withdrew from any courses (%) 21.5 18.7 2.8 * 1.7Term GPA (%)0 to 1.9 25.9 22.5 3.4 * 1.82.0 or higher 34.1 31.5 2.6 2.0No GPA a 39.9 46.0 -6.1 *** 2.1Sample size (total = 2,139) 1,073 1,066(continued)47
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OPENING DOORSMORE GUIDANCE,BETTER R
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Funders of the Opening Doors Projec
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ContentsOverviewList of Tables, Fig
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List of Tables, Figures, and BoxesT
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PrefaceIf approved by Congress, the
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guidance on the study. Thomas Brock
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• The Ohio colleges successfully
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Program group members were assigned
Page 20 and 21: • For the most part, the program
Page 22 and 23: offered, but might also provide stu
Page 25 and 26: Chapter 1IntroductionOver the last
Page 27 and 28: The Opening Doors DemonstrationTabl
Page 29 and 30: sure that students complete the req
Page 31 and 32: While the mechanism through which s
Page 33 and 34: imately 1,700 to 1 in 2001. 22 Exac
Page 35: of literature exist on career couns
Page 38 and 39: The CollegeLorain County Community
Page 40 and 41: • Were beginning freshmen or cont
Page 44 and 45: Table 2.1 (continued)SOURCE: MDRC c
Page 46 and 47: Lorain and Owens Financial Aid Data
Page 49 and 50: Chapter 3The Implementation of the
Page 51 and 52: Toward the end of each student’s
Page 53 and 54: meet with their counselor a minimum
Page 55: The Opening Doors DemonstrationTabl
Page 59 and 60: Appendix Table C.2 shows informatio
Page 61: Opening Doors counselors, and progr
Page 64 and 65: Program Control Difference Standard
Page 67 and 68: Chapter 4The Effects of Enhanced St
Page 69: Program SemestersTable 4.1 (page 47
Page 77 and 78: Transcript Outcomes by GenderAssess
Page 83 and 84: correspond with the program’s imp
Page 85 and 86: Chapter 5Summary and ConclusionsLor
Page 87 and 88: The Opening Doors DemonstrationFigu
Page 89 and 90: An alternative interpretation of th
Page 91: Appendix ASupplementary Baseline In
Page 94 and 95: Full Program ControlCharacteristic
Page 96 and 97: Appendix Table A.1 (continued)Full
Page 98 and 99: Full Program ControlCharacteristic
Page 105: Appendix BSurvey Response Analysis
Page 108 and 109: Background Characteristics of Surve
Page 110 and 111: Table B.1 (continued)Characteristic
Page 112 and 113: The Opening Doors DemonstrationAppe
Page 114 and 115: Table B.2 (continued)SOURCE: MDRC c
Page 116 and 117: Table B.3 (continued)Characteristic
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Table B.4 (continued)SOURCE: MDRC c
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Table B.5 (continued)Characteristic
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The Opening Doors DemonstrationAppe
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Table B.6 (continued)SOURCE: MDRC c
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Lorain OwensProgram ProgramOutcome
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Lorain County Community CollegeOwen
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Appendix DDescription of Scales Pre
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4. I hardly ever expect things to g
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Social Support and Civic Engagement
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Psychological Distress (6-item summ
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Male SubgroupFemale SubgroupDiffere
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Appendix Table E.7 (continued)SOURC
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The Opening Doors DemonstrationAppe
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Appendix Table E.10 (continued)SOUR
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ReferencesAdelman, Clifford. 2004.
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EARLIER MDRC PUBLICATIONS ON OPENIN
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About MDRCMDRC is a nonprofit, nonp
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