Montana 10 Randomized Controlled Trial: Experimental Evidence for Comprehensive Rural Student Support

• In Event: Improving Rural Students’ College Persistence: Using Cultural Assets and Innovative Programming for College Completion

Abstract

Purpose
Montana 10 is the first experimental evaluation of a comprehensive student support program specifically designed for rural college contexts, addressing critical gaps in rigorous research. The program combines financial aid, academics, and support services to improve enrollment, persistence, and graduation outcomes for the state’s low-income, first-generation, rural, and Native American students, identities with significant intersection in the state. Longer-term impacts on credentials will inform scaling and sustainability decisions for state leaders.
Framework
The study employs frameworks recognizing persistence as influenced by interconnected factors including financial constraints, academic preparation, social belonging, and institutional support structures, all of which operate differently in rural contexts characterized by geographic isolation, limited resources, and unique cultural dynamics. Drawing from rural education literature emphasizing place-based approaches and community connections, the research examines how comprehensive support programming can address rural-specific barriers while building on students' cultural assets and community knowledge. The theoretical foundation incorporates Museus' (2016) culturally engaging campus environments, Yosso's (2005) cultural wealth framework, and emerging research on comprehensive student support models to understand how financial, academic, and social interventions interact to influence persistence decisions among rural students with diverse backgrounds, academic preparation levels, and career aspirations.
Methods
This randomized controlled trial employs multisite individual random assignment across eight institutions and a total n=1500. The methodology utilizes blocked randomization within institutions to improve precision and intention-to-treat using linear fixed-effects regression models with robust standard errors, supplemented by instrumental variables analysis to estimate local average treatment effects. The mixed-methods design incorporates qualitative data collection: student surveys, interviews, focus groups, and the arts-based method of journey mapping to understand treatment contrast, student experiences, and variation across institutional settings and student populations.
Data Sources
Primary data sources include baseline surveys from all 1,500 participants providing demographics, academic preparation, finances, and aspirations; comprehensive college administrative records tracking enrollment, credit accumulation, grades, and credential completion across multiple semesters; and qualitative data sources including interviews, focus groups, and student art. Collection of statewide data enables tracking of transfer and degree completion at institutions outside the study. Detailed cost data from participating institutions documents will enable cost-effectiveness analysis from institutional and societal perspectives.
Results / Substantiated Conclusions
At this early stage, there are no detectable impacts on student outcomes. Both program and control group students are performing at similarly high levels in their first academic year. The study will continue to track the study population to see whether impacts emerge over time. Qualitatively, students and staff greatly value the program and identify how it supports rural student persistence.
Significance
This research makes fundamental contributions to rural education scholarship by providing experimental evidence about program effectiveness in rural contexts and demonstrating the feasibility of including rural colleges and students in multisite RCTs. Findings directly inform state policy, institutional practices, and theoretical understanding of how interventions operate in rural contexts characterized by different student populations, institutional resources, and community dynamics. The research establishes a replicable model for rural higher education evaluation while providing actionable evidence for institutional leaders seeking to improve rural degree completion.

Author

• Alyssa Ratledge, MDRC