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The Get Focused Stay Focused nonprofit employed independent researchers, led by Dr. Russell Rumberger, Professor Emeritus at UC Santa Barbara, to study the impact of the career curriculum by examining outcomes of high school students across different cohorts. A respected expert in education, Dr. Rumberger is a member of the National Academy of Education—one of the highest honors in the field—and the author of more than 40 publications, including the influential book Dropping Out (Harvard University Press).

This document highlights key findings from the research.

This is a proof of concept study conducted by Dr. Russell W. Rumberger and Dr. Jay Plasman that assesses the feasibility of tracking students who took the Get Focused, Stay Focused (GFSF) curriculum in high school into college using state administrative data available from CalPASS.

The Get Focused Stay Focused program is designed to improve student outcomes in a number of areas related to preparation for college and careers. This evaluation, conducted by Dr. Russell W. Rumberger and Dr. Jay Plasman, highlights the impact of GFSF at Carpinteria High School in one of those areas.