100% College Acceptance! An Exploration of the Acceptance/Persistence Disjuncture for No-Excuses School Graduates

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: College Student Persistence and Completion

Abstract

No Excuses charter schools are lauded for their promise of promoting college going for low income minority students. However, researchers question the impact these restrictive schools have on student development and well-being. This study looks beyond acceptance rates to better understand enrollment, persistence, and retention for 35 No Excuses alumni. Though all the focal students were accepted to college, many faced academic, financial, and social/racial barriers to retention and persistence. The regimented college choice approach at their high school funneled students into predominately White, less selective institutions, exacerbating these issues. This work has implications for college access and readiness for minoritized students and contributes important context for those puzzling over whether the ends justify the means of No Excuses schools.

Author

• Lori Ann Noll, University of Pennsylvania