Program Outcomes
- Academic Performance
- Dropout/High School Graduation
- Post Secondary Education
Program Type
- Academic Services
- After School
- Community, Other Approaches
- Mentoring - Tutoring
- Recreation - Leisure - Community Service
- Skills Training
Program Setting
- Community (e.g., religious, recreation)
- School
Continuum of Intervention
- Selective Prevention (Elevated Risk)
Age
- Late Adolescence (15-18) - High School
Gender
Race/Ethnicity
Endorsements
- Blueprints: Promising
- Crime Solutions: Effective
- OJJDP Model Programs: Effective
Program Information Contact
Dr. Alan Curtis
President and Chief Executive Officer
The Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation
1875 Connecticut Ave NW #410
Washington, DC 20009
Phone: (202) 234-8104
www.eisenhowerfoundation.org
Program Developer/Owner
- Dr. Alan Curtis
- The Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation
Brief Description of the Program
Eisenhower Quantum is a youth development program, based on the Quantum Opportunities Program (QOP), which is designed to serve disadvantaged adolescents by providing education, service and development activities, and financial incentives over a four-year period, from ninth grade to high school graduation. Each year students are provided with 180 hours of academic support (adult tutoring, peer-assisted tutoring, homework assistance, etc.), 50 hours of service activities (participating in community service projects, civic activities, volunteering, etc.), and 180 hours of development activities (acquiring life/family skills, planning for college and jobs). Services are provided by trained case managers after school and at other community locations as needed. An important component of the program is "deep mentoring", in which mentors develop long-term relationships (over the four years of high school) with students and advocate for them in multiple settings including school, family, peer, and justice system.
Description of Program
Eisenhower Quantum is a youth development program, based on the Quantum Opportunities Program (QOP), which is designed to serve disadvantaged adolescents by providing education, service and development activities, and financial incentives over a four-year period, from ninth grade to high school graduation. Each year students are provided with 180 hours of academic support (adult tutoring, peer-assisted tutoring, homework assistance, etc.), 50 hours of service activities (participating in community service projects, civic activities, volunteering, etc.), and 180 hours of development activities (acquiring life/family skills, planning for college and jobs). Services are provided by trained case managers after school and at other community locations as needed. An important component of the program is "deep mentoring", in which mentors develop long-term relationships (over the four years of high school) with students and advocate for them in multiple settings including school, family, peer, and justice system.
The Eisenhower adaptation of Quantum differs in several ways from the original QOP intervention. The “eXtralearning” online tutoring component was replaced with greater hands-on tutoring focused on school assignments and supported, as needed, with technology brought in to help students with homework. The community service component of the earlier intervention was altered to focus more on youth leadership, such as organizing events that promote HIV/AIDS awareness when the participant’s home community is facing an HIV/AIDS epidemic. Finally, the overall time commitment and cost per student per year for the program was dramatically reduced from 750 hours and $18,394 (adjusted for inflation) to 410 hours and $9,456, making the program more feasible for widespread implementation. Specifically, yearly time commitments were reduced from 250 to 180 hours for education, from 250 to 180 hours for life-skills training (including college prep), and from 250 to 50 hours for youth leadership/community service.
Outcomes
Compared to controls, Eisenhower Quantum significantly increased:
- high school senior-year GPA.
- on-time high school graduation.
- college acceptance.
- college enrollment.
- persistence in college (at least one academic year).
The program impacts generally held for all racial/ethnic and gender subgroups and across all sites.
No risk or protective factors were measured.
Race/Ethnicity/Gender Details
The beneficial effects of the program on academic achievement, high school graduation, college acceptance, college enrollment, and persistence in college extended to all racial/ethnic (African American and Latino) and gender (boys and girls) subgroups examined.
Risk and Protective Factors
Risk Factors
- Individual: Antisocial/aggressive behavior, Favorable attitudes towards drug use, Gang involvement, Rebelliousness, Substance use, Youth employment
- School: Low school commitment and attachment, Poor academic performance, Repeated a grade
Protective Factors
- Individual: Clear standards for behavior, Prosocial behavior, Prosocial involvement
- Family: Attachment to parents
- School: Rewards for prosocial involvement in school
See also: Eisenhower Quantum Opportunities Program Logic Model (PDF)
Training and Technical Assistance
The initial Quantum Opportunities training session offered by the Eisenhower Foundation is held over two days in Washington, DC. Foundation staff and selected outside practitioners lead the Workshop. The Executive Directors and Program Directors generally participate in the training session.
On Day 1, participants receive training on the goals and objectives of the Eisenhower Quantum Opportunities Program, as well as each of the 6 specific program interventions (for example, on how best to undertake effective tutoring and best practices to prepare youth for post-secondary education and training). The train-the-trainer model is also employed so that staff can return to their sites and train additional staff members.
On Day 2, participants will receive training on staff and youth recruitment, staff and youth retention, program management, data collection and reporting. At the end of the session work plans are developed and discussed.
A second training session is required before a program moves into year 2. The training is held over a two-day period in Washington, DC. On Day 1, participants review the goals and objectives of the Eisenhower Quantum Opportunities Program, as well as each of the 6 specific program interventions. Challenges, barriers, successes and improvements with meeting the goals objectives are discussed. Participants are broken apart in teams to promote team building, innovation and strategic thinking.
On Day 2, participants revisit their previously developed work plans and make needed changes and improvements. During Day 2, sustainability, fundraising and community networking are emphasized.
Brief Evaluation Methodology
Eisenhower Quantum was implemented between 2009 and 2014 across 5 sites in the U.S. and evaluated by Curtis et al. (2015, 2016). The randomized controlled trial followed 300 at-risk 9th grade students (N= 60 per site) over all 4 years of high school and focused on assessing the program’s impact on 5 measures of academic success (four at posttest and one at 1-year post intervention): high school GPA, on-time high school graduation, college acceptance, college enrollment, and persistence in college for one academic year.
Peer Implementation Sites
Emmett Folgert
Dorchester Youth Collaborative
1514-A Dorchester Avenue
Dorchester, MA 02122
617-288-1748 (office)
mrosario@northstarlc.org
Maria Rosario
Executive Director
Northstar Learning Centers
53 Linden Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
508-991-5907 (office)
mrosario@northstarlc.org
References
Curtis, A., & Bandy, T. (2015). The Quantum Opportunities Program: A randomized control evaluation. Washington, D.C.: The Eisenhower Foundation.
Curtis, A., & Bandy, T. (2016). The Quantum Opportunities Program: A randomized control evaluation, 2nd edition. Washington, D.C.: The Eisenhower Foundation.
