Text Messaging in a College Access Program for High School Students: A Latent Profile Analysis

• In Event: 67.069 - Sheraton Roundtable 14 - Osgoode Ballroom
  In Roundtable Session: 67.069-8 - Evidence From College Access Interventions

Abstract

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, ProMod seeks to support predominately low-income, Hispanic high school seniors’ access to postsecondary education. A core component of ProMod is interactive text messaging from near-peer mentors to assist in minimizing barriers to college access. In this study, we coded the text messages for content and purpose of the texts. Then using latent profile analysis, we identified three subgroups of students. The resultant groups differed in text conversation quality, student perceptions of texting, and first-year college attendance rates. The presentation will discuss how the findings can inform content of text messaging interventions.

Authors

• Scott C. Marley, Arizona State University

• Stephanie Sowl, Iowa State University

• M Jeanne Wilcox, Arizona State University

• Natalie Nailor, Arizona State University