Reports
The Gender Divide in Academic Engagement: Perspectives from Maine Boys and Young Men
This report details findings from 72 focus groups conducted in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and colleges across Maine in 2007–2008. More than 540 boys and young men took part in the study, which explored their feelings and opinions on gender and schooling. The report represents one of the first comprehensive investigations of the growing gender divide in academic engagement and achievement from the perspective of male students.
The Maine Boys Network is a partnership between Bates College, Bowdoin College, Boys to Men, Bridgton Academy, Colby College, the Great Schools Partnership, the Mitchell Institute, Portland Public Schools, Unity College, and the University of Maine at Farmington. The Network is committed to promoting the health and successful development of all boys from pre-adolescence through young adulthood by supporting their success in academic settings.
Early College in Maine: Expanding Opportunities
This report is based on the experiences of 690 Maine high school students who participated, between September 2006 and June 2007, in the Access College Early Program, a statewide dual-enrollment program for low-income, first-generation, and low-aspirations students. The study describes the characteristics and outcomes of participating students, as well as their observations about early college. Four other early college programs are profiled, and recommendations are made for sustaining and expanding early college opportunities.
Full Report (18 pages)
Summary Report (4 pages)
Barriers Reports
In 2001, the Mitchell Institute conducted a statewide study of barriers to college facing Maine students and their families. The resulting report, Barriers to Post-Secondary Education in Maine: Making College the Obvious and Attainable Next Step for More Maine Students (Barriers I), which was funded by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and published in July 2002, identified opportunities for improving access to higher education and offered concrete suggestions about how Maine schools and communities could help increase the proportion of students continuing on to postsecondary education.
In 2006, the Mitchell Institute received grants from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and Bank of America to conduct a follow-up study that would explore the growing gap between college intentions and actual enrollment among Maine's graduating high school seniors. In July 2007, the fifth anniversary of the Barriers I report, the Mitchell Institute released From High School to College: Removing Barriers for Maine Students (Barriers II). The report describes college enrollment trends in Maine, discusses the social, cultural, academic, and financial issues facing Maine students, profiles promising practices in Maine schools and communities, and makes recommendations about how to help more Maine students realize their college aspirations.
Barriers II Report (2007)
Summary Report (6 pages)
Full Report (32 pages)
Barriers I Report (2002)
Executive Summary (9 pages)
Full Report (300 pages)
Early College in Maine: Student Outcomes & Lessons Learned from One Model
A study showing results from the first three semesters of Wells High School's early college program at York County Community College. Click HERE for an executive summary of the report. (2006)
Distance Learning via ATM in Maine High Schools, 2001–2004
A report exploring the statewide use of Maine's distance-learning network in 79 high schools. (2004)
One-to-One Laptops in a High School Environment
A study of one-to-one computing in Piscataquis Community High School, a rural school of 285 students, that was the first high school in Maine to provide a laptop computer to every student. (2004)
Sports Done Right: A Call to Action on Behalf of Maine's Student Athletes
This nationally acclaimed report outlines seven core principles and supporting core practices that can lay the foundation for healthy sports programs, while also identifying "out-of-bounds" actions that are common red flags for troubling trends, negative behaviors and attitudes, and potentially harmful policies (2005).
Promising Futures: A Call to Improve Learning for Maine's Secondary Students
This groundbreaking report helped launch many of Maine's most ambitous school-improvement efforts, including the Great Maine Schools Project. It recommends principles, practices, and strategies for strengthening Maine high schools to prepare every student for success in the 21st century (1997).
MAINE BOYS NETWORK
The Gender Divide in Academic Engagement: Perspectives from Maine Boys and Young Men
This report details findings from 72 focus groups conducted in elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and colleges across Maine in 2007–2008. More than 540 boys and young men took part in the study, which explored their feelings and opinions on gender and schooling. The report represents one of the first comprehensive investigations of the growing gender divide in academic engagement and achievement from the perspective of male students.
The Maine Boys Network is a partnership between Bates College, Bowdoin College, Boys to Men, Bridgton Academy, Colby College, the Great Schools Partnership, the Mitchell Institute, Portland Public Schools, Unity College, and the University of Maine at Farmington. The Network is committed to promoting the health and successful development of all boys from pre-adolescence through young adulthood by supporting their success in academic settings.
MITCHELL INSTITUTE
Early College in Maine: Expanding Opportunities
This report is based on the experiences of 690 Maine high school students who participated, between September 2006 and June 2007, in the Access College Early Program, a statewide dual-enrollment program for low-income, first-generation, and low-aspirations students. The study describes the characteristics and outcomes of participating students, as well as their observations about early college. Four other early college programs are profiled, and recommendations are made for sustaining and expanding early college opportunities.
Full Report (18 pages)
Summary Report (4 pages)
Barriers Reports
In 2001, the Mitchell Institute conducted a statewide study of barriers to college facing Maine students and their families. The resulting report, Barriers to Post-Secondary Education in Maine: Making College the Obvious and Attainable Next Step for More Maine Students (Barriers I), which was funded by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and published in July 2002, identified opportunities for improving access to higher education and offered concrete suggestions about how Maine schools and communities could help increase the proportion of students continuing on to postsecondary education.
In 2006, the Mitchell Institute received grants from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and Bank of America to conduct a follow-up study that would explore the growing gap between college intentions and actual enrollment among Maine's graduating high school seniors. In July 2007, the fifth anniversary of the Barriers I report, the Mitchell Institute released From High School to College: Removing Barriers for Maine Students (Barriers II). The report describes college enrollment trends in Maine, discusses the social, cultural, academic, and financial issues facing Maine students, profiles promising practices in Maine schools and communities, and makes recommendations about how to help more Maine students realize their college aspirations.
Barriers II Report (2007)
Summary Report (6 pages)
Full Report (32 pages)
Barriers I Report (2002)
Executive Summary (9 pages)
Full Report (300 pages)
GREAT MAINE SCHOOLS PROJECT
Early College in Maine: Student Outcomes & Lessons Learned from One Model
A study showing results from the first three semesters of Wells High School's early college program at York County Community College. Click HERE for an executive summary of the report. (2006)
Distance Learning via ATM in Maine High Schools, 2001–2004
A report exploring the statewide use of Maine's distance-learning network in 79 high schools. (2004)
One-to-One Laptops in a High School Environment
A study of one-to-one computing in Piscataquis Community High School, a rural school of 285 students, that was the first high school in Maine to provide a laptop computer to every student. (2004)
SPORTS DONE RIGHT
Sports Done Right: A Call to Action on Behalf of Maine's Student Athletes
This nationally acclaimed report outlines seven core principles and supporting core practices that can lay the foundation for healthy sports programs, while also identifying "out-of-bounds" actions that are common red flags for troubling trends, negative behaviors and attitudes, and potentially harmful policies (2005).
PROMISING FUTURES
Promising Futures: A Call to Improve Learning for Maine's Secondary Students
This groundbreaking report helped launch many of Maine's most ambitous school-improvement efforts, including the Great Maine Schools Project. It recommends principles, practices, and strategies for strengthening Maine high schools to prepare every student for success in the 21st century (1997).