Purpose: The qualitative evaluation of ASPIRE sought to identify features of successful ASPIRE programs in terms of program implementation and student involvement, and how these differed according to attributes of the program context (e.g., region, demographics of student body, urban/rural status of the school).
Project Design: ASPIRE helps high school students across Oregon plan for their post-secondary futures by pairing them with trained community volunteers who provide one-on-one mentoring. The evaluation used a collective case study approach to examine six ASPIRE programs located in diverse schools across Oregon. The project involved several different data collection activities including: 1) ASPIRE program administration interviews, 2) ASPIRE volunteer interviews, 3) current ASPIRE student focus groups, 4) program implementation data, and 5) school-level descriptive information published on the Oregon Department of Education Web site.
Funding Source: Oregon Community Foundation
Start Date: March 2008
NPC Project Team
Principal Investigator
Carrie Furrer, Ph.D.
Project Staff