TY - JOUR TI - An evaluation of NJ LEEP DO - https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3QN6B5T PY - 2018 AB - Acceptance rates of low-income, urban minority students into colleges and universities have risen in recent years; however, retention and graduation rates for these students are still shockingly low when compared to their more affluent, white peers (Nyhan, 2015; Schmidt, 2008). Many after school programs in urban areas strive to ameliorate this gap by providing experiences and opportunities in addition to academic guidance for urban adolescents in order to help prepare these students for acceptance into and success in higher education. Although there is significant research that indicates participating in after-school programs can improve academic achievement in high school and can contribute to the growth of other non-academic skills, such as social capital, there is a scarcity of research that examines what aspects of after-school programs help urban adolescent students prepare for and enroll in higher educational institutions or how these programs help students to achieve this goal. This research examined how an after-school program, NJ LEEP, helps urban adolescent students succeed in post-secondary education through a theory, process, and outcome program evaluation using a convergent parallel mixed-methods case study design. Interviews, observations, and document analyses were used to establish program theory and to conduct a process evaluation, while quantitative analyses of ACT/SAT scores, graduation rates, GPA, non-cognitive questionnaire, and college enrollment data were used to assess program outcomes. Program Theory Evaluation was the guiding conceptual model to frame this research in order to provide a rich and holistic assessment of how and why the program is or is not achieving its goals. The results of this study indicated that providing comprehensive academic and socio-emotional skill development to low-income and first-generation students will contribute to increasing academic and socio-emotional indicators of college readiness, access, and success. KW - Urban Systems KW - Urban education--New Jersey KW - Academic achievement LA - eng ER -