Casey Agena

Bypass for a "Leaky" Educational Pipeline: a Case Study of the Bridge Program at Punahou School Casey Agena

This study identifies the challenges low-SES students face in a high- achieving academic environment, and to capture the model of academic and social success for students from this population. This study examines the assumptions of the program, and examine if the effectiveness of the educational organization provides in meeting the academic and social needs of a diverse student population, particularly low-SES students. There is a scarcity of data linked to the support for low-SES students? success in high-achieving environments, as it relates to postsecondary education outcomes. The study measures the extent to which Punahou School provides support for low-SES students, and defines the organizational structures for supporting academic and social success through postsecondary education in its Bridge Program. The factors that were explored in this study are school culture, impact of SES, the extent to which low-SES students navigate the college-going culture, and the characteristics of programs that support students of low-SES to socially find success in schools.