EOA national best practices directory 2017 (3rd ed.)

Abstract

The EOA National Best Practice Center identifies, validates, and disseminates practical activities and approaches to improve success of students who are low-income, first-generation, and historically underrepresented in education. Rather than looking to others for solutions, the federally funded TRIO and GEAR-UP grant programs have the expertise needed. The key is sharing it more widely and comprehensively with each other. The co-sponsors for the Center are EOA and the University of Minnesota. The administrative and education best practices in this publication have been reviewed and approved by multiple members of an external expert panel of qualified reviewers. Each practice has been approved as promising, validated, or exemplary based on the level of evidence supporting it. The rigorous standards applied during the review process are similar to previous national evaluation efforts by the U.S. Department of Education. More information about the rigorous standards and the external expert panel is contained in Appendix B of this publication. The practices approved thus far by the EOA Center represent each of the five major TRIO grant programs: Educational Talent Search, Upward Bound, Educational Opportunity Centers, Student Support Services, and the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Programs. One practice is from a GEAR UP program. For readers unfamiliar with TRIO programs, a short history is provided on the following pages. While the education practices come from TRIO programs, they could be adapted for use with nearly any student academic support and student development program. TRIO and GEAR UP programs are incubators of best practices to serve the needs of historically underrepresented students and the general student population. Readers can use this publication as a guide for implementing the education practices contained within it. Detailed information about the education practices purposes, educational theories that guide the practice, curriculum outlines, resources needed for implementation, evaluation process, and contact information are provided by the submitters of the practice who have practical experience implementing the practices. You are encouraged to contact them for additional information.