Research and Coordination: Utilizing External Partners to Achieve Equitable College Completion Rates in Chicago

• In Event: Improving the College Experience by Improving Readiness and Feelings of Belonging

Abstract

Chicago is home to a large emerging field of external partner organizations that use research by faculty at local universities to close equity gaps in higher education attainment. Organizations such as One Goal, The University of Chicago’s Network for College Success, KIPP Through College, and One Million Degrees have redefined the landscape of college transition services by providing research-informed coaching to students and practitioners working in traditionally underfunded, urban high schools. In this paper, we conduct a scan of all external partner organizations supporting college success in Chicago to identify and analyze the role of research—particularly on “college match”—in the growth of this organizational field and its ongoing efforts to produce more equitable outcomes at scale.

Authors

• Kallie Ann Clark, Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice

• Bridgette Davis, University of Chicago

• Matthew Holsapple, iMentor