Includes bibliographical references (pages 195-201) and index.
Contents:
Introduction : melting dreams -- UNDERSTANDING SUMMER MELT. A trickle or a torrent? : the scope of summer melt -- Three students, three summers : navigating the transition to college -- "Summer melt begins in February" : punctures in the college pipeline -- MITIGATING SUMMER MELT. Capitalizing on counselors : summer outreach within and outside schools -- Ten texts to college : using technology to "nudge" students -- With a little help from my friends : peer mentors offer summer support -- IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND POLICY. Assessing and addressing summer melt : what high schools and community groups can do -- Revisiting the road map to college : opportunities for cross-sector collaboration -- Conclusion : lessons from summer melt -- Appendex A : Sample college transition cheat sheet -- Appendix B : Sample high school exit survey -- Appendix C : Text message templates for students and parents -- Appendix D : Overview of required college matriculation tasks.
Summary:
Under increasing pressure to raise graduation rates and ensure that students leave high school college- and career-ready, many school and district leaders may believe that, when students graduate with college acceptances in hand, their work is done. But as Benjamin L. Castleman and Lindsay C. Page show, summer can be a time of significant attrition among college-intending seniors--especially those from low-income families. Anywhere from 10 to 40 percent of students presumed to be headed to college fail to matriculate at any postsecondary institution in the fall following high school. Summer Melt explores the complex factors that contribute to this trend--the absence of school support, confusion over paperwork, lack of parental guidance, and the teenage tendency to procrastinate. The authors draw on findings from fields such as neuroscience, behavioral economics, and social psychology to contextualize these factors. Drawing on a series of research studies, they show how schools and districts can develop effective, low-cost, scalable responses--including counselor outreach, peer mentoring, and using text messages and social media--to help students stay on track over the summer. Summer Melt offers very practical guidance for schools and districts committed to helping their students make the transition to college.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.