Reducing Educational Inequity? An Analysis of the TRIO Program for First-Generation Low Income Students’ SAT Scores

Abstract

This study examines whether the federal TRIO Upward Bound program, one of the policies designed to improve educational disparities, has achieved its goal of improving SAT scores. Specifically, we evaluate the effect of teaching Greek and Latin roots on educational outcomes by comparing the SAT scores of students who did and did not receive the intervention and students who were first-generation and low-income as opposed to being first-generation or low-income. A Difference-in-Difference (DID) regression analysis of data from four high schools in Idaho’s Treasure Valley (2015-2018) shows that SAT scores are significantly associated with race, English proficiency, and GPA. However, we did not find evidence that the Greek and Latin root intervention was statistically significant in improving the target group’s educational attainment, which contradicts a prior study. The findings indicate that the intervention has not successfully improved SAT scores, and the social construction policy framework is better at explaining the effectiveness of TRIO Upward Bound programs than specific SAT interventions in helping first-generation, limited-income students access higher education.