University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses

Student support program for first-generation law students

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Student support program for first-generation law students

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Content STUDENT SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR FIRST-GENERATION LAW STUDENTS
by
Paulette Inez Palafox
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
August 2024
Copyright 2024 Paulette Inez Palafox

ii
DEDICATION
This paper is dedicated to both of my matriarchal influences: Mom and Grandma. Both of you
have shown me what can be accomplished by combining vision and perseverance. Together, we
have achieved an educational dream. Thank you for morning coffee talks and late-night ice
cream breaks. Without your love and support, I would not be who I am today.

iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Words cannot truly express the gratitude I have for those who have supported me through this
journey, but I will try my best. First and foremost, to my wonderful dissertation chair, Dr.
Kenneth Yates. I would not be here today without your guidance, patience, kindness, and
encouragement. What a true gift it has been to learn from you! To Dean Colin Crawford, thank
you for your care and support in my educational and career goals, it is such an honor to know
you. To Dr. Patricia Tobey, your reassuring words and dedication to first-gen students helped
guide my perspective. To Shawnessy Negrotto and Nyree Gray, your friendship, compassion,
and humor helped me get through this very long and stressful adventure. I wish I could list all of
the wonderful friends who provided a shoulder to cry on, words of encouragement, comforting
desserts, and vats of coffee. A deep debt of gratitude to you all!

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION................................................................................................................................ ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...........................................................................................................iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS............................................................................................................... iv
LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................................ vii
ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................................... x
Chapter One: Introduction of the Problem of Practice ................................................................... 1
Organizational Context and Mission .................................................................................. 2
Organizational Performance Status..................................................................................... 3
Related Literature................................................................................................................ 4
Importance of the Problem to the Organization.................................................................. 6
Organizational Performance Goal....................................................................................... 6
Description of the Stakeholders.......................................................................................... 6
Stakeholder Group for the Study ........................................................................................ 8
Stakeholders’ Performance Goals....................................................................................... 9
Purpose of the Project and Questions ............................................................................... 10
Conceptual and Methodological Framework.................................................................... 10
Definitions......................................................................................................................... 11
Organization of the Study ................................................................................................. 12
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature ........................................................................................ 14
First Generation College Students.................................................................................... 14
First Generation Graduate Students in Non-Law Programs............................................. 17
First Generation Law School Students ............................................................................. 19

v
Conceptual Framework..................................................................................................... 21
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences.............................. 21
Chapter Three: Methodology........................................................................................................ 43
Conceptual and Methodological Framework.................................................................... 43
Assessment of Performance Influences............................................................................ 44
Participating Stakeholders and Sample Selection............................................................. 64
Instrumentation ................................................................................................................. 66
Data Collection ................................................................................................................. 67
Data Analysis.................................................................................................................... 68
Trustworthiness of Data.................................................................................................... 69
Role of Investigator........................................................................................................... 69
Limitations and Delimitations........................................................................................... 69
Chapter Four: Results And Findings ............................................................................................ 71
Participating Stakeholders ................................................................................................ 71
Determination of Assets and Needs.................................................................................. 72
Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes.................................................................... 73
Results and Findings for Motivation Causes.................................................................... 97
Results and Findings for Organization Causes............................................................... 114
Summary of Validated Influences .................................................................................. 128
Chapter Five: RECOmmendations and evaluation..................................................................... 133
Recommendations to Address Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization Factors....... 134
Summary of Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization Recommendations................. 140
Evaluation Plan ............................................................................................................... 140

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Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach ................................................................... 161
Limitations and Delimitations......................................................................................... 162
Future Research .............................................................................................................. 163
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 163
References................................................................................................................................... 165
APPENDIX A: Survey tool ........................................................................................................ 170
Appendix b: interview tool ......................................................................................................... 180
APPENDIX C: Informed Consent/Information Sheet................................................................ 183
APPENDIX D: Recruitment Letter ............................................................................................ 184
Appendix E: Immediate Evaluation Tool 1 ................................................................................ 186
Appendix F: Immediate Evaluation Tool 2 ................................................................................ 188
Appendix G: Delayed Evaluation Tool....................................................................................... 190
Appendix H: Data Analysis Presentation Examples................................................................... 192

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Organizational Mission, Organizational Goal and Stakeholder Peformance Goals......... 9
Table 2: Summary of Assumed Knowledge Influences on Stakeholders Ability to Achieve the
Peformance Goal........................................................................................................................... 28
Table 3: Summary of Assumed Motivation Influences on Stakeholders Ability to Achieve the
Performance Goal ......................................................................................................................... 35
Table 4: Summary of Assumed Organizational Influences and Stakeholders Ability to Achieve
the Performance Goal ................................................................................................................... 41
Table 5: Summary of Knowledge Influences and Methods of Assessment ................................. 47
Table 6: Summary of Motivational Influences and Methods of Assessment ............................... 57
Table 7: Summary of Organizational Influences and Methods of Assessment............................ 62
Table 8: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 1................................................. 74
Table 9: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 2................................................. 75
Table 10: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 3............................................... 76
Table 11: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 4............................................... 78
Table 12: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 5............................................... 80
Table 13: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 6............................................... 81
Table 14: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 7............................................... 83
Table 15: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 8............................................... 84
Table 16: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 9............................................... 85
Table 17: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 10............................................. 86
Table 18: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 11............................................. 87
Table 19: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 12............................................. 88
Table 20: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 13............................................. 90
Table 21: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 14............................................. 91

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Table 22: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 15............................................. 93
Table 23: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 16............................................. 96
Table 24: Survey Results for Assummed Knowledge Influence 17............................................. 97
Table 25: Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 1................................................ 98
Table 26: Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 2.............................................. 101
Table 27: Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 3.............................................. 102
Table 28: Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 4.............................................. 103
Table 29: Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 5.............................................. 104
Table 30: Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 6.............................................. 105
Table 31: Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 7.............................................. 107
Table 32: Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 8.............................................. 108
Table 33: Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 9.............................................. 110
Table 34: Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 10............................................ 111
Table 35: Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 11............................................ 113
Table 36: Survey Results for Assumed Organizational Influence 1........................................... 115
Table 37: Survey Results for Assumed Organizational Influence 2........................................... 117
Table 38: Survey Results for Assumed Organizational Influence 3........................................... 119
Table 39: Survey Results for Assumed Organizational Influence 4........................................... 121
Table 40: Survey Results for Assumed Organizational Influence 5........................................... 122
Table 41: Survey Results for Assumed Organizational Influence 6........................................... 125
Table 42: Survey Results for Assumed Organizational Influence 7........................................... 126
Table 43: Knowledge Influences Categorized as Assets or Needs............................................. 128
Table 44: Motivational Influences Categorized as Assets or Needs........................................... 130

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Table 45: Organizational Influences Categorized as Assets or Needs ....................................... 131
Table 46: Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes ..................... 143
Table 47: Critical Behaviors, Metrics, and Timing for Evaluation ............................................ 147
Table 48: Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors......................................................... 149
Table 49: Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program ..................................... 156
Table 50: Components to Measure Reaction to the Program ..................................................... 158

x
ABSTRACT
This study applies the knowledge, motivation, and organization (KMO) performance framework
developed by Clark and Estes (2008) to examine the assets and needs required for the
organization to create an innovative summer immersion program for first-year, first-generation
law students. The purpose of the study is to examine how tenured faculty and academic support
faculty at a west coast law school can best design, implement and support a comprehensive prelaw summer bridge program at the institution. Using mixed methods, faculty members were
asked to identify the critical learning and analytical skills needed by law students to achieve
academic success during their first year in law school. Data was collected by survey, interviews
and document analysis which served to evaluate their knowledge, motivation, and organizational
needs in order to create a new academic immersion program focused on teaching those identified
critical skills. The results and findings are reported, as well as recommendations for
implementation and evaluation. The study will help gain a better understanding of the critical
skills needed by first-generation law students to succeed in law school as well as determine how
faculty can build the academic bridge program.
Keywords: first-generation, law student, pre-law program, summer immersion, academic bridge
program

1
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION OF THE PROBLEM OF PRACTICE
There are many graduate school options for those who have earned their bachelor’s
degrees, but one of the most difficult terminal degree programs in which to gain entry is the Juris
Doctor program. Gaining admission to law school is a laborious process which requires
planning, studying, and, over time, can be costly. According to the American Bar Association,
the average loan debt for law students was $145,000 in 2016 (ABA, 2020) with numbers
climbing annually. Students continue to apply with the hopes of attaining career success,
financial security, and following their personal pursuit to help others. According to the Law
School Admissions Council (LSAC), applications have increased nearly 26% year over year for
the Fall 2021 admission cycle (LSAC, 2021).
It may take a student up to a year to gather required documents needed to complete their
law school application, independent of the amount of time it takes to study for an entry exam.
Considering the cost, commitment and lengthy application process, it is no surprise that students
are taking significant time away from academia before enrolling in law school. In 2021 the
American Bar Association provided survey data that indicated 65% of students took time off
between their undergraduate degree program and enrolling into the JD program, 53% of
individuals who took time off were out of school three or more years, and 21% of that subgroup
were traditionally underrepresented students of color (ABA, 2021). For those that identify as
first-generation (FG) college students and have little to no educational inheritance, there is a
substantial amount of preparation needed for a successful transition into law school.
FG students generally have less access to funds of knowledge, or “education-asinheritance” benefits (Strand, 2014, p. 285) in comparison to their undergraduate colleagues
whose parents attended college or beyond. They may also be particularly disadvantaged in

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comparison to students whose parents obtained a legal education, are practicing attorneys and/or
have sharable experiential knowledge based on their career journeys. FG law students enter the
law school environment with deficits in metacognitive and procedural knowledge important for
successful performance and mastery of legal education (Foster et al., 2021). They have little to
no basic knowledge of curriculum, terminology, or expected learning goals prior to entering law
school. Success in this environment requires building new metacognitive skills so that FG law
students appropriately learn how to process this new material. Increasing metacognitive abilities
results in increased motivation and self-efficacy, as related to students’ beliefs in their perceived
capabilities to achieve goals (Bandura, 2006).
This study addresses the problem of pre-law student support resources for first-generation
law students attending an American Bar Association accredited law program. The purpose of
this case study is to examine the assets and needs required for the organization to create and
implement a strategic student support pre-law program to increase FG law student academic
success.
Organizational Context and Mission
The organization involved in the study are members of Coastline Area Law School
(CALS, a pseudonym) which offers two types of JD programs, a 3-year full-time option and 4-
year part-time option. As of 2021, total student enrollment at CALS was 422 law students. Fulltime tenured faculty totaled 29 and non-full time faculty teaching elective law courses totaled 95.
Additionally, approximately 3 full-time administrators oversee the current student academic
support program and also serve as adjunct faculty. Lastly, 3 full-time administrators oversee
student affairs and have a variety of responsibilities, including student counseling and advising.

3
Since its founding in the early 1900s, CALS has committed itself to enrolling a student
body largely composed of first-generation law students, many of whom are from diverse ethnic
and racial backgrounds and underserved communities. The school’s long standing mission
outlines core values and commitments to justice, equity and access and is one of the most diverse
law schools in the nation. In Northern California, CALS has positively contributed to the
diversification of the legal profession and has earned its reputation as a school which produces
practice ready lawyers with significant experiential knowledge. The composition of the student
body is predominantly first-generation with 55% of students self-identifying as the first in their
family to attend college, therefore making them the first in their family to attend law school. At
CALS, FG law students have struggled to achieve academic success during the first year of law
school as they must attempt to quickly learn legal terminology, acquire practical and academic
learning skills specific to law school, and enhance study methods during their first semester of
legal education while also actively learning the law. Creating a summer bridge program could
help FG law students acquire basic knowledge prior to the start of doctrinal courses and then
incorporate skills into their active learning once school begins, repositioning them for academic
success.
Organizational Performance Status
The organization’s performance issue is subpar academic achievement for firstgeneration law students, particularly during the first year of law school. Earning poor grades
during their first-year impacts students’ motivation, typically results in mediocre overall
academic achievement, hinders their ability to pass a bar exam on their first attempt, and
encumbers their ability to find jobs in desired fields of interest. Additionally, FG law students’
academic suffering may negatively affect faculty and administrators’ morale. The creation of a

4
pre-law summer bridge program that teaches fundamental practical and study skills will increase
FG law students’ chances of earning higher grades during their first year of law school which
will set them on a course for educational and professional success. Assessments should result in
measurements of proximal student success reflected by increased law GPA. Measurements of
distal success may be reflected in increased first-time bar pass rates. As the intended pre-law
summer bridge program does not exist, there is a performance gap of 100%.
Related Literature
Research on goal attainment and student support services for FG students in academia are
key in building successful support structures in academic achievement, as well as non-academic
support services in law school. FG students have experienced increased motivation and academic
achievement by participating in skills-oriented support programs (Dennis et al., 2005). Skills
acquired during pre-college support programs resulted in FG students having equivalent skills to
their freshman counterparts as a result of the programming (Wibrowski et al., 2017). Two
additional areas of focus which improve student outcomes involve continued campus
engagement (Engle & Tinto, 2008), such as peer group socialization and academic faculty
mentorship. Positive impacts on emotional and behavioral engagement are affected by a
students’ increased sense of in-class belonging (Gillen-O’Neel, 2019). Additionally, firstgeneration students find greater academic success when early opportunities to interact with
faculty and better understand academic expectations are offered (Strand, 2013).
A myriad of research can be found on first-generation college student enrollment, but less
information can be found on FG students who pursue non-law graduate programs. Generally, the
limited research on first-generation college students who pursue graduate programs reveals that
first-generation students still experience academic transitional issues. First-generation college

5
students that pursue graduate school, specifically doctoral programs, perceived similar barriers to
those they faced as undergraduate students (Holley & Gardner, 2012). Coping and self-efficacy
issues, studied by Tate et al. (2015), are important for first-generation students when
transitioning to graduate school for academic success. Summer bridge programs played an
essential role in first-generation students' social and cultural integration into the graduate school
atmosphere (Winkle-Wagner & McCoy, 2016).
Far less research is available regarding first-generation law students as the pipeline of
students from college to law school is small. Much like first-generation college students who
need time to build social capital that bolsters motivation (Moschetti & Hudley, 2015), law
students must take precious time during their first semester to build relationships with faculty
and upper division students who may be integral for carving out a successful pathway through
law school. This has proven to be difficult considering the amount of time they must spend
simply learning the material assigned during their first semester of law school while balancing
career networking opportunities and avoiding burnout. Law students often face increased anxiety
and mental health issues (Organ et al., 2016). To help with transitional issues, schools have had
active academic support offices to provide important feedback to law students that have helped
them recalibrate and push forward (McClain, 2018). There are schools and organizations that
have begun to integrate pre-law summer program options to their institutions which range from
skills practice to mock class offerings. Each program has been successful in its own right, but the
need for further program development and assessment is necessary. Therefore, the rationale for
this innovation study is to work with valuable stakeholders to develop a new summer program
for first-generation law students.

6
Importance of the Problem to the Organization
It is important to address this problem within the organization as it will help their large
population of first-generation law students, who mostly identify as students of color, increase
first-year grade performance, help maintain motivation, and increase self-esteem. These
improvements will hopefully result in the students’ overall academic success and increase first
time bar passage. If the organization can increase first time bar passage, then a larger number of
students will be able to seek jobs in a law-related field once they gain licensure and will boost
career placement. The increased bar passage numbers will also impact faculty esteem. Lastly,
prospective first-generation college and/or law students will then perceive CALS to be a place
that can appropriately prepare them for success and potentially increase admissions applications
to the law school.
Organizational Performance Goal
The organization’s goal is to create a new pre-law summer bridge program for firstgeneration students beginning in summer 2025. The short-term goal is to have at least 50% of
newly admitted FG law students participate in the inaugural summer bridge program. The midrange goal is to increase first-year GPAs for FG law students for the 2024-2025 school year.
First-year GPA is correlated to first-time bar passage; therefore, the long-term goal is to increase
first-time bar passage for FG law students at the end of their programs. Full-time day students
will graduate from this cohort in 2028 and part-time students will graduate in 2029 and take their
first bar exams approximately six weeks after graduation.
Description of the Stakeholders
There are many identifiable stakeholders in the organization that could have served as the
primary group for this study. The stakeholder identified with the greatest influence over

7
academic learning is the law faculty. Faculty are directly responsible for creating lesson plans,
imparting knowledge on ethics and legal practices, explaining the fundamental philosophy of
law, and assessing academic growth. Faculty have the greatest influence on learning and skills
development. Academic Affairs also have a strong stake in the development of law student
learning. Typically, an academic affairs department supervisor is a full-time staff member that
oversees other team members, most of which are required to possess JDs. Most of these
administrators serve as adjunct faculty and may teach doctrinal or elective courses. Academic
affairs staff create and implement skills workshops during the school year and assess student
learning. Law reference library staff were also identified as a stakeholder group. The head of the
law library must possess a JD to hold their position. Law reference librarians teach law students
the fundamental elements of legal research and often hold co-curricular workshops to provide
instruction on research skills, analysis, and legal database guidance. The resources they provide
to law students are crucial to a students’ ability to search for case law when writing legal briefs
and preparing memos, both for class and externships. Finally, the Bar Exam Services department
was identified as a stakeholder in law student learning. The Bar Services team is composed of
administrators that hold JDs and usually serve as adjunct faculty members. Certain Bar teams
will provide resources as early as the first year of law school, but typically co-curricular learning
takes place during the final year of learning and includes workshops that focus on practical
writing skills, legal analysis, self-assessment, and mock testing environments to help students
prepare for the timed exam. Each of the stakeholders identified have an important role in a law
student’s educational success, but the faculty, a combination of full-time and academic support
members, were selected as the primary stakeholder for this study.

8
Stakeholder Group for the Study
The creation of a pre-law summer program to enhance the academic success of entering
first-generation law students must be vetted by the very group that will teach them. Therefore,
the stakeholder group for this study is both full-time and academic support members. In order to
create this program, data was gathered from four ABA accredited law schools to enrich the data
collected. Therefore, this is a multi-site study with the intention of using the data collected to
build a pre-law summer bridge program for CALS. Ultimately, the full-time and academic
support faculty at CALS are to participate in the creation of a new pre-law summer program for
all incoming first-generation law students. The intention of the program is to acclimate students
to a new academic environment, provide academic expectations, introduce key legal analysis
skills, and improve outcomes.

9
Stakeholders’ Performance Goals
The goals for the stakeholders are to create a strategic summer bridge academic support
program for entering first-generation law students.
Table 1
Organizational Mission, Organizational Goal and Stakeholder Performance Goals
Organizational mission
The mission of CALS is “...Offer a personalized, high-quality learning experience that
produces graduates with the training and skillset to become exceptional lawyers and socially
conscious members of the global community.”
Organizational goal
By March 2025, CALS will create the curriculum, skills programming, and acclimation
experience for the pre-law summer academic support program for first-generation law
students.
Stakeholder goal
By September 2024, CALS
will create a committee of
full-time and academic
support faculty to create
learning goals for the prelaw summer program.
Stakeholder goal
By January 2025, the faculty
committee will provide the
CALS community with the
structure, goals, and
expected outcomes of
participants in the pre-law
summer program.
Stakeholder goal
By July 2025, the pre-law
summer program will
launch for first-generation
law students at CALS.

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Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of the study was to conduct a needs analysis that focused on the knowledge,
motivational, and organizational resources needed to create an innovative summer immersion
program that will deliver academic and skills development training and provide academic equity
to all first-generation law students. The questions that guided this study were as follows:
1. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational assets and needs for
full-time faculty and academic support faculty to create a new support program.
2. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational recommendations for
them to achieve their goals.
Conceptual and Methodological Framework
The performance framework utilized for the study was the gap analysis model created by
Clark and Estes (2008). The structure of the analysis model was designed to examine an
organization and identify potential performance gaps to then build optimal solutions to achieve
organizational goals. Both Clark and Estes (2008), as well as Rueda (2011), indicated that
assessing and analyzing the knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors can help to
understand the underlying causes of performance gaps, and then allow for the creation of
solutions based on those findings. The innovation model worked well to create a summer bridge
program for first generation law students. The model, as outlined by Clark and Estes (2008,
pp.137-139), works as a bottom-line impact design where performance can be measured by
reviewing pre and post assessments after solution implementation.

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Definitions
The following terms will be utilized throughout this study:
● Academic Support Program (ASP) is a support program for law students consisting of cocurricular workshops, materials and advisement sessions that help students strengthen
their skillset (McClain, 2018).
● American Bar Association (ABA) is the accrediting body for all U.S. law schools which
offer JD degree programs (Americanbar.org, n.d). It is self-described an organization:
“Founded in 1878, the ABA is committed to advancing the rule of law across the United
States and beyond by providing practical resources for legal professionals, law school
accreditation, model ethics codes and more” (americanbar.org, n.d.)
● Bar Exam or Bar Examination is defined as “an examination that is usually administered
by a jurisdiction’s bar association and which a lawyer must pass prior to admission to the
bar of that jurisdiction” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).
● First-generation student is a person generally defined as the first in their family to attend
tertiary schools and typically include those from lower socio-economic environments
and/or minoritized or marginalized populations. (Terenzini et al., 1996)
● Juris Doctor (JD) is a professional graduate degree. Its rise in stature began in the United
States in the early 20th century (Stein, 1962).
● Law School Admissions Council (LSAC): LSAC refers to the non-profit organization that
offers products, services and programs to students who are in pursuit of a legal education
at accredited law schools. (lsac.org, n.d.) Students who wish to apply to ABA accredited
law schools must enroll with the LSAC in order to have official documents, such as
college transcripts, their LSAT, and letters of recommendation sent to the school for
evaluation. LSAC describes their services as:

12
“Our Services...services and programs that are offered to ease the application
process for all who wish to pursue a legal education. At the core of each is an
ongoing commitment to expanding educational opportunities and building a more
just and prosperous world. Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), Khan Academy
LSAT Prep and Other Official LSAT Prep, Credential Assembly Services (CAS),
LSAC Law Forums, Diversity Initiatives, Candidate Referral Services (CRS),
LSAC Ambassadors Program.” (lsac.org/about)
● Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is the primary standardized test accepted by all ABA
accredited law schools in the U.S. Created in 1948, it is an examination that tests the
analytical and reasoning skills of a test-taker in a timed exam with four defined sections
(four sections as of August 2022). Self-described as a ‘“law capacity test” to use in law
school admission decisions.’(lsac.org/75th-anniversary, n.d.)
● Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) is a consulting service and part of
Indiana University’s Center for Postsecondary Research. 203 law schools in the United
States, Australia and Canada administer the survey to current law students and LSSSE
compiles survey data and provides assessments to each participating school, as well as
macro information for comparison purposes. LSSSE (2004).
● Pre-law program is a pre-law, bridge, or pipeline program that occurs prior to law school
enrollment. Programs serve to acclimate students to the legal academic environment and
no course credit is earned for coursework. (Cheng et al., 2021)
Organization of the Study
This study is organized into five chapters. Chapter 1 provides the reader with an
introduction to the problem of practice, general overview of the law school landscape,
stakeholders, and key concepts that inform a discussion about gaps in education for firstgeneration law students. It includes a brief overview of the organizational mission and the gap
analysis that is utilized and adapted for the study. Chapter 2 is a literature review that provides
the framework for the scope of the study. It includes literature that describes first-generation

13
college, first-generation graduate school and first-generation law school enrollment, resources,
summer bridge programs and skill set learning optimal for academic success. Chapter 3 provides
the methodology for data collection and analysis for the needs assessment in the areas of
knowledge, motivation and organizational performance. Chapter 4 reviews and analyzes data and
assesses findings. Chapter 5 utilizes the findings to provide solutions for closing the performance
gap and recommend a plan of action for implementation and evaluation.

14
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
The need for diverse attorneys and professionals with legal education in the fields of
business, education, politics, health and global initiatives is at an all-time high. Our nation, and
our world, are experiencing a multitude of local, state, and federal injustices that are negatively
impacting our communities. It is imperative that law schools work to increase the population of
first-generation law students and ensure that they experience a smooth transition to law
academia. Academic performance and retention issues could be mitigated by bridging the
knowledge gaps our FG law students may have by creating pre-law programs which can provide
guidance in utilizing important resources while in law school. Learning basic legal terminology
and gaining exposure to academic resources prior to the start of doctrinal classes means that
students can focus time and effort on academic learning when classes commence. Building the
pre-law program is essential and, as such, in this chapter, I explore and review undergraduate,
graduate, and law school support programs that help students achieve academic success as
context to suggest a pre-law summer program for first-generation law school students. Next, I
review the knowledge, motivation, and organization influences to achieve the goal of
establishing a pre-law program for first-generation law students. The literature in this section
informs the influences assessed and measured in Chapter 3.
First Generation College Students
In this section, I give a brief overview of the first-generation student population that
attends college along with their shared characteristics. I provide examples of college level
academic resources that have successfully supported students resulting in academic achievement
and persistence to graduation.

15
Characteristics
First-generation college students have academic learning potential, but typically have less
access to resources in their formative years in K-12 institutions resulting in subpar academic
achievement in college compared to their second, third, and beyond generation peers. According
to one study, first-generation college students possessed lower-level academic skills and had
more challenges acclimating to their new environments. Survey results by the researchers
indicated that the first-generation students spent more time working rather than socializing with
peers and that they lacked emotional support from their families (Terenzini et al., 1996). Another
study indicated that a large fraction of their first-generation student population felt “racially
minoritized” (Ives & Castillo-Montoya, 2020, p.140) which they perceived as disadvantageous in
the classroom. Ives & Castillo-Montoya (2020) stressed that it is important to view firstgeneration student experiences as capital which may help equalize the learning environment.
Thus, first-generation college students need academic support structures and culturally aware
educators that teach them how to learn to actively engage with academic resources on their
campuses.
Sense of belonging in academic circles and social groups significantly influences a firstgeneration college student’s ability to acclimate to the college environment which impacts
success. Gillen-O’Neel (2019) stated that first-generation college students’ sense of belonging is
impacted by emotional and behavioral engagement during their college experience and more
specifically, in the classroom. Furthermore, this study indicated that a sense of belonging in
school directly correlated to first-generation student academic self-efficacy and resulted in more
positive feelings toward their school. To help first-generation students set themselves up for
success in college, a study by Strand (2013) stated that bringing them to campus early provided

16
them with an opportunity to acclimate to their new environment and allowed them to gain
familiarity with academic resources. Additionally, the study indicated that the students will
benefit from meeting their faculty and getting a sense of academic expectations prior to school
commencing. In conclusion, learning to engage with fellow students, faculty and staff will help
first-generation college students create social capital and increase their sense of belonging which
will increase their self-efficacy.
Programs to Assist First Generation College Students
Pre-college academic immersion programs for first-generation college students positively
impact first-year outcomes by increasing students’ motivation, confidence, cultural integration,
and overall academic achievement. A case study and program impact analysis by researchers
(Cabrera, et al., 2013), showed positive results from a summer immersion program for firstgeneration students entering college at a large state university. The participant surveys collected
revealed a significant, positive impact on first-year outcomes such as GPA and retention.
Additionally, a different study by Wibrowski, Matthews & Kitsantas (2017) indicated that
providing a skills learning program increased students’ motivation and study skills based on
assessments from pretest to post-test. The study results showed at least equal, and often higher
achievement in this group versus the group of students who did not participate in the skills
program. Teaching FG college students important learning skills, types of academic resources
and how to access them prior to enrolling in college will help ease the stress of acclimating to
college and positively influence their self-efficacy, motivation, and ultimately impact academic
success. First-generation college students may have some academic experiential differences from

17
their peers, but with the appropriate support structures in place, can succeed in post-secondary
learning environments.
First Generation Graduate Students in Non-Law Programs
In this section, I give a brief overview of the first-generation student population that
attend non-law graduate programs and their shared characteristics. Then, I will provide examples
of graduate level academic resources that have successfully supported students resulting in
academic achievement and persistence to graduation. It is important to note that there is an
abundance of research on first-generation college students, but there is far less regarding the FG
students who pursue graduate education.
Characteristics
First-generation college students who enroll in graduate programs navigate new territory
as they pursue advanced degrees, and assessing their self-perceptions is essential to schools’
abilities to provide appropriate academic resources. In a study by Tate et al. (2015), data
indicated that students who were exposed to pre-baccalaureate research opportunities had higher
self-efficacy in comparison to students from similar backgrounds who were not afforded the
same opportunities. Furthermore, students’ overall mental health was positively impacted by
increased levels of academic achievement as higher education typically results in increased
social capital, job opportunities, and increased earning potential (Tate et al., 2015). In terms of
socio-cultural influences, a small qualitative study conducted by Holley and Gardner (2012)
revealed that first-generation doctoral students still have perceived barriers similar to those they
faced as undergraduate students as a result of families being unable to provide substantial
support in the form of guidance or financial assistance. Regardless of the additional support
provided by family or community members, the first-generation doctoral students found that

18
navigating an ambiguous environment activated a self-direction mode that helped with goalorientation (Holley & Gardner, 2012). In sum, assessing students’ self-perceptions about their
preparedness for graduate work, as well as assessing their knowledge of resources and ways to
access those resources, schools will be able to create or alter academic support programs.
Programs to Assist First-Generation Graduate School Students
Self-efficacy and academic preparedness can be addressed pre-enrollment through
experiential and academic learning opportunities in the form of a substantive summer bridge
program. In a multi–site study of doctoral students, researchers McCoy and Winkle-Wagner
(2015) found that those enrolled in summer bridge programs promoted an environment of
academic engagement that positively impacted students’ self-perceptions as scholars. They
determined that socialization amongst peers was essential to acclimating to a new academic
environment, particularly for those that they categorize as aspiring scholars (McCoy & WinkleWagner, 2015). In another study, researchers Chittum and Bryant (2014) found that the overall
preparedness of students for graduate academic writing was unsatisfactory. They suggested that
adding a peer-review component may be mutually beneficial to student learning as the
experience may help students build confidence in their abilities, improve writing skills, and
leverage knowledge transfer (Chittum & Bryant, 2014).
In sum, summer bridge programs can provide students with opportunities to strengthen
writing skills, introduce academic resources, and allow them to create social networks via preexposure to learning environments. Once first-generation college students complete their
bachelor’s degree and seek to move on in academia, there are few transitional programs that help
them bridge the academic gap when enrolling in graduate programs, particularly in law school.

19
First Generation Law School Students
In this section, I will give a brief overview of the first-generation student population that
attend graduate law programs and their shared characteristics. Then, I will provide examples of
law school level academic resources that have supported students. It is important to note that
there is very little research regarding law school level academic support programs.
Characteristics
As law students acclimate to an intense educational environment, they need introduction
to foundational concepts and skills prior to enrolling in law school as they often face increased
anxiety which may impact their academic performance, social network, and emotional wellbeing. In a study by Zalesne and Nadvorney (2011), they found that students are able to learn
new behaviors when exposed to concepts prior to their formal integration into the school year,
though not everyone has the opportunities to do so. They also determined that students who were
exposed to and utilized specific law academic note taking and outlining methods can acclimate
more quickly to law school academia than their inexperienced peers (Zalesne & Nadvorney,
2011). However, stress is impactful to law students and researchers presented a study that found
increased in alcohol consumption, binge drinking, prescription and non-prescription drug use,
anxiety, and thoughts of suicide in law students (Organ, et al., 2016). They specifically noted that
law students were unlikely to seek help as they were fearful of, “potential threat to bar
admission”, “potential threat to job or academic status”, and “social stigma” (Organ, et. al. 2016,
p.141). Navigating law school can be stressful to any future student, but the impact on firstgeneration students can intensify given their lack of prior exposure to this environment.
Programs to Assist First-Generation Law School Students
First-generation law students have greater success in legal coursework when the law
school offers academic support programs to help them cope with stressors while helping them

20
improve critical thinking, writing, studying and analytical skills. As discussed by McClain
(2018), Academic Support Programs (ASP) began as ways to support traditionally
underrepresented students of color and suggested that continual engagement practices were
necessary to help students regulate the internalization of emotions felt when they were presented
with negative feedback in order to mitigate any triggers for low self-esteem. Some examples of
pre-law programming explain what was incorporated into programs and suggestions for
improvements. In one study, O’Bryant and Shaffzin’s (2018) conducted research at an ABA
approved law school and found that first-generation students spent more time studying, working
for pay, and less time participating in law-related school activities than their continuing student
counterparts. Based on this information, they created a successful 5-week pre-law summer
program for conditional admits focused on acclimation to the law environment and which
resulted in students improving their predicted law GPA by participating in the program
(O’Bryant & Shaffzin, 2018). Another example of a successful pre–law summer program for
entering law students can be seen in a study by Cheng et al. (2021), in which the researchers
specifically designed a 15-class academic online pre-law summer program for diverse candidates
focused on analytical thinking and writing via enrollment in non-credit courses. Their results
indicated that the skills development approach did produce positive outcomes for students’
grades in the truncated summer course, in the first-year Contracts course and in their final first
semester grades but suggested adding more motivational components in future iterations of the
summer program to have a more well-rounded strategy (Cheng et al., 2021).Thus, as evidenced
in these examples, students who have exposure to well-built pre-law programs that focus on
skills building and positive motivational practices, will enter into law school better prepared to
succeed.

21
Conceptual Framework
Clark and Estes (2008) suggest that identifying and stating performance gaps is essential
for attaining desired organizational outcomes. They offer an analysis framework that an
organization can use to identify key factors that are important to improve upon in order to meet
organizational goals. Clark and Estes (2008) recommend examining stakeholders’ knowledge,
motivation, and organizational culture and policies to help understand performance gaps and
identify stakeholder goals. Focusing on these three main factors may help determine the causes
of the performance gaps and implement solutions to achieve goals.
Stakeholder Knowledge, Motivation and Organizational Influences
In this section, I will review knowledge, motivation, and organizational components that
will be key in determining the building blocks needed to create and operationalize a strategically
planned summer bridge program for first-generation law students. As indicated by Clark and
Estes (2008), performance gaps are typically not assessed properly by organizations, but are key
in order to attain results. Additionally, the examination of our assumed influences, as outlined by
Rueda (2011), will allow us to apply principle-based solutions that correspond with the
influences identified in the literature.
Knowledge and Skills
For this study, the first factor to be examined was knowledge, which assessed whether or
not the law faculty had the appropriate knowledge needed to contemplate strategies and/or the
skills needed to create the summer bridge program. It was important to look at assumed
knowledge causes as outlined by Rueda (2011) which addressed (a) conceptual knowledge—
factual and conceptual knowledge like contexts and theories, (b) procedural knowledge—what
they did or did not know how to do, and (c) metacognitive knowledge—awareness of one’s own

22
thinking about what they were doing. Once these areas of knowledge were examined, principlebased solutions were presented to issues.
I utilized Anderson and Krathwohl’s (2001) four knowledge types: (a) declarative and
factual knowledge influences, (b) conceptual knowledge influences, (c) procedural knowledge
influences, and (d) metacognitive knowledge as the approach to identify the knowledge
influences.
Declarative Knowledge Influences
Declarative factual knowledge refers to basic terminologies and facts that can help solve
a problem (Rueda, 2011). Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) further suggest that declarative
knowledge encompasses major facts, symbols, labels, elements, dates, and sources of
information. For this study, faculty needed to know which skills are needed by students to
succeed in law school. Identifying basic skills in legal analysis is crucial to students’ ability to
learn how to identify and organize information. Delivering this information as early as possible
can improve students’ opportunities for success. Faculty needed to know which skills are needed
to succeed in their law classes and, as identified by Cheng et al. (2021), the specific legal
analysis components necessary, such as (a) fact, (b) issue, (c) rule, (d) application, and (e)
conclusion. In a study that included having faculty identify and focus on these skills during a
summer bridge program, results indicated that the skills development approach produced positive
results (Cheng et al., 2021).
Faculty needed to know the academic resources available to students to support academic
learning, more specifically referred to as Academic Support Programs (ASP) (McClain, 2018).
McClain (2018) explains that historically, ASP programs were created to assist traditionally
underrepresented students of color but now serve to help all students while they move through

23
the intense law school environment by providing academic feedback. Further, the ASPs help
students calibrate themselves and assist with regulating their emotional state when receiving
critical feedback.
To assess the needs of their students, faculty needed to know which questions to ask
students to obtain information. As specified by Wibrowski et al. (2017), pre-test and post-test
assessments were critical to creating appropriate skills-based learning programs. Their study
results indicated that there was often higher learning achievement in the group that had pre and
post-test assessments versus the unassessed group (Wibrowski et al., 2017).
In addition to skills development, faculty needed to know the best types of student
engagement that promote learning. Suggested best practices by Strand (2013) illustrated that
bringing first-generation students to campus early can help them acclimate to the environment
and learn about available resources. Additionally, first-generation students benefited from
learning how to interact with faculty and understood the academic expectations from their
professors (Strand, 2013). Finally, as faculty encourage students to work with academic support
resources, it was important for the academic support team to know what skills programming is
needed to best assist students. Additionally noted in the Wibrowski et al. (2017) study, results
showed that the skills learning programming increased students’ motivation, self-regulation and
improved their study skills.
Conceptual Knowledge Influences
As explained by Anderson and Krathwohl (2001), categorization of knowledge elements
in a subject matter, understanding and explaining this knowledge abstractly, and then knowing
how to connect this knowledge to theories and structures is the crux of conceptual knowledge
learning. For this study, conceptual knowledge determined whether law faculty knew and

24
understood what skills are needed by students to succeed and which resources are available to
support them in law school. More specifically, faculty needed to know the best way for students
to acquire knowledge and skills. In addition, academic support needed to know the best way to
track student progress.
As faculty build curriculum and assist with academic support structures for firstgeneration student learning, the identification of and outlining of specific concepts of learning
legal analysis and how to acquire these skills is key. Faculty needed to understand the concepts
and abstract knowledge constructs in order to help students acquire knowledge of legal analytical
thinking. Teaching these concepts will produce positive outcomes for students as shown in the
study conducted by Cheng et al. (2021). Faculty and members of the academic support team
needed to understand how to measure students’ learning of abstract concepts and create ways to
track student progress. Measuring learning at certain data points can help build models that will
predict learning outcomes (Cabrera et al., 2013), specifically focused on first-generation student
knowledge acquisition (Ives & Castillo-Montoya, 2020).
Procedural Knowledge Influences
As Rueda (2011) describes, procedural knowledge refers to the actual skills,
methodologies, and techniques needed to operate. In order to help first-generation law students
learn the law, stakeholders needed to know how to deliver important information.
Faculty need to know how to teach legal analysis to students. In order to teach firstgeneration law students how to pursue legal learning, it was important to understand how they
learn given their non-traditional backgrounds. Connecting concepts to coursework is important
and incorporating their “lived experiences” (Ives & Castillo-Montoya, 2020, p. 140) into the

25
curriculum will help faculty teach legal analysis to students. Faculty will need to focus on the
“development of skills” (Cheng et al., 2021, p. 18) which include analytical thinking and writing.
Faculty need to know how to teach specific methods of study to students. The basics of
legal analysis case review have become standard in legal education as identifying: issues, rules
and applications of those rules. As Cheng et al. (2021) demonstrated, faculty need to know how
to teach students specific methods of study to learn Fact, Issue, Rule, Application, and
Conclusion (FIRAC) to properly analyze cases. Faculty must also gain a better understanding of
how first-generation students acquire knowledge in order to teach appropriate study methods
(Ives & Castillo-Montoya, 2020). Ives and Castillo-Montoya (2020) further theorized that faculty
can connect concepts in their coursework to the students’ “lived experiences” (p. 140) in order
to, “contribute to their academic learning, advancement of disciplines, and self-growth…” (p.
140).
Faculty need to know how to teach students law specific note taking and outlining
methods. First-generation students matriculate to law school at varying times in their lives and
will need to either re-learn or learn for the first time note taking skills. Furthermore, the type of
note taking that is needed for academic success in law school must be taught. Faculty need to
know how to teach note taking skills to students as it is demonstrated that those who utilize
specific law academic note taking and outlining methods can acclimate more quickly to law
school academia than their inexperienced peers (Zalesne & Nadvorney, 2011).
Academic support needs to know how to create a skill-based learning program. As
faculty identify and communicate legal analysis skills, it is important for academic support teams
to use this knowledge to create skill-based learning programs. It is acknowledged that a majority
of first-generation students often identify as traditionally underrepresented students of color, also

26
known as minoritized groups. McClain (2018) articulated that Academic Support Programs
(ASP) were originally created to help minoritized law students acclimate to law academia, but
that ASP has evolved to help all law students. McClain (2018) suggested that “explicit
discussion of stereotype threat” as a part of their programming will be important to minimize its
emotional impact on student learning. ASP staff will need to be able to create a skills-based
learning program that will incorporate “high standards and effective feedback” (McClain, 2018,
p. 178) to help students calibrate and push themselves further.
Academic support needs to know how to track student progress data. Academic support
needed to know how to use data to track student progress and intervention. ASP will be
responsible for monitoring student progress as they move through law school. ASP will need to
know what data points should be tracked and how to monitor student progress. Additionally,
ASP will need to create interventions for students who are not progressing successfully through
their law programs. Starting data points will include completion of elements of a summer bridge
class (Cheng et al., 2021) and monitoring law GPA after each completed semester (O’Bryant &
Shaffzin, 2018). During the summer bridge weeks and then each semester of law school, ASP
members should also keep track of points of engagement with students (McClain, 2018).
Metacognitive Knowledge Influences
Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) explain that reflecting on one’s self-knowledge,
understanding how knowledge is acquired, and when and why to use different strategies will be
key in building skills development resources for students. In building a successful summer
bridge program for first generation law students, recognizing the way in which students acquire
knowledge is only superseded by the ability for stakeholders to reflect on their knowledge of
meaningful learning strategies. As such, faculty will need to reflect on what skills make students

27
successful. Faculty program designers for a proven law summer bridge program identified legal
analysis skills that were important for all law students to master to achieve academic success in
law school (Cheng et al., 2021; O’Bryant & Schaffzin, 2018). Successful knowledge transfer can
create a “competitive advantage” within an organization (Argote & Fahrenkopf, 2016, p. 156), in
this case increased learning of necessary legal analysis skills by law students. Auditory and
visual learning tools must also be evaluated in order for knowledge transfer to take place for the
learners (Mayer, 2011).
Upon completion of the summer bridge program, it will be important for academic
support staff to reflect on the progress and performance of students. The implementation of a
post-program survey requiring students to provide qualitative feedback, such as the one created
by Cheng et al. (2021) for their pre-law summer bridge program, can be useful in determining
the immediate reflective responses of students. Responses from students such as delayed
feedback from faculty, remaining academic concerns and continued feelings of being
overwhelmed about law school were notable in the Cheng et al. (2021) survey results. The ability
for academic support staff to reflect on student feedback can be helpful when creating a new
summer bridge program to make developers aware of gaps in student resources such as
additional perceived barriers (Holly & Gardner, 2012). This knowledge will allow academic
support staff to build additional program resources that can help mitigate potential student fears
by identifying needs (Holly & Gardner, 2012) and support structures for student well-being
(Organ et al., 2016).
Faculty and academic support will need to reflect on the program to determine which
elements may need alteration.
Table 2 shows the stakeholder’s influences and the related literature.

28
Table 2
Summary of Assumed Knowledge Influences on Stakeholders Ability to Achieve the Performance
Goal
Knowledge Influences Research Literature
Declarative Factual
Faculty need to know which skills are needed
by students to succeed in law classes.
Cheng et al. (2021)
Faculty need to know which academic support
resources are needed to best assist students.
McClain (2018)
Faculty need to know which questions to ask
students in order to assess their needs.
Wibrowski et al. (2017)
Faculty need to know the best types of student
engagement that promote learning.
Strand (2013)
Academic support faculty needs to know
what skills programming is needed to best
assist students.
Wibrowski et al. (2017)
Declarative Conceptual
Faculty need to know the best way for
students to acquire knowledge.
Cheng et al. (2021)
Faculty need to know the best skills needed by
students
Cheng et al. (2021); Cabrera et al. (2013)
Academic support faculty needs to know the
best way to assess and track student
progress.
McClain (2018); Ives and Castillo-Montoya
(2020)
Procedural
Does faculty know how to teach legal analysis
skills to students?
Cheng et al. (2021); Ives and CastilloMontoya (2020)
Does faculty know how to teach specific
methods of law study to students?
Cheng et al. (2021); Ives and CastilloMontoya (2020); Zalesne and Nadvorney
(2011)

29
Knowledge Influences Research Literature
Faculty know how to teach students law
specific note taking and outlining methods.
Zalesne and Nadvorney (2011)
Academic Support faculty know how to create
a skills-based support program?
McClain (2018); Terenzini et al. (1996)
Academic Support faculty know how to track
data to track student progress?
Cheng et al. (2021); O’Bryant and Shaffzin
(2018); McClain (2018)
Academic Support knows how to track
student progress and intervention?
Cheng et al. (2021); O’Bryant and Shaffzin
(2018); McClain (2018)
Metacognitive
Stakeholders need to know how to reflect on...
Faculty need to reflect on what skills makes
students successful.
Cheng et al. (2021); O’Bryant and Shaffzin
(2018); Mayer (2011); Argote and
Fahrenkopf (2016)
Academic support faculty need to reflect on
progress and performance of students.
Cheng et al. (2021); Organ et al. (2016); Holly
and Bender (2012)
Faculty and academic support faculty need to
reflect on the program to determine which
elements may need alteration.
Zalesne and Nadvorney (2011); Argote and
Fahrenkopf (2016)
Motivation
In addition to knowledge influences for full-time faculty and academic support faculty,
the examination of motivational influences is necessary (Clark & Estes, 2008). Motivation is
generally described as the direction one puts their energy (Pintrich, 2003) toward a goal. Rueda
(2011) writes that our beliefs are formed through social contexts and therefore, motivation is also
culturally influenced. Rueda (2011) continues that in the school setting, motivational principles
must be equally applicable to students and teachers. Additionally, Clark and Estes (2008)
contribute to motivational theory by identifying three main indices of motivated performance: (a)

30
active choice, (b) persistence, and (c) mental effort. Active choice refers to functionally making a
choice to pursue a goal and working toward achieving that goal, regardless of who has created
the goal (Clark & Estes, 2008). Persistence refers to a person’s stamina and commitment to
pursuing their goal (Clark & Estes, 2008). Finally, mental effort refers to the amount of cognitive
power a person will put forth in pursuing their goal (Clark & Estes, 2008). Clark and Estes
(2008) state that mental effort requires an appropriate level of confidence in order for a person to
work hard enough to achieve their goal.
For the summer bridge program, faculty must motivate themselves to choose to create
and persist to deliver a curriculum that will, in turn, inspire students to self-motivate to study and
succeed in classes. In the following section, assumed motivational influences will be discussed
that are supported by three underlying constructs: value, self-efficacy and emotions.
Value
Value involves a stakeholder deciding how important a task is to themselves (Pintrich,
2003). Expectancy value theory provides an outline for motivation by focusing on four areas
integral in motivation: interest, attainment, utility, and cost (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002).
The success of the summer bridge program will rely on faculty valuing the presence of
first-generation law students, a majority of which are students of color, at the law school and in
the legal field. Additionally, faculty need to value the pre-law academic support program. In a
study focusing on new graduate school enrollees, students of color did not see themselves as
belonging in academia (McCoy & Winkle-Wagner, 2015). However, through participation in a
focused summer bridge program, such as the one evaluated by McCoy and Winkle-Wagner
(2015), students of color indicated that they experienced feelings of inclusion in a graduate
program that they had perceived as only being “inclusive to men and/or White people” (p. 436).

31
Considering the amount of time needed to build the academic components of a summer
bridge program, it is important that faculty value the academic support team members who will
monitor the progress of students as they move through their first year of law school. Academic
support will be essential in helping students regulate the internalization of emotions they feel
when presented with academic feedback in order to mitigate any triggers of low self-esteem
(McClain, 2018), therefore allowing faculty to focus on academic development and teaching.
Students’ self-perception of ability may impact their sense of competence with regard to an
activity (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000), therefore the academic support team will need to create safe
spaces for students and provide encouragement.
All faculty members will need to value the creation of new learning tools for firstgeneration law students. Academic Support Programs (ASP) were first created for the small
number of students of color admitted to law schools in the 1960s (McClain, 2018). Recalibration
of resources is needed in ASP as the percentage of first-generation law students and students of
color has increased in legal academia and first-generation students spend two hours more on
academic study than their counterparts (LSSSE, 2016). New tools such as videos providing
explanations and examples of legal analysis and writing examples have been successful (Cheng
et al., 2021).
The summer bridge program will take time to develop, therefore all faculty members will
need to believe that building a summer academic support program is worth their time and effort.
A goal may not require a great deal of mental effort if a person can draw on their past
experiences (Clark & Estes, 2008). If faculty are confident that they can draw on their own
abilities (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000) and they are confident in their skill value (Clark & Estes,
2008), then the effort spent on helping to build this program will be worth their time.

32
Faculty members will need to have expectations that they will succeed in creating a
summer bridge program. Establishing the directive for their contribution of content must be
concrete, challenging but achievable and short-term (Clark & Estes, 2008). Additionally, models
of success will show that goals are achievable with awareness of established academic summer
bridge programs.
Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy is a component of motivation concerning one’s own beliefs in their
perceived capability to achieve a goal (Bandura, 2006) and is a meaningful part of one’s selfconcept (Parajes, 1996). An individual can have higher levels of self-efficacy in some subjects
than others (Rueda, 2011), which will impact performance in tasks. To create a relevant and
useful summer bridge program for entering law students, faculty will need to believe in their
capabilities as subject matter experts to help design curriculum.
Faculty members will need to feel confident that they can identify key skills to teach
first-generation law students legal analysis concepts. Context-specific expertise from full-time
and academic support faculty contributes to increased motivation (Rueda, 2011) and impacts the
collective efficacy (Bandura, 2001) of the summer bridge programming. First-generation college
students tend to have the highest learning curve with regard to academic acclimation exposure
but equal gains in critical thinking skills (Terenzini et al., 1996) but connecting concepts to their
lived experiences positively impacts their learning and academic advancement (Ives & CastilloMontoya, 2020).
Full-time faculty and academic support faculty need to feel that they can teach new
learning skills and tools to first-generation law students. The academic support faculty must
understand that first-generation students must find comfort in their surroundings and learn how

33
to access resources (Terenzini et al., 1996). Academic support faculty must also learn how to use
students' backgrounds as assets to prioritize learning how the students acquire knowledge in
order to create equitable learning environments (Ives & Castillo-Montoya, 2020). The added
focus of incorporating the duality of cultures will impact the personal agency of the faculty
(Bandura, 2001).
Academic support faculty needs to feel confident that they will be able to successfully
monitor student progress. Academic support faculty can assess student success by keeping track
of their academic progress during the summer bridge program, using that data to predict
performance during the first year of law school, and then reviewing students’ academic outcomes
(Cabrera et al., 2013). Viewing student results as a team, the collective self-efficacy of the group
may increase (Bandura, 1997).
Emotions
Emotions are a part of motivational theory that relate to feelings of failure, success, or
neutrality, regarding a future, current or completed task (Pekrun, 2000). Pekrun (2000) writes
that achievement-related emotions can be categorized as: (a) situation-outcome, (b) actioncontrol expectancies, and (c) action-outcome expectancies. Interest in an activity may be related
to a person’s prospective emotions, related to a task or goal, that may assume joy (Pekrun, 2000).
To help motivate faculty and staff to achieve tasks related to educating first-generation law
students, they must have positive emotions about the summer bridge program.
Faculty need to feel positive about engaging in an exercise to identify academic skills to
teach students. Value appraisal of outcomes and outcome expectancies can evoke positive
emotions (Pekrun, 2000). Teaching specific legal analysis and note-taking skills has resulted in

34
positive academic outcomes for students enrolled in pre-law summer programs (Cheng et al.,
2021; Zalesne & Nadvorney, 2011).
The academic support faculty needs to feel positive about creating a pre-law summer
bridge program and monitoring student progress through the duration of the program. Value
cognitions (Pekrun, 2000) play a role in the stakeholders’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
which are pertinent to the task of overseeing student progress. Academic support faculty can
positively predict student success by reviewing student progress at various data points in the
program (Cabrera et al., 2013). Academic support faculty can help students acclimate to the
academic environment which positively impacts their self-perception as scholars (McCoy &
Winkle-Wagner, 2015) as well as results in students’ improvement in predicted law GPA
(O’Bryant & Shaffzin, 2018). Table 3 shows the stakeholder’s influences and the related
literature.

35
Table 3
Summary of Assumed Motivation Influences on Stakeholders’ Ability to Achieve the Performance
Goal
Assumed Motivation Influences Research Literature
Value
Faculty need to value first-generation
students in law academia and in the legal
profession.
McCoy and Winkle-Wagner (2015)
Faculty need to value the pre-law academic
support program for first-generation
students.
McCoy and Winkle-Wagner (2015);
Wigfiled and Eccles (2000)
Faculty need to value the academic support
faculty team.
McClain (2018); LSSSE (2016); McCoy and
Winkle-Wagner(2015)
Faculty need to value creating new learning
tools for first-generation students.
Cheng et al. (2021)
Faculty need to believe that creating a
summer bridge program is worth their time
and effort.
Clark and Estes (2008); Wigfield and Eccles
(2000); Cheng et al. (2021); O’Bryant and
Shaffzin (2018); McCoy and WinkleWagner (2015)
Faculty need to have expectations they will
succeed in creating a summer bridge
program.
Clark and Estes (2008)
Self-Efficacy
Faculty need to feel confident that they can
identify key skills to teach first-generation
law students legal analysis concepts.
Bandura (2001); Rueda (2011); Terrenzi et
al. (1996); Ives and Castillo-Montoya
(2020)
Academic support faculty and full-tme
faculty need to feel that they can teach new
learning skills and tools to first-generation
law students.
Bandura (2001); Terenzi et al. (1996); Ives
and Castillo-Montoya (2020).
Academic support faculty needs to feel
confident that they will be able to
successfully monitor student progress.
Bandura (1997); Cabrera et al. (2013)

36
Assumed Motivation Influences Research Literature
Emotions
Faculty need to feel positive about engaging
in an exercise to identify academic skills to
teach students.
Pekrun (2000); Cheng et al. (2021); Zalesne
and Nadvorney (2011)
The academic support faculty team needs to
feel positive about creating a pre-law
summer program and monitoring student
progress through the duration of the
program.
Pekrun (2000); Cabrera et al. (2013); McCoy
and Winkle-Wagner (2015); O’Bryant and
Shaffzin (2018)
Organization
Members of an organization may have the knowledge and motivation to attempt to meet
performance goals, but the organization itself may be the roadblock to reaching those goals by
way of inefficient organizational structure, policies, and procedures (Rueda, 2011). Additionally,
the cultural models and setting of the organization may, as well as lack of sufficient resources,
may impede success (Clark & Estes, 2008). Clark and Estes (2008) write that creating a cultural
profile will be useful in aligning the current organizational culture with organizational behavior
in an attempt to reach performance goals.
Resources
Assessing the organizational resources will be imperative to achieving performance goals
and may include the introduction of new resources or the shifting of current resources to
employees (Rueda, 2011) such as time, money, and people. Clark and Estes (2008) find it,
“crucial to focus on people and what they need to succeed” (pg. 115). Additionally, for the
education work setting in which the relevant resource is knowledge, Clark and Estes (2008)
indicate that this source material plus information technology, are essential resources to evaluate.

37
Faculty will need time to identify the key legal analysis skills essential for law student
learning. Zalesne and Nadvorney (2011) determined that students who utilize specific law
academic note taking and outlining methods acclimate more quickly to law school academia than
their inexperienced peers. Additionally, faculty will need to identify physical and technological
materials (Clark & Estes, 2008) such as books and computer programs that are needed for legal
analysis learning. Therefore, faculty will need to be able to allot time identifying the appropriate
materials needed by first-generation law students.
Faculty will need time to meet with Academic Support to communicate key legal skills
needed by first-generation law students. Both parties will need to identify time in their schedules
for information sharing. For Academic Support specifically, they will need to understand the
time needed to monitor student progress based on the tools faculty will provide to the firstgeneration law students. Monitoring risk utilizing data points (Cabrera et al., 2013) will require
access to appropriate computer technology, while providing feedback to students (McClain,
2018) will require appropriate amounts of time. Additionally, academic support team members
will need to determine if they need additional advisor training.
Faculty and Academic Support will need to determine if monetary resources are needed
to design and implement the program. Clark and Estes (2008) explain that lack of processes and
resources are causes of performance issues. The stakeholders will need to determine if additional
team members are needed, whether faculty or academic support team members need additional
compensation, and whether there are new costs of materials and technology to ensure the
summer bridge program is viable and successful. Finally, outlining the time needed to move
forward with the creation of the summer bridge program is essential. Cheng et al. (2021)
provided an outline of their summer bridge program which highlighted 15 set classes using 18

38
legal cases, asynchronous videos, teaching the identified legal analysis skills utilized during their
program, and evaluating the program’s success by comparing GPA data captured during the
program with first-year law school GPA data.
Policies and Procedures
As Rueda (2011) indicates, policies and procedures are important to achieving goals.
Evaluation of the law school’s policies and procedures will be necessary to determine if the
current policies and procedures are in line with new goals to increase academic performance of
first-generation law students.
Faculty and Academic Support need procedures in place that outline communication
practices which will allow them to work together to create a summer bridge program. Cheng et
al. (2021) started by identifying a goal to create a scalable academic online pre-law summer
course utilizing faculty and academic support staff. McClain (2018) suggests that a recalibration
is needed by Academic Support teams in order to identify the specific support practices that will
benefit students. Clark and Estes (2008) stress the importance of constant communication
between collaborators to share feedback, increase trust, and ultimately accomplish goals.
Faculty need to have policies and procedures in place to support and measure instruction
as well as student success. Prior summer bridge program evaluation reflections indicate that
collecting student performance data at designated program points can be used to predict
performance, as illustrated in the study by Cabrera et al. (2013). Wibrowski et al. (2017)
demonstrated that implementing pre and post test assessments provided feedback that showed
student motivation and study skills increased during the program. Additionally, the study
indicated that faculty and staff participated in a two-day training in order to review academic
responsibilities and administrative duties (Wibrowski et al., 2017). Training involving relevant

39
departments that will communicate shared interests and identify key processes to achieve
organizational goals are important value streams (Clark & Estes, 2008). Value chains (Clark &
Estes, 2008) in this setting are important with regard to a strategic plan as they may help faculty
and staff achieve performance goals for themselves and students.
Cultural Setting
Clark and Estes (2008) indicate that in order for an organization to achieve goals,
structures and processes must be in alignment. The environment in which different cultures
interact and where social contexts are practiced are cultural settings (Rueda, 2011). Norms
change in cultural settings when stakeholders interact and where shared goals are conceived and
valued (Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Faculty need to be part of a culture that embraces
collaboration so that they will exert extra effort in work outside of their department and
participate in developing an educational plan that encourages and supports first-generation law
student learning. In the cultural setting reported by Cheng et al. (2021), faculty and academic
support staff worked together to achieve a shared goal of building an online summer program for
diverse candidates focused on analytical skills.
Cultural Models
Cultural models are described as the unspoken rules of operation within an organization
in which employees operate that include their rules of engagement, behaviors, policies, values,
and structure (Rueda, 2011; Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Schein (2010) asserts that the idea
of culture is abstract, but very powerful, as it most often operates outside of our awareness.
Within one organization’s primary cultural model, there likely exists subcultures that operate
based on shared assumptions (Schein, 2010). It will be necessary to create a new subculture in
which to align our views and move forward in building a summer bridge program. Faculty need

40
to be a part of a culture that aligns with information sharing in order to work together with
Academic Support to meet institutional goals. Wibrowski et al. (2017) brought together faculty,
staff and teaching assistants to create new structures and values in which to operate and achieve
shared goals. Students benefited from operational classroom changes as in-class engagement
increased students’ sense of belonging in academia (Gillen-O’Neel, 2019). Table 4 shows the
stakeholder’s influences and the related literature.

41
Table 4
Summary of Assumed Organization Influences on Stakeholder’s Ability to Achieve the
Performance Goal
Assumed Organization Influences Research Literature
Resources (time; finances; people)
Faculty will need time to identify the key legal
analysis skills essential for new law student
learning.
Clark and Estes (2008); Rueda (2011);
Zalesne and Nadvorney (2011);
Faculty will need time to meet with Academic
Support facutly to communicate key legal skills
needed by first-generation law students.
Cabrera et al. (2013); McClain (2018)
Faculty and Academic Support faculty will need to
determine if monetary resources are needed to
design and implement the program.
Clark and Estes (2008); Cheng, et al.
(2021)
Policies, Processes, & Procedures
Faculty and Academic Support faculty need
procedures in place that outline communication
practices which will allow them to work together
to create a summer bridge program.
Rueda (2011); Cheng et al. (2021);
McClain (2018); Clark and Estes
(2008)
Faculty need to have policies and procedures in
place to support and measure instruction and
student success.
Cabrera et al. (2013); Wibrowski et al.
(2017); Clark and Estes (2008)
Culture
Stakeholder needs to be part of a culture that aligns
with ...
Faculty need to be a part of a culture that embraces
collaboration so that they will exert extra effort
in work outside of their department and
participate in developing an educational plan that
encourages and supports first-generation law
student learning.
Clark and Estes (2008); Rueda (2011);
Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001);
O’Bryant and Shaffzin (2018); Cheng
et al. (2021)
Faculty need to be part of a culture that aligns with
information sharing in order to work together
Rueda (2011); Gallimore and
Goldenberg (2001); Schein (2010);

42
Assumed Organization Influences Research Literature
with Academic Support faculty to meet
institutional goals.
Wibrowski et al. (2017); GillenO’Neel (2019)
First-generation law students bring a diverse perspective to the classroom and are assets
to the law school as well as the legal profession. The KMO literature reviewed in this Chapter 2
reveals that faculty and staff will need to realign their goals to create an immersive summer
bridge program to help students achieve academic success in law school and assess their
knowledge, motivation, and organizational resources and culture. The methods for collecting
these data is described in the next chapter.

43
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
The purpose of the study is to examine the assets and needs of the faculty and faculty
academic support services in order to create a summer bridge program for first-generation law
students. While an initial analysis identified several stakeholders within the organization that are
important for the success of creating, operating and maintaining a summer bridge program,
faculty were selected as the primary stakeholders to help build the academic structure of the
program.
The questions that guided this gap analysis were the following:
1. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational assets and needs
for full-time faculty and academic support faculty to create a new support program?
2. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational recommendations
for faculty to achieve their goals?
Conceptual and Methodological Framework
The performance framework utilized for the study was the gap analysis model created by
Clark and Estes (2008). The structure of the analysis model was designed to examine an
organization and identify potential performance gaps to then build optimal solutions to achieve
organizational goals. Both Clark and Estes (2008), as well as Rueda (2011), indicated that
assessing and analyzing the knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors can help to
understand the underlying causes of performance gaps, and then allow for the creation of
solutions based on those findings.
The innovation model worked well to create a plan for the summer bridge program for
first generation law students. The model in Figure 1, as outlined by Clark and Estes (2008,
pp.137-139), is a bottom-line impact design where performance can be measured by reviewing

44
pre and post assessments after solution implementation. The summer bridge program is further
benefited by the innovation model since the creation of a new program will necessitate
partnership with a stakeholder for a successful outcome. It is necessary to partner with these
subject matter experts as they have the ability to “focus on people and what they need to
succeed” (Clark & Estes, 2008 pg. 115).
Figure 1 Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analysis Model
Assessment of Performance Influences
The Chapter Two literature review provided information on the impact of summer bridge
programs for first-generation students at the beginning of undergraduate and graduate programs
which provided contextual support for the pre-law summer bridge program at the heart of this
study. The following assessments of faculty stakeholders provide information on building a
summer bridge program for first-generation law students that contribute academic and student
support resources for students to achieve academic success in law school. The following section

45
examines knowledge, motivation, and organizational (KMO) culture and policies as outlined by
Clark and Estes (2008).
Knowledge Assessment
Chapter 2 included the Anderson & Krathwohl (2001) description of four assumed
knowledge types: (a) declarative and factual knowledge, (b) conceptual knowledge, (c)
procedural knowledge, and (d) metacognitive knowledge. Each of these influences have been
assessed by reviewing the four assumed knowledge causes outlined by Rueda (2011).
Factual Knowledge
Declarative factual knowledge refers to basic terminologies and facts that can help solve
a problem (Rueda, 2011). Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) suggested that declarative knowledge
encompasses major facts, symbols, labels, elements, dates, and sources of information. In order
for the law faculty to perform the critical behaviors of building a summer bridge program for
first-generation law students, faculty need to know which skills are needed by students to
succeed in law school. To gauge factual knowledge, the law faculty were surveyed and
interviewed. Table 5 outlines the methods of data collection including sample survey and
interview questions.
Conceptual Knowledge
Explained by Anderson and Krathwohl (2001), categorization of knowledge elements in a
subject matter, understanding and explaining this knowledge abstractly, and then knowing how
to connect this knowledge to theories and structures is the heart of conceptual knowledge. In this
study, conceptual knowledge was assessed by collecting data from faculty to determine whether
they knew and understood what skills are needed by law students to succeed and which resources
are available to support them in law school. To gauge conceptual knowledge, the law faculty

46
were surveyed and interviewed. Table 5 outlines the methods of data collection including sample
survey and interview questions.
Procedural Knowledge
In order for faculty to help first-generation law students learn the law, faculty
stakeholders need to know how to deliver important information. Rueda (2011) described
procedural knowledge as referring to the actual skills, methodologies, and techniques needed to
operate. Furthermore, Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) suggest that stakeholders illustrate their
knowledge by demonstration or performance to indicate their expertise in a specific subject
regarding what procedures to utilize and when. In this case, faculty will need to be able to teach
first-generation law students appropriate academic learning skills as well as the order and timing
in which to employ these for optimal learning. To gauge procedural knowledge, the law faculty
were surveyed and interviewed. Table 5 outlines the methods of data collection including sample
survey and interview questions.
Metacognitive Knowledge
Anderson and Krathwohl (2001) explain that reflecting on one’s self-knowledge,
understanding how knowledge is acquired, and when and why to use different strategies is key in
learning. Auditory and visual learning tools must also be evaluated in order for knowledge
transfer to take place for learners (Mayer, 2011). In building a successful summer bridge
program for first-generation law students, recognizing the way in which students acquire
knowledge is only superseded by the ability for faculty to reflect on their knowledge of
meaningful learning strategies. To gauge metacognitive knowledge, the law faculty were
surveyed and interviewed. Table 5 outlines the methods of data collection including sample
survey and interview questions.

47
Table 5
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Methods of Assessment
Knowledge influences Survey Interviews
Declarative factual
Faculty need to know which
skills are needed by
students to succeed in law
classes.
Complete the sentence:
Based on my experience
teaching law students,
the most important skill
they must learn/possess
is:
a. Reading
comprehension
b. Legal analysis
c. Time management
d. Outlining
e. a and d
f. all of the above*
Faculty need to know which
academic support
resources are needed to
best assist students.
Multiple choice:
Based on my experience,
students who perform
well in class use which
of the following
academic support
resources? (Check all
that apply)
a. Organizational
skills training
sessions
b. IRAC
supplemental
exercises
c. Self-assessment to
assess learning
d. Advising
appointments to
obtain feedback on
outlines
Faculty need to know which
questions to ask students
Multiple choice. Check all
that apply:
Question 1:
How do you assess student
academic needs?

48
Knowledge influences Survey Interviews
in order to assess their
needs.
To assess the needs of my
students, I ask them:
a. Do you have
experience reading
case law?
b. In prior work or
education
experiences, have
you created
comprehensive
outlines?
c. Do you need help
with time
management skills?
d. Do you need help
with timed test
taking skills?
Follow up question:
What types of questions do
you ask students to
determine their
academic needs?
Faculty need to know the
best types of student
engagement that promote
learning.
Multiple choice. Check all
that apply:
What are the best types of
student engagement
resources that promote
learning?
a. Exercises that
increase student’s
self-efficacy.
b. Blended learning
instructional
strategies.
c. Suggesting
coaching or oneon-one advisement.
d. Timed mock
exams.
Academic support team
needs to know what skills
programming is needed to
best assist students.
Multiple choice. Choose
all that apply:
Which type of skills
programming is needed
to best assist students?
a. Academic writing
workshops.

49
Knowledge influences Survey Interviews
b. Legal analysis
workshops.
c. Assessment
surveys.
d. Mock timed
performance
exams.
e. One-on-one
advising
appointments.
Declarative conceptual
Faculty need to know the
best way for students to
acquire knowledge.
Multiple choice. Choose
the best answer.
The best way for a student
to acquire knowledge is:
a. Begin reading case
law books prior to
the start of the 1L
year.
b. Only read outlines
for cases.
c. Study for exams
shortly before they
are administered.
d. Prepare outlines for
each class.*
Question 2:
Based on your teaching
experience, what would
you suggest as the best
ways for students to
acquire knowledge?
Faculty need to know the
best skills needed by
students
Multiple choice. Choose
the best answer.
Students who refine this
skill tend to do the best in
class:
a. Communication
skills.
b. Analysis skills.*
c. Compassion for
clients.
d. Grammatical skills.
Academic support team
needs to know the best
Multiple choice. Choose
the best answer.

50
Knowledge influences Survey Interviews
way to assess and track
student progress.
When assessing student
performance, the best
way to track student
progress is to:
a. Review attendance
rosters.
b. Post-class
assessment
surveys.
c. Summative
assessments such
as tracking test
grades.*
d. Informal meetings
with students.
Procedural
Does the faculty know how
to teach legal analysis
skills to students?
Multiple choice. Choose
the best answer:
When I teach legal
analysis, I provide
information by:
a. Distributing a legal
analysis check-list.
b. Modeling, by
spending time
showing students
how to analyze
cases.*
c. Provide praise even
for incorrect
answers.
d. A lesson taught is a
lesson learned.
Does faculty know how to
teach specific methods of
law study to students?
Multiple choice. Choose
the best answer.
Scenario: The 1L class you
are teaching this fall is
filled with firstgeneration law students.
You want to provide
them with the best

51
Knowledge influences Survey Interviews
methods of study. Do
you:
a. Survey students to
determine what
methods they
prefer.
b. Teach them that
memorization is the
best technique for
learning
information.
c. Encourage them to
visit the Academic
Success/Support
Center to learn
study methods.
d. Spend time
teaching students
proven legal
analysis based
study techniques.*
Faculty know how to teach
students law specific note
taking and outlining
methods.
Multiple choice. Choose
the most correct answer.
What note taking and
outlining methods have
you taught students?
a. Students are
encouraged to
review different
outline models
provided by
Academic
Success/Support.
b. I teach students
how to outline
utilizing the IRAC
method.*
c. Students are
encouraged to
search for outlines
offered on external
databases.

52
Knowledge influences Survey Interviews
d. I do not teach
outlining
techniques.
Academic Support knows
how to create a skillsbased support program?
Multiple choice. Choose
all that apply.
When I create a skill-based
support program, it is
important to include the
following elements:
a. Explicit teaching of
relevant study
skills.*
b. Explicit teaching of
most commonly
utilized outlining
techniques.*
c. Implementing
strategic scaffolds
of learning in skills
courses.*
d. Only A & C
Academic Support knows
how to track data to track
student progress?
Multiple choice. Choose
the best answer.
The best way for me to
track student data to
assess student progress
is to:
a. Instruct students to
submit a selfmonitored progress
tracking sheet.
b. Instruct ASP to
submit a student
progress tracking
sheet.
c. Utilize a data
tracking tool for
summative
assessments with
embedded risk

53
Knowledge influences Survey Interviews
management
flags.*
d. Create student
surveys to gauge
their feelings about
skills learning
through the ASP
program.
Academic Support knows
how to track student
progress and intervention?
Multiple choice. Choose
the best answer.
How do you analyze
student data to
determine when
intervention should take
place?
a. Utilize a data
tracking tool to
create a warning
flag if students do
not meet baseline
requirements in
ASP programs.
b. Utilize a data
tracking tool to
create a warning
flag if students do
not meet baseline
requirements for
academic good
standing each
semester.
c. Collect survey
information from
students that
requires them to
measure their
learning outcomes
and assess selfsubmitted data.
d. Both A&B*
Question 3: What
indicators do you use to
flag learning issues to
determine when
intervention needs to
take place?
Follow up question:
What are 1-2 notable
examples of of red flag
issues?
Metacognitive

54
Knowledge influences Survey Interviews
Faculty need to reflect on
what skills make students
successful.
Multiple choice. Complete
the sentence by choosing
the best option.
Upon reflection, students
need this one skill more
than others to be
successful in law school:
a. Technology skills.
b. Analytical and
reasoning skills.*
c. Written
communication.
d. Oral
communication.
Question 4:
Reflecting on your past
experiences teaching
law, what do you believe
is the top skill that will
allow students to be
successful in law
school?
Academic support staff need
to reflect on progress and
performance of students.
Multiple choice. Choose
the best answer.
The Academic Support
department dedicates
time to evaluating
programs that enhance
student learning by:
a. Reviewing content
of student
formative
assessments.
b. Reviewing data
tracking systems.
c. Reviewing
departmental
practices, policies
and procedures.
d. All of the above.*
e. None of the above.

55
Knowledge influences Survey Interviews
Faculty and academic
support need to reflect on
the program to determine
which elements may need
alteration.
Multiple choice. Choose
the best answer.
The faculty and academic
support team work
together to enhance
learning programs by:
a. Implementing an
annual review of
academic support
programs.
b. Engaging with peer
institutions to see
what programs they
implement for their
law students.
c. Reviewing student
progress data based
on academic
support
participation.
d. All of the above.*
e. None of the above.
Motivation Assessment
In Chapter 2, an extensive review of motivation was explored as part of this study. Rueda
(2011) explored motivation as beliefs that are formed through social contexts and that motivation
is culturally influenced. The success of the summer bridge program for first-generation law
students relies on faculty motivation to participate in creating and delivering a curriculum that
will then inspire students to self-motivate to study and succeed in school. The motivational
influences explored were (a) value, (b) self-efficacy, (c) mood, and (d) interest and were
measured by utilizing survey and interview questions. Table 6 outlines the methods of data

56
collection including sample survey and interview questions.
Value
The success of the summer bridge program will rely on faculty valuing the presence of
first-generation law students and valuing pre-law academic support programs. Value was
assessed by asking the stakeholders about the importance they place on factors associated with
building a summer bridge program by utilizing survey and interview questions. Table 6 outlines
the methods of data collection including sample survey and interview questions.
Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy is a component of motivation concerning one’s own beliefs in their
perceived capability to achieve a goal (Bandura, 2006) and is a meaningful part of one’s selfconcept (Pajares, 1996). To create a relevant and useful summer bridge program for entering
first-generation law students, faculty will need to believe in their capabilities as subject matter
experts to design the curriculum. To assess self-efficacy, a variety of survey and interview
questions were posed to faculty. Table 6 outlines the methods of data collection including sample
survey and interview questions.
Emotions
Emotions are a part of motivational theory that relate to feelings of failure, success, or
neutrality, regarding a future, current or completed task (Pekrun, 2000). Furthermore, Pekrun
(2000) wrote that interest is related to a person’s prospective emotions, associated with a task or
goal. Positive feelings are needed to help motivate faculty and staff to achieve tasks related to
educating first-generation law students. To determine their feelings about students and pre-law
programs, emotions were assessed. Table 6 outlines the methods of data collection including
sample survey and interview questions.

57
Table 6
Summary of Motivation Influences and Methods of Assessment
Assumed motivation
influences
Survey Interviews
Value
Faculty need to value firstgeneration students in law
academia and in the legal
profession.
How important do you find
first-generation students in
law academia and in the
legal profession?
a. Not at all important
b. Slightly important
c. Moderately important
d. Very important
e. Extremely important
Question 5:
What importance is there in
first-generation students in
law academia and in the
legal profession?
Follow up question:
Why do you find this
important?
Faculty need to value the prelaw academic support
program for first-generation
students.
How important do you find
pre-law academic support
programs for firstgeneration students?
a. Not at all important
b. Slightly important
c. Moderately important
d. Very important
e. Extremely important
Faculty need to value the
academic support team.
How important do you feel it
is to value the Academic
Support team?
a. Not at all important
b. Slightly important
c. Moderately important
d. Very important
e. Extremely important
Faculty need to value creating
new learning tools for firstgeneration students.
How important do you find
creating new learning tools
for first-generation
students?
a. Not important at all
b. Slightly important
c. Moderately important
d. Very important
e. Extremely important

58
Assumed motivation
influences
Survey Interviews
Faculty need to believe that
creating a summer bridge
program is worth their time
and effort.
How much worth do you find
in spending your time and
effort creating a summer
bridge program?
a. No worth at all
b. Slight worth
c. Moderate worth
d. Very high worth
e. Extremely high worth
Faculty need to have
expectations they will
succeed in creating a
summer bridge program.
If you participate in creating a
summer bridge program,
how high are your
expectations that you will
succeed?
a. No/low expectations
b. Slight expectations
c. Moderate expectations
d. Very high
expectations
e. Extremely high
expectations
Self-Efficacy
Faculty need to feel confident
that they can identify key
skills to teach firstgeneration law students
legal analysis concepts.
How confident do you feel
that you can identify key
skills to teach firstgeneration law students
legal analysis concepts?
a. Not at all confident
b. Slightly confident
c. Moderately confident
d. Very confident
e. Extremely confident
Academic support and faculty
need to feel confident that
they can teach new learning
skills and tools to firstgeneration law students.
How confident do you feel
that you can teach new
learning skills and tools to
first-generation students?
a. Not at all confident
b. Slightly confident
c. Moderately confident
d. Very confident
Question 6:
Describe how you might
teach new learning skills to
first-generation law
students?
Follow up:
Do you feel that your
teaching methods have

59
Assumed motivation
influences
Survey Interviews
e. Extremely confident changed as a result of
increased enrollment of
first-generation law
students?
Follow up question:
How so?
Academic support needs to
feel confident that they will
be able to successfully
monitor student progress.
How confident do you feel
that you will be able to
successfully monitor
student progress?
a. Not at all confident
b. Slightly confident
c. Moderately confident
d. Very confident
e. Extremely confident
Emotions
Faculty need to feel positive
about engaging in an
exercise to identify
academic skills to teach
students.
Faculty need to feel positive
about engaging in an
exercise to identify
academic skills to teach
students.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or
disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly agree
The academic support team
needs to feel positive about
creating a pre-law summer
program and monitoring
student progress through
the duration of the program.
The Academic Support team
needs to feel positive about
creating a pre-law summer
program and monitoring
student progress through
the duration of the program.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or
disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly agree
Question 7:
What feelings do you have
about creating a pre-law
summer program for firstgeneration law students?

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Organization/Culture/Context Assessment
Chapter Two provided an extensive overview over the importance of organizational
assessment as the final component to assessing, identifying and building plans to overcome
performance issues. Clark and Estes (2008) suggest that creating a cultural profile would be
useful in aligning the current organizational culture with organizational behavior in an attempt to
reach performance goals. Members of an organization may have the knowledge and motivation
to attempt to meet performance goals, but the organization itself may be the roadblock to
reaching those goals by way of inefficient organizational structure, policies, and procedures
(Rueda, 2011). The organizational influences are outlined in Table 7.
Resources
The appropriate resources are needed to create a new pre-law summer bridge program for
first-generation law students. Assessing organizational resources will be important to achieving
performance goals and may include the introduction of new resources or the shifting of current
resources to employees (Rueda, 2011). To identify the resources needed to create this new
program, faculty and academic support will be asked to participate in a survey and will also be
interviewed. Table 7 outlines the methods of data collection including sample survey and
interview questions.
Policies, Processes, and Procedures
Rueda (2011) states that examining policies and procedures are important to achieving
goals. Therefore, evaluating the law school’s policies and procedures were necessary to
determine if the current policies and procedures are in line with the proposed new goals to
increase the academic performance of first-generation law students by creating an immersive
summer bridge program. Table 7 outlines the methods of data collection including sample survey

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and interview questions.
Culture Setting
Rueda (2011) states that the environment in which different cultures interact and where
social contexts are practiced are cultural settings. Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) continue that
norms change in cultural settings when stakeholders interact where shared goals are conceived
and valued. Faculty and academic support are part of a culture that embraces collaboration and
will need to exert extra effort outside of their departments in order to participate in developing an
educational plan that encourages and supports first-generation law student learning. To identify
the cultural setting in which stakeholders work, faculty and academic support were asked to
participate in a survey and were also interviewed. Table 7 outlines the methods of data collection
including sample survey and interview questions.
Cultural Models
Cultural models are described as the unspoken rules of operation within an organization
in which employees operate that include their rules of engagement, behaviors, policies, values,
and structure (Rueda, 2011; Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). Schein (2011) asserts that within
one organization’s primary cultural model, there likely exists subcultures that operate based on
shared assumptions. It will be necessary to create a new subculture in which to align our views
and move forward to build a summer bridge program for first-generation law students. To
identify the current cultural models under which our stakeholders operate, faculty and academic
support were asked to participate in a survey and were also interviewed. Table 7 outlines the
methods of data collection including sample survey and interview questions.

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Table 7
Summary of Organizational Influences and Methods of Assessment
Assumed organization
influences
Survey Interviews
Resources
Faculty will need time to
identify the key legal
analysis skills essential for
new law student learning.
Faculty will need time to
identify key legal analysis
skills that are essential for
new law student learning.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or
disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly agree
Question 8:
How much time would you
estimate it would take to
identify key legal analysis
skills, create model
methods of learning for
students, as well as risk
management processes?
Faculty will need time to
meet with Academic
Support to communicate
key legal skills needed by
first-generation law
students.
Faculty will need time to
meet with Academic
Support to communicate
key legal skills needed by
first-generation law
students.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or
disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly agree
Faculty and Academic
Support will need to
determine if monetary
resources are needed to
design and implement the
program.
Faculty and Academic
Support will need to
determine if monetary
resources are needed to
design and implement a
pre-law summer bridge
program.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or
disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly agree
Question 9:
What monetary resources do
you need to design and
implement this program?

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Assumed organization
influences
Survey Interviews
Policies, Processes, and Procedures
Faculty and Academic
Support need procedures in
place that outline
communication practices
which will allow them to
work together to create a
summer bridge program.
You need to participate in
implementing procedures
that outline communication
practices which allow
faculty and academic
support staff to jointly
create a summer bridge
program.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or
disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly disagree
Faculty need to have policies
and procedures in place to
support and measure
instruction and student
success.
Faculty need to have policies
and procedures in place to
support and measure
instruction and student
success.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or
disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly disagree
Question 10:
Tell me about any new or
altered policies and
procedures that need to be
created to measure
instruction and student
success.
Follow up question:
What are the current policies
and procedures?
Follow up question:
Do these need to be altered or
removed?
Culture
Faculty need to be a part of a
culture that embraces
collaboration so that they
will exert extra effort in
work outside of their
department and participate
in developing an
educational plan that
encourages and supports
first-generation law student
learning.
Current faculty culture is
collaborative which
encourages and supports
the investment of time in
educational planning
initiatives, such as firstgeneration student learning.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or
disagree

64
Assumed organization
influences
Survey Interviews
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly agree
Faculty need to be part of a
culture that aligns with
information sharing in
order to work together with
Academic Support to meet
institutional goals.
Currently faculty culture
supports information
sharing and collaboration
with Academic Support to
meet institutional goals.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or
disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly agree
Question 11:
Tell me how you feel about
the collaborative nature of
the faculty? With academic
support?
Participating Stakeholders and Sample Selection
The creation of a pre-law summer program is intended to enhance the academic success
of entering first-generation law students and must be vetted by the very group that will teach
them. Therefore, the stakeholder group for this study was the faculty of CALS. This stakeholder
group will be tasked with achieving performance goals by performing the critical behaviors
identified in this study. Ultimately, they will participate in the creation of a comprehensive skills
program, implement the program, and evaluate outcomes by analyzing data produced by the
first-generation students through their 1L year. However, due to the small population of faculty
that meet the criteria to participate in this study, an additional three ABA accredited law schools
participated in the study.
Sampling
In this mixed methods study, the criteria used in the sampling is purposive and identified
full-time faculty and academic support faculty at four ABA accredited law schools. We must use

65
this type of sampling as our interests lay in finding specific characteristics, as outlined by
Johnson and Christensen (2014, p.264). Faculty included individuals who were identified as fulltime and tenured, while members of the academic support team held JDs and teach co-curricular
or doctrinal courses in addition to their primary administrative jobs. The sample size of the
stakeholder group included forty-five faculty (n = 45). All stakeholders were asked to participate
in an anonymous survey and participants were de-identified to honor confidentiality. Considering
the small size of the sample pool, all faculty and academic support team members were
outreached to answer assessment questions.
Due to the small sample size, this study cannot be generalized and therefore utilized
nonprobability sampling (Pazzaglia et al., 2016). A smaller sample of interview participants were
selected from the pool of completed surveys. Faculty who completed assessments were randomly
selected to participate in the interviews to a maximum of six interview participants.
Recruitment
For the purpose of this study, the sampling strategy sought volunteers. The principal
investigator is employed with the stakeholder school but no members of the faculty or staff were
required to participate in the study, and no faculty and staff report directly to the principal
investigator. It remained voluntary and data collected were anonymous and de-identified in the
study. Recruitment for the survey was conducted by sending a participation email to all full-time
faculty and members of the academic support faculty via the designated contact at each site. In
addition to the email, announcements were made during in-person faculty meetings which were
attended by all faculty members. At the end of the survey, an option to be contacted for
participation in an interview was built in. Only participants who completed the survey were
contacted to interview. No parameters were set on race, ethnicity, gender, level of education, or

66
socio-economic status.
Instrumentation
For the purposes of triangulation, it was necessary to collect data by different methods.
Patton (2002) suggests that both qualitative and quantitative methods are important for producing
the strongest studies. Therefore, the instrumentation used for this study included both surveys,
and interviews. The quantitative data assessments utilized surveys to gather data on (K)
knowledge, (M) motivation, and (O) organizational factors related to competencies. Qualitative
research allows one to attempt to understand feelings, beliefs, or perceptions (Patton, 1987).
Accordingly, interviews served as the other data collection method.
Assessment and Survey Design
When measuring attitudes, beliefs, or ideas, then surveys are recommended for data
collection (Fink, 2017). The survey designed for this study was structured to collect data on
knowledge, motivation, and organizational (KMO) culture and policies as outlined by Clark and
Estes (2008). The survey contained 35 questions to measure the faculty knowledge and skills,
motivation and perceived or existing organizational challenges regarding the development of a
summer pre-law program for entering first-generation law students. Table 1 outlines questions
related to knowledge influences, Table 2 outlines questions related to motivational influences
and Table 3 outlines questions related to organizational influences. A draft of the survey can be
found in Appendix A.
Interview Protocol Design
Maxwell (2013) asserts that designing questions in advance of an interview helps to
reduce the amount of data to be handled post-interview. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) note that
researchers who use a qualitative approach, like interviews, seek to have their participants reflect

67
and interpret their own experiences. While consistency is important, the interviews were semistructured to allow for exploration and depth of the subject matter. Table 1 outlines questions
related to knowledge influences, Table 2 outlines questions related to motivational influences
and Table 3 outlines questions related to organizational influences. A draft of the eleven
interview questions can be found in Appendix B.
Data Collection
Following University of Southern California Institutional Review Board’s (IRB)
approval, participants were solicited by email to participate in the study. Participants were given
a copy of a consent form which included language outlining the reasons and procedures of study
and the purpose of the questions. Additionally, they were given an information sheet that
outlined the methods in which data will be collected: how to complete the surveys and the time
and place in which interviews were to have been conducted. Participants were notified that
participation was voluntary and they could opt out of the study at any time.
Surveys
Full-time faculty and academic support faculty who participated in the survey were
emailed a link to the anonymous online survey by a designated member of the administrative
staff at their site. Reminder emails were sent out approximately a week later to all faculty as a
reminder to complete the survey. All data was anonymous and de-identified for the sake of
confidentiality during the data analysis process.
Interviews
A subset of participants who completed the questionnaire were asked to participate in the
corresponding interview. On the survey form, a consent to participate question was asked to
those who were willing to be contacted for an interview. If they marked “YES” to agree to

68
participate in an interview, they were asked to provide their preferred contact method. The
volunteers were contacted by the PI to schedule interviews either in-person or via video-chat,
depending on the preference of the participant. The interview was slated to last for 30 minutes,
but sometimes ran upward of 45 to 60 minutes. Participants were also asked if they would agree
to be contacted for follow-up questions after the initial interview data was transcribed and
analyzed, however no one was contacted.
Data Analysis
The unit of analysis for this case study was Coastline Area Law School. For surveys, the
data collected was analyzed utilizing descriptive statistics which included frequency
distributions, measures of central tendency, and measures of variation (Fink, 2017). For each
outlined category of the Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization sections reviewed, means and
standard deviations were computed. The researcher identified patterns related to the assumed
causes of KMO factors. Identified knowledge gaps were classified within each framed category
including factual, procedural, conceptual, and metacognitive. Identified motivation gaps were
classified within each framed category including value, self-efficacy, and emotions. Identified
organization gaps were classified within each framed category including resources, policies,
processes, procedures, and culture. The results of the data analysis were to construct solutions
aimed at closing the KMO gaps.
For interviews, data was systematically collected and analyzed by reviewing
transcriptions of the semi-structured interviews. Reference notes taken by the investigator during
the interview were subject to analysis. The interview transcripts were coded using symbols
which represented outlined categories for KMO and revealed patterns and themes that were
relevant to the study. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) support the use of coding to organize

69
qualitative data and determine whether data fits into prior or emerging categories that are
purposeful to the research. In this study, the knowledge, motivation, and organization skills
categories provided the purpose for this research.
Trustworthiness of Data
In order to maintain the credibility and trustworthiness of this study, two methods of data
collection were utilized. The triangulation of data from surveys and interviews established the
validity and reliability of the data. Triangulation of data pulled from the multiple sources allowed
for cross-checking and comparing of information to occur, as well as opportunities for follow-up
with participants (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Transcribed interviews and findings can be used to
solicit feedback from participants to ensure validation (Maxwell, 2013). The credibility of the
findings may also be ensured by the investigator by critically analyzing their position as the
researcher through self-reflection on their own assumptions, biases, beliefs, and perspectives on
the subject (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Role of Investigator
The investigator in this study is an employee at CALS, but had no supervisory role over
the participants therefore no conflicts were evident. As the principal investigator, I was sure to
remain neutral and objective during data collection and analysis. With the permission of the IRB,
I, as the principal investigator, obtained permission to select the sample for the study, collect
data, recruit participants, obtain consent forms, and collect survey, interview and document data.
Chapters 4 and 5 contain all findings and discussion.
Limitations and Delimitations
While the case study findings were empirically rich, the primary limitation is that the
study is not generalizable and data is limited to CALS. Additionally, lack of previous research on

70
first-generation law students did not allow for further analysis. The study was delimited to the
law school and associated educational partners who may utilize the findings to service the CALS
population more effectively.

71
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND FINDINGS
The purpose of the study is to examine the assets and needs of law faculty and law
academic support services faculty in order to create a summer bridge program for firstgeneration law students. In this chapter, results and findings gathered during the data collection
stage will be documented in relation to the knowledge, motivation, and organizational (KMO)
influences outlined in Chapter 3. The gap analysis framework, as proposed by Clark & Estes
(2008), informs the study and utilizes KMO to reveal the needs and assets of faculty and
academic support faculty to create the program.
The study included both qualitative and quantitative data collection in the form of
surveys and interviews with the purpose of confirming the assumed causes and supporting the
analysis of knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences. Following the outcomes
summary in this chapter, Chapter 5 will utilize the supported KMO influences to outline an
implementation plan and evaluation plan.
Participating Stakeholders
The primary stakeholders for this study were full-time faculty and academic support
faculty of four ABA accredited law schools in the Southwest region. At their respective
institutions, these stakeholders are tasked with creating and implementing scholastic plans
related to law student academic achievement.
In this mixed methods study, the criteria used in the sampling was purposive and
identified faculty and academic support staff who serve in teaching roles. Johnson and
Christensen (2014, p.264) suggest using this type of sampling when the interests lay in finding
specific characteristics. Faculty included individuals who were identified as full-time and
tenured, while members of the academic support team held JDs and taught co-curricular or

72
doctrinal courses in addition to their primary administrative jobs. The sample size of the
stakeholder group includes forty-five individuals that identified as either full-time faculty or
academic support faculty (n = 45). Approximately 14 faculty started the survey and 11
completed the survey. All stakeholders were asked to participate in an anonymous survey. At the
conclusion of the survey, volunteers were summoned by answering a final segment and offering
themselves as interviewees. For the interviews, there were 6 volunteers and all interviews were
conducted via Zoom.
Determination of Assets and Needs
The author established thresholds to determine whether an influence was an asset or need
for the stakeholders. The thresholds for the methods used in the study are described below. The
first threshold is for the survey.
Survey Cut Score
Survey data collected was sourced to validate assumed knowledge, motivational and
organizational influence causes as assets or needs. The heuristics measuring the assumed
influences determined base-rate knowledge and skills in the forms of multiple-choice questions,
single selection options, and utilizing Likert scales. Assumed influences are considered high
stakes as they impact KMO performance goals, therefore the cut score is set at 90% to be
considered an asset. Results below 90% are determined as a need.
Interview Data
Interview data collected was sourced to support or contradict the survey results. The
interview group was a small subset of the survey participants. In view of the high value stakes of
the influences, the cut score for interviews is set at 90% to be considered an asset. Results below
90% are determined as a need.

73
Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes
Law faculty assume knowledge causes were measured through surveys and, for some
influences, interview questions. In this section, the results and findings of each knowledge need
is reported in four categories: factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. The findings
determined each assumed influence to be either an asset or a need.
Knowledge Influence 1: Factual Knowledge
There are five factual knowledge influences for this study. Assumed Influence 1 asks
faculty whether they know which skills are needed by students to succeed in law classes. This
influence was measured by a survey and interviews.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 8, the survey results confirmed this influence as a need. There were
six options presented based on the research and faculty were asked to indicate the most important
skill law students must learn. Fourteen faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct
response, faculty should have selected “F. All of the above.” Approximately 71% chose the
correct answer of “All of the above” which included four skills. About 21% selected only one
skill and 7.14% selected two skills. As the cut score for the survey is 90% to be considered an
asset and the actual score was 71%, this influence is a need. Table 8 reflects the percentage one
option was selected.

74
Table 8
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 1
Choose one option. Based on my experience teaching law students, the most important skill
they must learn/possess is? n=14
Choice Factual knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Reading comprehension. 0.00% 0
B. Legal analysis 21.43% 3
C. Time management 0.00% 0
D. Outlining 0.00% 0
E. A and D 7.14% 1
F. All of the above 71.43% 10
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Knowledge Influence 2: Factual Knowledge
Assumed Influence 2 asks faculty to identify the academic support resources needed to
best assist students in class.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 9, the survey results confirmed this influence as a need. There were
four academic resource options based on the research presented and faculty were asked to check
all that apply. Fourteen faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, all
fourteen faculty should have selected all four choices. Approximately 21% selected all four
academic resource options, which is the correct response. Almost 43% of faculty checked only
one resource option. Roughly 14% selected two academic resources and about 21% selected

75
three options. As the cut score for the survey is 90% to be considered an asset and the actual
score was 21%, this influence is a need. The percentages in Table 9 reflects the percentage each
option was selected.
Table 9
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 2
Check all that apply. Based on my experience, students who perform well in class use which of
the following academic support resources? n=14
Choice Factual knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Organizational skills training sessions 19.35% 6
B. Advising appointments to obtain feedback on outlines 25.81% 8
C. Self-assessment skills to assess learning 32.26% 10
D. IRAC supplemental exercises 22.58% 7
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Knowledge Influence 3: Factual Knowledge
Assumed Knowledge Influence 3 asks faculty to identify the types of questions they will
ask students to answer in order for them to assess student needs.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 10, the survey results confirmed this influence as a need. There were
four assessment question options based on the research presented and faculty were asked to
check all that apply. Fourteen faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct
response, all fourteen faculty should have selected all four choices. Only 14% of faculty selected

76
all four of the assessment choices. Nearly 29% of faculty checked only one assessment question
option. Almost 36% selected two assessment questions and about 21% selected three options. As
the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was only 14%, this influence is a need.
The percentages in Table 10 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 10
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 3
Check all that apply. To assess the needs of my students, I ask them? n=14
Choice Factual knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Do you have experience reading case law? 22.58% 7
B. In prior work or education experiences, have you created
comprehensive outlines? 19.35% 6
C. Do you need help with time management skills? 32.26% 10
D. Do you need help with timed test taking skills? 25.81% 8
Interview Findings
Participants were asked, “How do you assess academic needs?” Approximately half of
the interviewees indicated that they gather information from students by asking about their
academic needs during class or during one-on-one meetings. The types of questions faculty ask
students vary during their data collection. Participant 4 utilizes class time to directly ask students,
“What are your biggest needs, what do you wanna work on? Do you wanna work with your
writing, your research, your analysis, your synthesis of law…” In a larger setting, Participant 4
will utilize the cold calling technique to assess, “…how they communicate and answer.”

77
Participant 3 will test students to gather information to, “see what they know about legal research
and legal terms.” Participant 1 gains knowledge by assessing academic baselines, “…through
conversation, through writing…helps me assess…academic skills.” The remaining faculty felt
that they attempted to assess student needs, but via different methods. Participant 2 will attempt
to gather data about the student’s past performance and, “…the first thing I do is look them up in
our database.” Participant 5 will see how well students follow instructions on assignments such
as, “skill drills.” Participant 6 indicated that they assess the student’s ability to follow
instructions by, “…do[ing] a practice essay question and then…see where they’re at…” in terms
of skill level. To correctly answer this question, faculty should have asked specific questions
regarding their prior experiences reading case law, creating comprehensive outlines, time
management skills, and test taking skills. Since none of the faculty asked any of the four
researched-backed assessment questions, this influence is a need for the interview.
Summary
The assumed factual knowledge influence that faculty need to know which questions to
ask students in order to assess their needs was not confirmed and determined to be a need based
on the survey results and the interview responses. The survey results show that only 14% of
faculty selected the correct researched-based question types to assess student academic needs. As
the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was only 14%, it is confirmed as a need.
The interview findings showed that 0% of the faculty ask the correct assessment questions during
their interactions with students. This is 90% below the cutoff score of 90%. There are no
contradictory findings for this influence, therefore it is confirmed to be a need.

78
Knowledge Influence 4: Factual Knowledge
Assumed Knowledge Influence 4 asks faculty to identify the best types of student
engagement that promote learning.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 11, the survey results confirmed this influence as a need. There were
four options presented based on the research and faculty were asked to check all that apply.
Fourteen faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have
selected all four choices. Almost 36% of faculty selected all of the resource options.
Approximately 21% of faculty checked only one academic resource option. Almost 29% selected
two resources and about 14% selected three options. As the cut score for the survey is 90% to be
considered an asset and the actual score was only 36%, this influence is a need. The percentages
in Table 11 reflect the percentage of each option selected.
Table 11
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 4
Check all that apply. What are the best types of student engagement resources that promote
learning? n=14
Choice Factual knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Exercises that increase students’ self-efficacy. 24.32% 9
B. Blended learning instructional strategies. 29.73% 11
C. Suggesting coaching or one-on-one advisement. 24.32% 9
D. Timed mock exams. 21.62% 8

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Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Knowledge Influence 5: Factual Knowledge
Assumed Knowledge Influence 5 asks faculty to identify the types of skills programming
needed to best assist students.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 12, the survey results confirmed this influence as a need. There were
five types of skills programming options presented based on the research and faculty were asked
to check all that apply. Thirteen faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct
response, faculty should have selected all five choices. Approximately 23% of faculty selected
all five skill programming options. Nearly 8% of faculty checked only one option. Roughly 23%
selected two options, 23% selected three options, and 23% selected four skills programming
options. As the cut score for the survey is 90% to be considered an asset and the actual score was
only 23%, this influence is a need. The percentages in Table 12 reflect the percentage each
option was selected.

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Table 12
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 5
Check all that apply. Which type of skills programming is needed to best assist students? n = 13
Choice Factual knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Academic writing workshops 21.95% 9
B. Assessment surveys 12.20% 5
C. Legal analysis workshops 24.39% 10
D. Mocked timed performance exams 17.07% 7
E. One-on-one advising appointments 24.39% 10
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Knowledge Influence 6: Conceptual Knowledge
There are three declarative knowledge influences for this study. Assumed Knowledge
Influence 6 asks faculty to identify the best way for a student to acquire knowledge.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 13, the survey results have confirmed this influence as an asset. There
were four options presented based on research and faculty were asked to choose one option.
Thirteen faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have
selected “D. Prepare outlines for each class.” Approximately 92% of faculty selected the correct
response while 7.69% selected another option. As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the
actual score was 92.32%, this influence is an asset. The percentages in Table 13 reflect the
percentage each option was selected.

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Table 13
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 6
Choose one option. The best way for a student to acquire knowledge is? n = 13
Choice Conceptual knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Begin reading case law books prior to the start of the 1L year 0% 0
B. Only read outlines for class 7.69 1
C. Study for exams shortly before they are administered 0% 0
D. Prepare outlines for each class 92.32% 12
Interview Findings
Participants were asked, “Based on your teaching experience, what would you suggest as
the best ways for students to acquire knowledge?” Approximately half of the participants
indicated that they assess student knowledge acquisition by asking students for their preferred
learning styles. Participant 1 indicated that students learn by repetition and that constant writing
and application of knowledge is best as, “…you can only memorize so much…you have to apply
it to really know it.” Participant 5 indicated that while students do acquire knowledge differently
that their continual application of rules was best, “…mostly practice and repetition.” Participant
2 was not able to identify one definitive skill but listed multiple and will have students selfassess as well as pair them with, “…the appropriate resource.” Participant 3 also identified
multiple skills and left it to the student to self-determine as, “…it is important for each individual
to be aware of what works for them under pressure.” Participant 4 listed research skills as the
best way to acquire knowledge and, “…I always recommend the…electronic legal research
class” as a future class. Participant 6 was unsure but says they provide sources in various ways

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and that, “Every student learns differently…some are visual, others audio, and I record sessions
for them for their use.” To correctly answer this question, faculty should have indicated that
creating comprehensive outlines of reading, rules and research were the best way to acquire
knowledge. Since none of the faculty responded correctly, this influence is a need for the
interview.
Summary
The assumed factual knowledge influence that faculty need to know the best way for
students to acquire knowledge was confirmed and determined to be an asset based on the survey
results but confirmed as a need based on the interview responses. The survey results showed that
92.32% of faculty selected the correct research-based response to help students acquire
knowledge. As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 92.32%, it is
confirmed as an asset. The interview findings showed that 0% of the faculty suggest outlining as
the best way to acquire knowledge. This is 90% below the cutoff score of 90%. Thus, there are
contradictory findings for this influence. Considering the extreme differences in results, it is
possible that participants may have misinterpreted this question during the interviews. It is also
possible that the interviewer did not ask the question clearly. In the future, this is a need that may
need to be reviewed. Due to the ambiguity, this asset will be categorized as a need.
Knowledge Influence 7: Conceptual Knowledge
Assumed Knowledge Influence 7 asks faculty to identify the best skill needed by
students.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 14, the survey results have confirmed this influence as an asset. There
were four options presented based on research and faculty were asked to choose one option.

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Thirteen faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have
selected “B. Analysis skills.” All faculty selected the correct response. As the cut score for the
survey is 90% and the actual score was 100%, this influence is an asset. The percentages in
Table 14 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 14
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 7
Choose one option. Students who refine this skill tend to do the best in class? n = 13
Choice Conceptual knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Communication skills 0% 0
B. Analysis skills 100% 13
C. Compassion for clients 0% 0
D. Grammatical skills 0% 0
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Knowledge Influence 8: Conceptual Knowledge
Assumed Knowledge Influence 8 asks faculty to identify the best way to assess and track
student progress.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 15, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need. There
were four options presented based on research and faculty were asked to choose one option.
Thirteen faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have

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selected “C. Summative assessments such as tracking test grades.” Approximately 46% of
faculty selected the correct response. Nearly 31% of faculty selected “D. Informal meetings with
students” and approximately 23% selected “B. Post-class assessment surveys.” As the cut score
for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 46.15%, this influence is a need. The percentages
in Table 15 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 15
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 8
Choose one option. When assessing student performance, the best way to track student progress
is to? n = 13
Choice Conceptual knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Review attendance rosters 0% 0
B. Post-class assessment surveys 23.08% 3
C. Summative assessments such as tracking test grades 46.15% 6
D. Informal meetings with students 30.77% 4
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Knowledge Influence 9: Procedural Knowledge
There are six procedural knowledge influences for this study. Assumed Knowledge
Influence 9 which asks faculty to identify how they teach legal analysis skills to students.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 16, the survey results have confirmed this influence as an asset. There
were four options presented based on research and faculty were asked to choose one option.

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Twelve faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have
selected “B. Modeling, by spending time showing students how to analyze cases.” All faculty
selected the correct response. As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was
100%, this influence is an asset. The percentages in Table 16 reflect the percentage each option
was selected.
Table 16
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 9
Choose one option. When I teach legal analysis, I provide information by? n = 12
Choice Procedural knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Distributing a legal analysis check-list 0% 0
B. Modeling, by spending time showing students how to
analyze cases 100% 12
C. Provide praise even for incorrect answers 0% 0
D. A lesson taught is a lesson learned 0% 0
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Knowledge Influence 10: Procedural Knowledge
Assumed Knowledge Influence 10 asks if faculty know how to teach specific methods of
law study to students.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 17, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need. There
were four options presented based on research and faculty were asked to choose one option.

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Thirteen faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have
selected “D. Spend time teaching students proven legal analysis-based study techniques.”
Approximately 69% of faculty selected the correct answer. About 15% selected, “C. Encourage
them to visit the Academic Support/Success Center to learn study methods.” Nearly 8% selected,
“A. Survey students to determine what methods they prefer,” and almost 8% selected, “B. Teach
them that memorization is the best technique for learning information.” As the cut score for the
survey is 90% and the actual score was 69.23%, this influence is a need. The percentages in
Table 17 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 17
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 10
Choose one option. Scenario: The 1L class you are teaching this fall is filled with firstgeneration law students. You want to provide them with the best methods of study. Do you?
n=13
Choice Procedural knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Survey students to determine what methods they prefer 7.69% 1
B. Teach them that memorization is the best technique for
learning information 7.69% 1
C. Encourage them to visit the Academic Support/Success
Center to learn study methods 15.38% 2
D. Spend time teaching students proven legal analysis based
study techniques 69.23% 9
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.

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Knowledge Influence 11, Procedural Knowledge
Assumed Knowledge Influence 11 asks if faculty know how to teach specific note taking
and outlining methods to law study to students.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 18, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need. There
were four options presented based on research and faculty were asked to choose one option.
Thirteen faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have
selected “B.” I teach students how to outline utilizing the IRAC method.” Nearly 62% of faculty
selected the correct answer. Approximately 23% selected, “A. Students are encouraged to review
different outline models provided by Academic Support/Success.” Nearly 16% selected, “D. I do
not teach outlining techniques,” and 0% selected, “C. Students are encouraged to search for
outlines offered on external databases.” As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual
score was 61.54%, this influence is a need. The percentages in Table 18 reflect the percentage
each option was selected.
Table 18
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 11
Choose one option. What note taking and outline methods have you taught students? n=13
Choice Procedural knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Students are encouraged to review different outline models
provided by Academic Success/Support 23.08% 3
B. I teach students how to outline utilizing the IRAC method 61.54% 8
C. Students are encouraged to search for outlines offered on
external databases 0% 0
D. I do not teach outlining techniques 15.38% 2

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Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Knowledge Influence 12: Procedural Knowledge
Assumed Knowledge Influence 12 asks if faculty know how to create a skills-based
support program.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 19, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need. There
were four options presented based on research and faculty were asked to check all that apply.
Thirteen faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have
selected A, B, and C options. Almost 38% of faculty selected all three of the correct choices.
Approximately 23% selected one option and nearly 16% selected two options. About 12% of
faculty selected option “D. Only A & C.” As the cut score for the survey is 90% to be considered
an asset and the actual score was approximately 38%, this influence is a need. The percentages in
Table 19 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 19
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 12
Check all that apply. When I create a skills-based support program, it is important to include the
following elements? n=13
Choice Procedural knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Explicit teaching of relevant study skills 28.00% 7
B. Explicit teaching of most commonly utilized outlining
techniques 40.00% 10
C. Implementing strategic scaffolds of learning in skills courses 20.00% 5
D. Only A & C 12.00% 3

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Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Knowledge Influence 13: Procedural Knowledge
Assumed Knowledge Influence 13 asks if faculty know how to track student progress.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 20, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need. There
were four options presented based on research and faculty were asked to choose one option.
Thirteen faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have
selected “C. Utilize a data tracking tool for summative assessments with embedded risk
management.” Approximately 38% of faculty selected the correct answer. About 23% selected,
“A. Instruct students to submit a self-monitored progress tracking sheet.” Roughly 15% selected,
“B. Instruct ASP to submit a student progress tracking sheet” and about 23% selected, “D. Create
student surveys to gauge their feelings about skills learning through the ASP program.” As the
cut score for the survey is 90% to be considered an asset and the actual score was approximately
38%, this influence is a need. The percentages in Table 20 reflect the percentage each option was
selected.

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Table 20
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 13
Choose one option. The best way for me to track student data to assess student progress is to?
n=13
Choice Procedural knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Instruct students to submit self-monitored progress tracking
sheet 23.08% 3
B. Instruct ASP to submit a student progress tracking sheet 15.38% 2
C. Utilize a data tracking tool for summative assessments with
embedded risk management flags 38.46% 5
D. Create student surveys to gauge their feelings about skills
learning through the ASP program
23.08% 3
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Knowledge Influence 14: Procedural Knowledge
Assumed Knowledge Influence 14 asks if academic support faculty know how to track
student progress and intervention.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 21, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need. There
were four options presented based on research and faculty were asked to choose one option.
Thirteen faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have
selected “D. Both A & B.” Nearly 54% of faculty selected the correct answer. Almost 31%
selected, “C. Collect survey data information from students that requires them to measure their
learning outcomes and assess self-submitted data.” Approximately 15% selected, “B. Utilize a
data tracking tool to create a warning flag if students do not meet baseline requirements for

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academic good standing each semester,” while 0% selected, “A. Utilize a data tracking tool to
create a warning flag if students do not meet baseline requirements in ASP programs.” As the cut
score for the survey is 90% to be considered an asset and the actual score was 53.85%, this
influence is a need. The percentages in Table 21 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 21
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 14
Choose one option. How do you analyze student data to determine when intervention should
take place? n=13
Choice Procedural knowledge item Percentage Count
A.
Utilize a data tracking tool to create a warning flag if
students do not meet baseline requirements in ASP
programs
0% 0
B.
Utilize a data tracking tool to create a warning flag if
students do not meet baseline requirements for academic
good standing each semester
15.38% 2
C.
Collect survey data information from students that requires
them to measure their learning outcomes and assess selfsubmitted data
30.77% 4
D. Both A & B 53.85% 7
Interview Findings
Participants were asked, “What indicators do you use to flag learning issues to determine
when intervention needs to take place?” Four of the six faculty indicated that red flags arise
when they are grading assignments and utilizing rubrics. Participant 1 was concerned about
students’ lack of thorough answers and stated, “Certain mistakes pop up, but people feel like
they have to read all of this material really…fast…but if you do so, you will miss really

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important things. Participant 2 mostly utilizes self-assessments but did state that “...not enough
practice during the semester, results in answers that lack information and, “...really deep
understanding of the material.” Participant 6 declared that an, “...essay response that is really
lacking…tells me that there might be something wrong, especially if they recognize in the selfassessment they were lacking.” Participants 3 and 5 indicated that assignment tardiness was a red
flag issue for them. Participant 5 specifically stated “Routine lateness” as the issue. Participant 5
had a similar answer but also indicated that, “...unfinished work…I’m really troubled with that
learning curve…”, as well as,”...they don’t follow my instructions…they forget to put in their
research steps.” Participant 4 shared that their red flag warning is a student indicating they are in
a special research class and that assess, “...via communication during class discussion.” To
correctly answer this question, faculty should have provided examples of how they track student
progress and earmark red flags. Since three of the six faculty provided information on utilizing
rubrics to grade assignments, this influence is a need for the interview.
Summary
The assumed knowledge influence that academic support faculty knows how to track
student progress and intervention was not confirmed and determined to be a need based on the
survey results and the interview responses. The survey results showed that 53.85% of faculty
selected the correct research-based assessment tools to identify indicators and determine when to
stage an academic intervention. As the cut score for the survey was 90% and the actual score was
53.85%, it is confirmed as a need. The interview findings show that 50% of the faculty utilize the
correct assessment tool. This is below the 90% cutoff score for interviews. There are no
contradictory findings for this influence, therefore it is confirmed as a need.

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Knowledge Influence 15: Metacognitive Knowledge
There are three metacognitive knowledge influences for this study. Assumed Knowledge
Influence 15 asks faculty to reflect on what skills make students successful.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 22, the survey results have confirmed this influence as an asset. There
were four options presented based on research and faculty were asked to choose one option.
Twelve faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have
selected “B. Analytical and reasoning skills.” Approximately 92% of faculty selected the correct
response while 8.33% selected another option. As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the
actual score was 91.67%, this influence is an asset. The percentages in Table 22 reflect the
percentage each option was selected.
Table 22
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 15
Choose one option. Upon reflection, students need this one skill more than others to be
successful in law school? n = 12
Choice Metacognitive knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Technology skills 0% 0
B. Analytical and reasoning skills 91.67% 11
C. Written communication 8.33% 1
D. Oral communication 0% 0

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Interview Findings
Participants were asked, “Reflecting on your past experiences teaching law, what do you
believe is the top skill that would allow students to be successful in law school?” Faculty
responses included a wide range of skills. Participant 6 identified analytical skills as the most
important and said, “...critical listening, critical thinking,” were key. Two faculty identified
research skills as the top skill that students must possess to be successful. Participant 3 stated, “I
would say curiosity…there are so many instances of the law where you’ve got to do research
beyond where you think you’ve finished.” Similarly, Participant 5 declared, “Curiosity and
paranoia…you need to do research beyond where you think you are done.” Participant 1 shared,
“I wish students would take more risks…if you are able to overcome feelings of
intimidation…you will develop your academic skills so much more.” Participant 2 stated, “They
kind of go together…effective reading and briefing cases.” Participant 4 added, “Attendance. I
think it’s the soft skills…showing up and listening and doing what is told.” To correctly answer
this question, faculty should have mentioned skills related to analysis and reasoning. As only
three of the faculty members answered correctly, this influence is a need for the interview.
Summary
The assumed factual knowledge influence that faculty need to reflect on what skills make
students successful was confirmed and determined to be an asset based on the survey results, but
not confirmed and determined to be a need based on the interview responses. The survey results
showed that 91.67% of faculty selected the correct research-based response to help students
academically succeed in law school. As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score
was 91.67%, it is confirmed as an asset. The interview findings showed that 50% of faculty
identified the correct skills that students must possess for the greatest academic success. As the

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cut off score for the interview is 90% and the actual score is 50%, this asset is determined to be a
need for the interview. There are contradictory findings for this influence. Considering the
interviewees listed varied skills that they felt were important, this asset will be categorized as an
asset based on the survey results.
Knowledge Influence 16: Metacognitive Knowledge
Assumed Knowledge Influence 16 asks whether academic support staff need to reflect on the
progress and performance of students.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 23, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need. There were
five options presented based on research and faculty were asked to choose one option. Twelve
faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have selected
“D. All of the above.” Exactly 75% of faculty selected the correct response. Nearly 17%
selected, “A. Reviewing content of student formative assessments” while 8.33% selected, “B.
Reviewing data tracking systems.” As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score
was 75%, this influence is a need. The percentages in Table 23 reflect the percentage each option
was selected.

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Table 23
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 16
Choose one option. The Academic Support department dedicates time to evaluating programs
that enhance student learning by? n = 12
Choice Metacognitive knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Reviewing content of student formative assessments 16.67% 2
B. Reviewing data tracking systems 8.33% 1
C. Reviewing departmental practices, policies and procedures 0% 0
D. All of the above 75.00% 9
E. None of the above 0% 0
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Knowledge Influence 17: Metacognitive Knowledge
Assumed Knowledge Influence 17 asks whether full-time faculty and academic support
faculty need to reflect on the program to determine which elements may need alteration.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 24, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need. There
were five options presented based on research and faculty were asked to choose one option.
Twelve faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have
selected “D. All of the above.” Nearly 42% of faculty selected the correct response. Exactly 25%
selected, “E. None of the above.” Almost 17% selected, “C. Reviewing student progress data
based on their academic support participation.” Precisely 8.33% selected, “A. Implementing an
annual review of academic support programs” and 8.33% selected, “B. Engaging with peer

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institutions to see what programs they implement for their law students.” As the cut score for the
survey is 90% and the actual score was 41.67%, this influence is a need. The percentages in
Table 24 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 24
Survey Results for Assumed Knowledge Influence 17
Choose one option. The faculty and academic support team work together to enhance learning
programs by? n = 12
Choice Metacognitive knowledge item Percentage Count
A. Implementing an annual review of academic support
programs
8.33% 1
B. Engaging with peer institutions to see what programs they
implement for their law students 8.33% 1
C. Reviewing student progress data based on their academic
support participation 16.67% 2
D. All of the above 41.67% 5
E. None of the above 25.00% 3
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Results and Findings for Motivation Causes
In this section, the results and findings of three types of motivational influences and the assumed
theories for each cause will be reported. The motivational influences are categorized as value,
self-efficacy, and emotions. Each was measured using a survey and, for some influences,
interview questions.

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Motivational Influence 1: Value
Assumed Motivational Influence 1 asks if faculty value first-generation students in law
academia and in the legal profession.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 25, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to rate the importance of first-generation students in
law academia and in the legal profession. There were five options presented and faculty were
asked to choose one option. Twelve faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct
response, faculty should have selected either, “C. Moderately important,” “D. Very important,”
or, “E. Extremely important.” Approximately 83% of faculty selected one of the correct
responses. Nearly 17% selected, “B. Slightly important” and no faculty selected, “A. Not
important at all.” As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 83.33%, this
influence is a need. The percentages in Table 25 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 25
Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 1
Choose one option. How important do you find first-generation students in law academia and in
the legal profession? n = 12
Choice Value item Percentage Count
A. Not at all important 0% 0
B. Slightly important 16.67% 2
C. Moderately important 0% 0
D. Very important 25.00% 3
E. Extremely important 58.33% 7

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Interview Findings
Participants were asked, “What importance is there in first-generation students in law
academia and in the legal profession? Approximately half of the interviewees gave examples in
ways that they feel first-generation students are important in law school and the industry. The
types of responses are similar in tone. Participant 2 declares, “They’re going to change how
academia happens, how the whole field functions.” Participant 5 states that first-generation
students bring, “…new perspectives…the aristocracy of a stodgy profession has to crack!”
Participant 6 who identifies as a first-generation lawyer states, “So important…we know how to
talk to non-lawyers. [Being first-gen] makes you really empathetic and humble.” The other
participants recognized first-generation students in the academic environment, but did not fully
answer the question. Participant 1 indicated that, “…a couple of my students that come to mind
who have done the best…they are first-generation students.” Participant 3 commented, “…I do
believe very strongly in our mission…there has to be a way up for somebody.” Participant 4
stated, “…they worked a little harder to get here, and had to teach themselves…how to get here.
To correctly answer this question, faculty should have provided examples of ways in which they
believe this group of students is important in this field. Since 50% of the faculty provided full
answers with examples, this influence is a need for the interview.
Summary.
The assumed motivational influence that faculty need to value first-generation students in
law academia and in the legal profession was not confirmed and determined to be a need in the
survey results and in the interview responses. The survey responses show that 83.38% of faculty
feel that students were “Moderately important”, “Very important” or “Extremely important.” As
the cutoff score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 83.38%, it is confirmed as a need

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as this is a high value influence. As for those who were interviewed, 50% of faculty specifically
stated that these students bring valuable perspectives with each of these interviewees providing
examples of their perceived value. The cutoff score for this value item was 90% and the actual
score was 50%. There are no contradictory findings for this influence, therefore it is confirmed
as a need.
Motivational Influence 2: Value
Assumed Motivational Influence 2 asks if faculty value a pre-law academic support
program for first-generation students.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 26, the survey results have confirmed this influence as an asset.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to rate the importance of pre-law academic support
programs for first-generation students. There were five options presented and faculty were asked
to choose one option. Twelve faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response,
faculty should have selected either, “C. Moderately important,” “D. Very important,” or “E.
Extremely important.” Almost 92% of faculty selected one of the correct responses.
Approximately 8.33%selected, “B. Slightly important,” and no faculty selected, “A. Not
important at all.” As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 91.66%, this
influence is an asset. The percentages in Table 26 reflect the percentage each option was
selected.

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Table 26
Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 2
Choose one option. How important do you find pre-law academic support programs for firstgeneration students? n = 12
Choice Value item Percentage Count
A. Not at all important 0% 0
B. Slightly important 8.33% 2
C. Moderately important 25.00% 3
D. Very important 33.33% 4
E. Extremely important 33.33% 4
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Motivational Influence 3: Value
Assumed Motivational Influence 3 asks if faculty value the Academic Support team.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 27, the survey results have confirmed this influence as an asset.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to rate the importance of the Academic Support team.
There were five options presented and faculty were asked to choose one option. Twelve faculty
responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have selected either,
“C. Moderately important,” “D. Very important,” or “E. Extremely important.” Almost 92% of
faculty selected one of the correct responses. About 8% selected, “A. Not important at all.” No
faculty selected options B or C. As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was

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91.67%, this influence is an asset. The percentages in Table 27 reflect the percentage each option
was selected.
Table 27
Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 3
Choose one option. How important do you find first-generation students in law academia and in
the legal profession? n = 12
Choice Value item Percentage Count
A. Not at all important 8.33% 1
B. Slightly important 0% 0
C. Moderately important 0% 0
D. Very important 16.67% 2
E. Extremely important 75.00% 9
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Motivational Influence 4: Value
Assumed Motivational Influence 4 asks if faculty value creating new learning tools for
first-generation students.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 28, the survey results have confirmed this influence as an asset.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to rate the importance of creating new learning tools
for first-generation students. There were five options presented and faculty were asked to choose
one option. Twelve faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty

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should have selected either, “C. Moderately important,” “D. Very important,” or “E. Extremely
important.” Almost 92% of faculty selected one of the correct responses. About 8% selected, “A.
Not important at all” and approximately 8% selected, “C. Moderately important.” Option B was
not selected. As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 91.67%, this
influence is an asset. The percentages in Table 28 reflect the percentage each option was
selected.
Table 28
Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 4
Choose one option. How important do you find creating new learning tools for first-generation
students? n = 12
Choice Value item Percentage Count
A. Not at all important 8.33% 1
B. Slightly important 0% 0
C. Moderately important 8.33% 1
D. Very important 41.67% 5
E. Extremely important 41.67% 5
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Motivational Influence 5: Value
Assumed Motivational Influence 5 asks if faculty believe that creating a summer bridge
program is worth their time and effort.

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Survey Results
As shown in Table 29, the survey results have confirmed this influence as an asset.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to rate how much they value spending time and effort
in creating a summer bridge program. There were five options presented and faculty were asked
to choose one option. Twelve faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response,
faculty should have selected either, “C. Moderate worth,” “D. Very high worth,” or “E.
Extremely high worth.” Nearly 92% of faculty selected one of the correct responses. About 8%
selected, “B. Slight worth.” No faculty selected option A. As the cut score for the survey is 90%
and the actual score was 91.66%, this influence is an asset. The percentages in Table 29 reflect
the percentage each option was selected.
Table 29
Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 5
Choose one option. How much worth do you find in spending your time and effort creating a
summer bridge program? n = 12
Choice Value item Percentage Count
A. No worth at all 0% 0
B. Slight worth 8.33% 1
C. Moderate worth 33.33% 4
D. Very high worth 33.33% 4
E. Extremely high worth 25.00% 3
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.

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Motivational Influence 6: Value
Assumed Motivational Influence 6 asks if faculty have expectations that they will
succeed in creating a summer bridge program.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 30, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to rate their expectations for successfully building a
summer bridge program. There were five options presented and faculty were asked to choose one
option. Eleven faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should
have selected either, “D. Very high expectations,” or “E. Extremely high expectations.” Nearly
46% of faculty selected one of the correct responses. Almost 55% selected, “C. Moderate
expectations.” No faculty selected options A or B. As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the
actual score was 45.45%, this influence is a need. The percentages in Table 30 reflect the
percentage each option was selected.
Table 30
Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 6
Choose one option. If you participate in creating a summer bridge program, how high are your
expectations that you will succeed? n = 11
Choice Value item Percentage Count
A. No/low expectations 0% 0
B. Slight expectations 0% 0
C. Moderate expectations 54.55% 6
D. Very high expectations 36.36% 4
E. Extremely high expectations 9.09% 1

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Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Assumed Motivational Influence 7: Self-Efficacy
Assumed Motivational Influence 7 asks if faculty feel confident that they can identify key
skills to teach first-generation law students legal analysis concepts.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 31, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to rate their self-efficacy regarding their confidence
level in identifying key skills to teach first-generation students legal analysis concepts. There
were five options presented and faculty were asked to choose one option. Twelve faculty
responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have selected either,
“D. Very confident” or “E. Extremely confident.” Approximately 58% of faculty selected one of
the correct responses. About 8% selected, “B. Slightly confident” and approximately 33%
selected, “C. Moderately confident.” No faculty selected, “A. Not confident at all.” As the cut
score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 58.34%, this influence is a need. The
percentages in Table 31 reflect the percentage each option was selected.

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Table 31
Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 7
Choose one option. How confident do you feel that you can identify key skills to teach firstgeneration students legal analysis concepts? n = 12
Choice Self-efficacy item Percentage Count
A. Not at all confident 0% 0
B. Slightly confident 8.33% 1
C. Moderately confident 33.33% 4
D. Very confident 41.67% 5
E. Extremely confident 16.67% 2
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Motivational Influence 8: Self-Efficacy
Assumed Motivational Influence 8 asks if faculty and academic support faculty feel that
they can teach new learning skills and tools to first-generation law students.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 32, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need. Using a
Likert scale, faculty were asked to rate their self-efficacy regarding their confidence level
teaching first-generation students new learning skills and tools. There were five options
presented and faculty were asked to choose one option. Twelve faculty responded to this
question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have selected either, “D. Very
confident” or “E. Extremely confident.” Nearly 67% of faculty selected one of the correct
responses. Almost 17% selected, “B. Slightly confident” and about 17% selected, “C.

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Moderately confident.” No faculty selected, “A. Not confident at all.” As the cut score for the
survey is 90% and the actual score was 66.67%, this influence is a need. The percentages in
Table 32 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 32
Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 8
Choose one option. How confident do you feel that you can teach new learning skills and tools
to first-generation law students? n = 12
Choice Self-efficacy item Percentage Count
A. Not at all confident 0% 0
B. Slightly confident 16.77% 2
C. Moderately confident 16.77% 2
D. Very confident 50.00% 6
E. Extremely confident 16.67% 2
Interview Findings
This particular question honed in on feelings of confidence regarding faculty’s selfperceptions of their abilities to teach first-generation law students. Examples were solicited and
participants were asked to, “Describe how you might teach new learning skills to first-generation
students?” Two of the faculty responded with specific examples which point to their confidence
level in the methods in which they teach. Participant 1 shared that they teach every student the
same concepts which they feel are applicable to first-generation law students and stated, “...you
have to understand how to apply these oftentimes really complex concepts to real people.”
Participant 6 described a similar sentiment, “By examples…keeping it too abstract doesn’t help

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because we haven’t grown up in a world where the dinner talk was about the case.” Two of the
participants explained that they tailor their teaching methods based on the students’ selfdisclosed needs. Participant 2 stated, “It’s hard for everyone…I try not to make
assumptions…make it as accessible as possible.” Participant 3 shared, “I want to hear how they
learn, what they concentrate on.” Two faculty had unique answers with Participant 4 stating that
they let students, “...make up work” based on personal issues or missing class, while Participant
5 said they do not point to a particular skill but chooses to focus on, “helping to keep them
motivated. To correctly answer this question, participants should have confidently provided ways
in which they implement skill learning. Since only 33.33% responded correctly, this influence is
a need for the interview.
Summary
The assumed motivational influence that faculty and academic support faculty feel that
they can teach new learning skills and tools to first-generation law students was not confirmed
and determined to be a need based on the survey results and the interview responses. The survey
results showed that 66.67% of faculty felt some level of confidence that they could teach new
learning skills. As the cut score is 90% and the actual score was 66.67%, it is confirmed as a
need. The interview findings showed that 33.33% of the faculty confidently provided teaching
examples. As the cut off score is 90% and the actual score was only 33.33%, it is confirmed as a
need. There are no contradictory findings for this influence, therefore it is confirmed to be a
need.
Motivational Influence 9: Self-Efficacy
Assumed Motivational Influence 9 asks if academic support faculty feel confident that
they will be able to successfully monitor student progress.

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Survey Results
As shown in Table 33, the survey results have confirmed this influence as an asset.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to rate their self-efficacy regarding their confidence
level in monitoring student progress. There were five options presented and faculty were asked
to choose one option. Twelve faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response,
faculty should have selected either, ”C. Moderately confident, “D. Very confident” or “E.
Extremely confident.” Approximately 92% of faculty selected one of the correct responses.
About 8% selected, “B. Slightly confident” and no faculty selected, “A. Not confident at all.” As
the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 91.66%, this influence is an asset.
The percentages in Table 33 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 33
Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 9
Choose one option. How confident do you feel that you will be able to successfully monitor
student progress? n = 12
Choice Self-efficacy item Percentage Count
A. Not at all confident 0% 0
B. Slightly confident 8.33% 1
C. Moderately confident 58.33% 7
D. Very confident 25.00% 3
E. Extremely confident 8.33% 1
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.

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Motivational Influence 10: Emotions
Assumed Motivational Influence 10 asks if faculty feel positive about engaging in an
exercise to identify academic skills to teach students.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 34, the survey results have confirmed this influence as an asset.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to rate their feelings and indicate how positively they
need to feel about engaging in an exercise to identify academic skills to teach students. There
were five options presented and faculty were asked to choose one option. Twelve faculty
responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have selected either,
“D. Slightly agree” or “E. Strongly agree.” Approximately 92% of faculty selected one of the
correct responses. About 8% selected, “A. Strongly disagree” and no faculty selected options B
or C. As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 91.67%, this influence is an
asset. The percentages in Table 34 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 34
Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 10
Choose one option. Faculty need to feel positive about engaging in an exercise to identify
academic skills to teach students? n = 12
Choice Emotions item Percentage Count
A. Strongly disagree 8.33% 1
B. Slightly disagree 0% 0
C. Neither agree or disagree 0% 0
D. Slightly agree 16.67% 2
E. Strongly agree 75.00% 9

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Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Motivational Influence 11: Emotions
Assumed Motivational Influence 11 asks if the faculty academic support team needs to
feel positive about creating a pre-law summer program and monitoring student progress through
the duration of the program.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 35, the survey results have confirmed this influence as an asset.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to rate their feelings and indicate how positively the
academic support team needs to feel about creating a pre-law program and monitoring student
progress. There were five options presented and faculty were asked to choose one option. Twelve
faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have selected
either, “D. Slightly agree” or “E. Strongly agree.” Approximately 92% of faculty selected one of
the correct responses. About 8% selected, “B. Slightly disagree” and no faculty selected options
A or C. As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 91.67%, this influence is
an asset. The percentages in Table 35 reflect the percentage each option was selected.

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Table 35
Survey Results for Assumed Motivational Influence 11
Choose one option. The Academic Support team needs to feel positive about creating a pre-law
summer program and monitoring student progress through the duration of the program? n =
12
Choice Emotions item Percentage Count
A. Strongly disagree 0% 0
B. Slightly disagree 8.33% 1
C. Neither agree or disagree 0% 0
D. Slightly agree 25.00% 3
E. Strongly agree 66.67% 8
Interview Findings
Participants were asked, “What feelings do you have about creating a pre-law summer
bridge program for first-generation law students?” Three of six interviewees responded with
positive feelings about creating this specific type of program. Participant 1 appreciated the
opportunity it gives first-generation law students and stated, “Oh, I would love it…being able to
make that kind of early practice opportunity available, especially to students who are first-gen!”
Participant 4 responded, “I think it’s a great idea!” Participant 6 stated, “I love it,” and advocates
for this type of program based on their own experiences as a first-generation law student. The
remaining participants did not respond with their feelings about a program but provided
comments about the work associated with implementation. Participant 2 was unsure about
feasibility and said, “…it depends on how long the program would be…” Participant 3
participates in research-based learning and therefore knows they will be asked to participate in
the pre-law program and stated, “…obviously I would get roped into it.” Participant 5 did not

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provide feelings but understands that if the program is created, “…it has to be done effectively.”
To correctly answer this question, faculty should have provided a response that exhibited
positive feelings about the program. As 50% of participants provided a correct answer, this
influence is a need for the interview.
Summary
The assumed motivation influence that the faculty academic support team need to feel
positive about creating a pre-law summer program and monitoring student progress through the
duration of the program was confirmed and determined to be an asset based on the survey
results, but not confirmed based on the interview responses, therefore it will be categorized as a
need as a based on the interview responses. The survey results showed that 91.67% of faculty
agreed that positive feelings need to be held by the faculty-led academic support team regarding
the creation and oversight of this program. As the cut score was 90% and the actual score was
91.67%, it is confirmed as an asset. The interview findings showed that 50% of the participants
shared positive feelings, which is significantly below the 90% cut off score. There are
contradictory findings for this influence. Considering the high value of this influence, this asset
will be categorized as a need.
Results and Findings for Organization Causes
In this section, the results and findings of three types of organizational influences and the
assumed theories for each cause will be reported. The organizational influences are categorized
as resources, policies, processes and procedures, and culture. Each was measured using a survey
and, for some influences, interview questions.

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Organizational Influence 1: Resources
Assumed Organizational Influence 1 asks if faculty will need time to identify key legal
analysis skills that are essential for new law student learning.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 36, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to rate their feelings on needing time to identify key
legal skills essential to teach new law student learning. There were five options presented and
faculty were asked to choose one option. Eleven faculty responded to this question. To achieve
the correct response, faculty should have selected either, “D. Slightly agree” or “E. Strongly
agree.” Approximately 72% of faculty selected one of the correct responses. About 9% selected,
“B. Strongly disagree” and roughly 18% selected, “C. Neither agree or disagree.” No faculty
selected option A. As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 72.72%, this
influence is a need. The percentages in Table 36 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 36
Survey Results for Assumed Organizational Influence 1
Choose one option. Faculty will need time to identify key legal analysis skills that are essential
for new law student learning? n = 11
Choice Resources item Percentage Count
A. Strongly disagree 0% 0
B. Slightly disagree 9.09% 1
C. Neither agree or disagree 18.18% 2
D. Slightly agree 36.36% 4
E. Strongly agree 36.36% 4

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Interview Findings
Participants were asked, “How much time would it take to identify key skills, create
model methods of learning for students, as well as risk management processes?” One out of six
interviewees responded correctly to this question by providing a definitive response to the query.
Participant 2 stated, “Maybe like 6 to 12 months.” Two interviewees did not feel a great deal of
time was needed to prepare the aforementioned elements. Participant 3 explained, “I really don’t
think it would take much time at all…because we have all the basics in place.” Participant 5 had
a similar answer and stated, “Not much time because we have all of the basics in place.”
Participants 4 and 6 both replied, “I don’t know.” Participant 1 did not answer the question but
replied, “There would be more effort put into…buy-in rather than effort and time being put into
designing programs.” To correctly answer this question, faculty should have responded with an
estimate on the length of time needed to fulfill the tasks needed to implement the program. Since
only 16.67% of the participants responded correctly, this influence is a need for the interview.
Summary
That assumed organizational influence that faculty will need time to identify the key legal
analysis skills essential for new student learning was not confirmed and determined to be a need
based on the survey results and the interview responses. The survey results show that 72.72% of
faculty agree that time will be needed to identify key legal skills. As the cut score is 90% and the
actual score is 72.72%, it is confirmed as a need. The interview findings show that only 16.67%
of faculty responded with a length of time needed to identify the key skill and prepare the
program. As the cut score is 90% and the actual score was 16.67%, the influence is confirmed to
be a need. There are no contradictory findings for this influence, therefore it is confirmed to be a
need.

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Organizational Influence 2: Resources
Assumed Organizational Influence 2 asks if faculty will need time to meet with
Academic Support to communicate key legal skills needed by first-generation law students.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 37, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to rate their feelings on needing time to meet with
Academic Support to communicate legal skills needed to teach first-generation students. There
were five options presented and faculty were asked to choose one option. Eleven faculty
responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have selected either,
“D. Slightly agree” or “E. Strongly agree.” Nearly 82% of faculty selected one of the correct
responses. Roughly 18% selected, “A. Strongly disagree.” No faculty selected options B or C. As
the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 81.81%, this influence is a need. The
percentages in Table 37 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 37
Survey Results for Assumed Organizational Influence 2
Choose one option. Faculty will need time to meet with Academic Support to communicate key
legal skills needed by first-generation law students? n = 11
Choice Resources item Percentage Count
A. Strongly disagree 18.18% 2
B. Slightly disagree 0% 0
C. Neither agree or disagree 0% 0
D. Slightly agree 45.45% 5
E. Strongly agree 36.36% 4

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Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Assumed Organizational Influence 3: Resources
Assumed Organizational Influence 3 asks if faculty and Academic Support will need to
determine if monetary resources are needed to design and implement a program. There are very
few pre-law summer bridge programs for entering 1L students. Determining the costs of the
program may vary by school. Non-profit organizations like the Council on Legal Education
Opportunity (CLEO) charge students between $1,500 - $2,500 to participate in a program that
provides instructional materials, branded stationary items, housing, meals, classroom space,
library access, faculty led courses, and pre-law advisement (CLEO, 2024).
Survey Results
As shown in Table 38, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to rate their feelings on needing to determine
monetary resources needed for a pre-law summer bridge program. There were five options
presented and faculty were asked to choose one option. Eleven faculty responded to this
question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have selected either, “D. Slightly
agree” or “E. Strongly agree.” Nearly 82% of faculty selected one of the correct responses.
Roughly 9% selected, “A. Strongly disagree” and approximately 9% selected, “Neither agree or
disagree.” No faculty selected option B. As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual
score was 81.82%, this influence is a need. The percentages in Table 38 reflect the percentage
each option was selected.

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Table 38
Survey Results for Assumed Organizational Influence 3
Choose one option. Faculty and Academic Support will need to determine if monetary resources
are needed to design and implement a pre-law summer bridge program? n = 11
Choice Resources item Percentage Count
A. Strongly disagree 9.09% 1
B. Slightly disagree 0% 0
C. Neither agree or disagree 9.09% 1
D. Slightly agree 27.27% 3
E. Strongly agree 54.55% 6
Interview Findings
Participants were asked, “What monetary resources do you need to design and implement
this program?” The correct answer would have included cost factors such as: faculty, staff,
classroom space, educational materials, housing and meals, and other items as applicable. Zero
of the six faculty responded correctly to this question. Nearly all of the participants mention
compensation for faculty time. Participant 1 states, “I think paying professors for their time and
participating in the development of the program and delivering the program.” Participant 6 was
unsure how to quantify costs but posed, “I don’t know how expensive…the salary for the
professor.” Two interviewees also noted staff involvement. Participant 3 stated, “You are going
to have to pay for teachers or a stipend…it’s the staff time.” Participant 5 noted something
similar, “...must pay for teachers and staff time…stipends.” Two interviewees noted costs of
books for students. Participant 2 indicated that, “I think some of the monetary resources are
providing books to students. And, pay the instructors.” Participant 4 elaborated, “I think our

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students are better served with a $90 Kindle that has all the books preloaded on them [instead of
spending] thousands of dollars of books…” The interview findings showed that 0% of faculty
understand the total true cost of developing and operating this type of program, therefore this
influence is a need for the interview.
Summary
The assumed organizational influence that faculty and academic support will need to
determine if monetary resources are needed to design and implement a program was not
confirmed and determined to be a need based on the survey results and the interview responses.
The survey results showed that 81.82% of faculty believe that faculty and academic support need
to determine if monetary resources are needed to design and implement a pre-law summer bridge
program. As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 81.82%, it is confirmed
as a need. The interview findings showed that 0% of faculty understand the costs associated with
building a pre-law program. This is 90% below the cut score of 90% and determined to be a
need. There are no contradictory findings for this influence, therefore it is confirmed to be a
need.
Organizational Influence 4: Policies, Processes, and Procedures
Assumed Organizational Influence 4 asks if faculty and Academic Support need
procedures in place that outline communication practices which will allow them to work together
to create a summer bridge program.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 39, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty and academic support faculty were asked to rate the need for
procedures that outline communications which will allow them to work together to create a

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summer bridge program. There were five options presented and faculty were asked to choose one
option. Eleven faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should
have selected either, “D. Slightly agree” or “E. Strongly agree.” Nearly 73% of faculty selected
one of the correct responses. Roughly 9% selected, “A. Strongly disagree” and about 18%
selected, “C. Neither agree or disagree.” No faculty selected option B. As the cut score for the
survey is 90% and the actual score was 72.72%, this influence is a need. The percentages in
Table 39 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 39
Survey Results for Assumed Organizational Influence 4
Choose one option. You need to participate in implementing procedures that outline
communication practices which allow faculty and academic support staff to jointly create a
summer bridge program? n = 11
Choice Policies, processes and procedures item Percentage Count
A. Strongly disagree 9.09% 1
B. Slightly disagree 0% 0
C. Neither agree or disagree 18.18% 2
D. Slightly agree 27.27% 3
E. Strongly agree 45.45% 5
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Organizational Influence 5: Policies, Processes, and Procedures
Assumed Organizational Influence 5 asks if faculty need to have policies and procedures
in place to support and measure instruction and student success.

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Survey Results
As shown in Table 40, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked if policies and procedures were needed to measure
instruction and student success. There were five options presented and faculty were asked to
choose one option. Eleven faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response,
faculty should have selected either, “D. Slightly agree” or “E. Strongly agree.” Roughly 82% of
faculty selected one of the correct responses. About 9% selected, “A. Strongly disagree, and
about 9% selected, “C. Neither agree or disagree.” No faculty selected option B. As the cut score
for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 81.82%, this influence is a need. The percentages
in Table 40 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 40
Survey Results for Assumed Organizational Influence 5
Choose one option. Faculty need to have policies and procedures in place to support and
measure instruction and student success? n = 11
Choice Policies, processes and procedures item item Percentage Count
A. Strongly disagree 9.09% 1
B. Slightly disagree 0% 0
C. Neither agree or disagree 9.09% 1
D. Slightly agree 18.18% 2
E. Strongly agree 63.64 7

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Interview Findings
Participants were asked, “Tell me about any new or altered policies and procedures that
need to be created to measure instruction and student success.” The correct answer would
include specific examples of policy, processes and/or procedural changes. Four of the six
interviewees provided specific examples. Three faculty noted specific changes related to grading
policy and exam procedural changes. Participant 1 stated, “I think that the model of your grade
being determined solely by your performance on a midterm and a final is way outdated.”
Participant 2 declared, “Get rid of the curve.” Participant 4 added, “No one knows what they are
doing ‘til the very end. I don’t think that helps anyone.” Related to exam changes Participant 3
said, “I want evidence of their work…” so that they can review the research methods and see
evidence of knowing the source of a law. Participant 5 was less clear regarding exam changes
but did note that they wanted students to, “...show their work and describe it so well that the
teacher can rerun the search.” Participant 6 was unsure what needed alteration but stated, “Not
sure…I did a survey at the end to get feedback from students on what was helpful and what
wasn’t helpful.” As only 66.67% provided a correct response, this influence is a need for the
interview.
Summary
The assumed organizational influence that faculty need to have policies and procedures in
place to support and measure instruction and student success was not confirmed and determined
to be a need based on the survey results and the interview responses. The survey results showed
that 81.82% of faculty agree that faculty need to have policies and procedures in place to support
and measure instruction and student success. As the cut score was 90% and the actual score is
81.82%, it is confirmed as a need. The interview findings showed that only 61.67% of faculty

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can list what new or altered policies or procedures are needed for instructional or student success
measurement. As 90% is the cut score and the actual score was 61.67%, it is confirmed as a
need. There are no contradictory findings for this influence, therefore it is confirmed to be a
need.
Organizational Influence 6: Culture
Assumed Organizational Influence 6 asks if faculty need to be a part of a culture that
embraces collaboration so that they will exert extra effort in work outside of their department
and participate in developing an educational plan that encourages and supports first-generation
law student learning.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 41, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to evaluate the culture of collaboration that would
impact exerting extra effort to build an educational plan for first-generation students. There were
five options presented and faculty were asked to choose one option. Eleven faculty responded to
this question. To achieve the correct response, faculty should have selected either, “D. Slightly
agree” or “E. Strongly agree.” Roughly 37% of faculty selected one of the correct responses.
Approximately 27% selected, “A. Strongly disagree”, about 27% selected, “B. Slightly
disagree”, and about 9% selected, “C. Neither agree or disagree.” As the cut score for the survey
is 90% and the actual score was 36.36%, this influence is a need. The percentages in Table 41
reflect the percentage each option was selected.

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Table 41
Survey Results for Assumed Organizational Influence 6
Choose one option. Current faculty culture is collaborative which encourages and supports the
investment of time in educational planning initiatives, such as first-generation learning? n =
11
Choice Culture item Percentage Count
A. Strongly disagree 27.27% 3
B. Slightly disagree 27.27% 3
C. Neither agree or disagree 9.09% 1
D. Slightly agree 18.18% 2
E. Strongly agree 18.18% 2
Interview Findings
There are no interview findings for this influence.
Organizational Influence 7: Culture
Assumed Organizational Influence 7 asks if faculty need to be a part of a culture that
aligns with information sharing in order to work together with Academic Support to meet
institutional goals.
Survey Results
As shown in Table 42, the survey results have confirmed this influence as a need.
Utilizing a Likert scale, faculty were asked to evaluate the culture of information sharing and
collaboration with Academic Support. There were five options presented and faculty were asked
to choose one option. Eleven faculty responded to this question. To achieve the correct response,
faculty should have selected either, “D. Slightly agree” or “E. Strongly agree.” Roughly 37% of
faculty selected one of the correct responses. Approximately 18% selected, “A. Strongly

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disagree”, about 36% selected, “B. Slightly disagree”, and about 9% selected, “C. Neither agree
or disagree.” As the cut score for the survey is 90% and the actual score was 36.36%, this
influence is a need. The percentages in Table 42 reflect the percentage each option was selected.
Table 42
Survey Results for Assumed Organizational Influence 7
Choose one option. Current faculty culture supports information sharing and collaboration with
Academic Support to meet institutional goals? n = 11
Choice Culture item Percentage Count
A. Strongly disagree 18.18% 2
B. Slightly disagree 36.36% 4
C. Neither agree or disagree 9.09% 1
D. Slightly agree 27.27% 3
E. Strongly agree 9.09% 1
Interview Findings
Participants were asked, “Tell me how you feel about the collaborative nature of the
faculty? With academic support?” Regarding both faculty and academic support, two
interviewees responded that collaboration does not occur whereas four interviewees indicated
that collaboration varies. As for those who indicated that their organizational cultures lacked
collaboration, Participant 3 stated, “...the silo problem of we all put our blinders on and we forget
sometimes there are others…I don’t think we are as collaborate as much as we should.
Participant 5 furthered, “Faculty doesn’t collaborate…collegial but not collaborative which leads
to silos.” For the remaining interviewees, there are diverse responses about joint academic

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efforts. Participant 1 articulated, “Loaded question. Newer faculty are more likely to be engaged
with these new ideas than the more seasoned faculty.” Participant 2 shared, “There’s a really
defined hierarchy in the law school academia space…there’s been a lot of challenges.”
Participant 4 stated, “Faculty change so much, so I think we are very collaborative to figure out
anything in our [assigned] Committee…but with ASP, I think very poor.” Participant 6 declared,
It depends on the programming…if it is section specific, then it is pretty easy to collaborate with
professors in my section…but when we have to come to a consensus on how they teach, that can
be a little dicey.” To correctly answer this question, respondents should have shared examples of
collaborations amongst faculty members and with academic support members. Since none of the
faculty were able to give examples of both types of collaborations at their schools, this influence
is a need for the interview.
Summary
The assumed organizational influence that faculty need to be a part of a culture that
aligns with information sharing in order to work together with Academic Support to meet
institutional goals was determined to be a need based on the survey results and the interview
responses. The survey results showed that only 36.36% of faculty members agree that current
faculty culture supports information sharing and collaboration with Academic Support to meet
institutional goals. As the cut score is 90% and the actual score was 36.36%, it is confirmed as a
need. The interview findings showed that 0% of faculty have collaborative cultures. This is 90%
below the cut off score of 90%, therefore it is confirmed as a need. There are no contradictory
findings for this influence, therefore it is confirmed to be a need.

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Summary of Validated Influences
Tables 43, 44 and 45 show the 17 knowledge, 11 motivation and 7 organization
influences for this study and their determination as an asset or a need. Based on the reported data
results cultivated from survey and interview findings, 26 influences are categorized as needs and
9 influences are categorized as assets. Considering the small sample size of the interviewees, a
variety of perspectives was recorded from members of the full-time faculty and academic
support faculty. The research from Chapter 2 supports each of the 35 influences as important to
the organization in achieving their goal of creating a student support program for first-generation
law students.
Table 43
Knowledge Influences Categorized as Assets or Needs
Assumed knowledge influences Asset or need
Declarative factual
Faculty need to know which skills are needed by students to
succeed in law classes.
Need
Faculty need to know which academic support resources are
needed to best assist students.
Need
Faculty need to know which questions to ask students in order
to assess their needs.
Need
Faculty need to know the best types of student engagement
that promote learning.
Need
Academic support team needs to know what skills
programming is needed to best assist students.
Need
Declarative conceptual
Faculty need to know the best way for students to acquire
knowledge.
Need

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Assumed knowledge influences Asset or need
Faculty need to know the best skills needed by students. Asset
Academic support team needs to know the best way to assess
and track student progress.
Need
Procedural
Does the faculty know how to teach legal analysis skills to
students?
Asset
Does faculty know how to teach specific methods of law study
to students?
Need
Faculty know how to teach students law specific note taking
and outlining methods.
Need
Academic Support knows how to create a skills-based support
program?
Need
Academic Support knows how to track data to track student
progress?
Need
Academic Support knows how to track student progress and
intervention?
Need
Metacognitive
Faculty need to reflect on what skills make students
successful.
Asset
Academic support staff need to reflect on progress and
performance of students.
Need
Faculty and academic support need to reflect on the program
to determine which elements may need alteration.
Need

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Table 44
Motivational Influences Categorized as Assets or Needs
Assumed motivation influences Interviews
Value
Faculty need to value first-generation students in law academia
and in the legal profession.
Need
Faculty need to value the pre-law academic support program for
first-generation students.
Asset
Faculty need to value the academic support team. Asset
Faculty need to value creating new learning tools for firstgeneration students.
Asset
Faculty need to believe that creating a summer bridge program
is worth their time and effort.
Asset
Faculty need to have expectations they will succeed in creating
a summer bridge program.
Need
Self-Efficacy
Faculty need to feel confident that they can identify key skills to
teach first-generation law students legal analysis concepts.
Need
Academic support and faculty need to feel that they can teach
new learning skills and tools to first-generation law students.
Need
Academic support needs to feel confident that they will be able
to successfully monitor student progress.
Asset
Emotions
Faculty need to feel positive about engaging in an exercise to
identify academic skills to teach students.
Asset
The academic support team needs to feel positive about creating
a pre-law summer program and monitoring student progress
through the duration of the program.
Need

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Table 45
Organizational Influences Categorized as Assets or Needs
Assumed organization influences Interviews
Resources
Faculty will need time to identify the key legal analysis skills
essential for new law student learning.
Need
Faculty will need time to meet with Academic Support to
communicate key legal skills needed by first-generation law
students.
Need
Faculty and Academic Support will need to determine if
monetary resources are needed to design and implement the
program.
Need
Policies, Processes, and Procedures
Faculty and Academic Support need procedures in place that
outline communication practices which will allow them to
work together to create a summer bridge program.
Need
Faculty need to have policies and procedures in place to support
and measure instruction and student success.
Need
Culture
Faculty need to be a part of a culture that embraces collaboration
so that they will exert extra effort in work outside of their
department and participate in developing an educational plan
that encourages and supports first-generation law student
learning.
Need
Faculty need to be part of a culture that aligns with information
sharing in order to work together with Academic Support to
meet institutional goals.
Need
Drawing from the data collected and analyzed in this study, Chapter 5 will include
recommendations to the organization on creating a summer bridge program for first-generation

132
law students utilizing influences determined to be assets while creating a plan to improve
influences determined to be needs. Recommendations and solutions will be shared with the dean
and faculty of the law school.

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CHAPTER FIVE: RECOMMENDATIONS AND EVALUATION
The purpose of this study was to analyze the assets and needs focused on the knowledge,
motivational, and organizational resources deemed essential to create an innovative summer
immersion program that will deliver academic and skills development training and provide
academic equity to first-generation law students. The study examined the assets and needs of
faculty and academic support services faculty at Coastline Area Law School (a pseudonym;
CALS). The questions that guided this study are as follows:
1. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational assets and needs of
full-time faculty and academic support faculty to create a new support program?
2. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational recommendations for
them to achieve their goals?
The study included both qualitative and quantitative data collection in the form of
surveys and interviews to confirm the assumed causes and support the analysis of knowledge,
motivation, and organizational influences. As a summary, the results detailed in Chapter 4,
addressed 35 total assumed influences. The data collected revealed that 26 assumed influences
were confirmed as needs and nine assumed influences were confirmed as assets.
In Chapter 5, the research supports recommendations that address the needs and reinforce
the assets in each category. This chapter will provide recommendations and will organize each
section by Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization containing the validated influences. An
implementation of the recommendations for a summer bridge program is described using the
New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) which serves as the framework
for the training plan created for the organization. Finally, an evaluation plan is proposed to
measure the success of the bridge program.

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Recommendations to Address Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization Factors
This section examines the recommendations for implementing a program to address the
findings of the assessed knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors. Each of the sections
will include recommendations to the organization. There are a total of ten recommendations.
Knowledge
The findings for the five assumed declarative factual knowledge influences resulted in
each influence being categorized as needs. The influences assumed that faculty know (a) which
skills are needed by students to succeed in law classes; (b) which academic support resources are
needed to best assist students; (c) which questions to ask students to assess their needs; and (d)
the best types of student engagement that promote learning. In addition, the academic support
team needs to know what skills programming is needed to assist students best. According to
Schraw & McCrudden (2006), how individuals organize knowledge can influence how they
learn and how they apply what they know. This would suggest that a visual component, such as a
graphic organizer, may help with the organization of relevant current and new knowledge. As
such, it might be that faculty members would benefit from coaching on how to organize material
for easy reference. Thus, it is recommended that the organization provide opportunities for
faculty to participate in academic workshops in which faculty receive coaching, engage in
discussions, and create visual aids for planning courses.
The findings for the three declarative conceptual knowledge influences resulted in one of
the influences being categorized as an asset and two of the influences being categorized as needs.
The influences assumed that faculty know (a) the best way for students to acquire knowledge;
and (b) the best skills needed by students. In addition, the academic support team knows the best
way to assess and track student progress. Information processing theory can be utilized here to

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make recommendations. By increasing conceptual understanding with the use of visual and
auditory sources, there is improved working memory capacity (Mayer, 2011). This would
suggest that a visual working model, such as a diagram or graphic scheme would be beneficial
for mapping important concepts. Therefore, it is recommended that the organization provide
training spaces for faculty to participate in discussions and create visual maps to be utilized for
teaching and planning courses.
The findings for the six procedural knowledge influences revealed one of the influences
as an asset and five of the influences being categorized as needs. The influences assumed that
faculty know how to teach (a) legal analysis skills to students; (b) specific methods of law study
to students; and (c) law-specific note-taking and outlining methods. In addition, the academic
support faculty knows how to (a) create a skills-based program; (b) track data that tracks student
progress; and (c) track student progress and intervention. Rueda (2011) describes procedural
knowledge as referring to the actual skills, methodologies, and techniques needed to operate.
When information is meaningfully learned and then related to prior knowledge, it is stored and
remembered more immediately and accurately (Schraw & McCrudden, 2006). This would
suggest that the faculty would benefit from formal group discussions and teaching practice
groups. Therefore, it is recommended that the organization provide training spaces for faculty to
discuss model methods of teaching as well as participate in training sessions to learn which tools
will help them track and analyze student data.
Finally, the findings for the three metacognitive knowledge influences resulted in one of
the influences being categorized as an asset and two of the influences being categorized as needs.
The influences assumed that (a) faculty need to reflect on what skills make students successful;
(b) academic support needs to reflect on the progress and performance of students; and (c) both

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faculty and academic support need to reflect on the program to determine which elements may
need alteration. Anderson and Krathwohl’s (2001) theory on self-knowledge reflection,
understanding how knowledge is acquired, and when to use specific strategies can be used here.
According to Pintrich (2003), the accuracy of self-knowledge is imperative as well as a person’s
understanding of their own learning strengths and weaknesses. This would suggest that the
faculty would benefit from formal training sessions and group discussions. Therefore, it is
recommended that the organization provide opportunities for faculty to participate in collective
group discussions which allow them to share practice self-reflection, share learning strategies as
well as participate in training sessions that determine best practices. The shared practices should
be reflective of the most current practices and grounded in literature.
Motivation
Inquiry into motivation first focused on value. The findings for the six value motivational
influences resulted in four influences being categorized as assets and two influences being
categorized as needs. The influences assumed that faculty value (a) first-generation students in
law academia and the legal profession; (b) the pre-law academic support program for firstgeneration students; (c) the academic support team; and, (d) creating new learning tools for firstgeneration students. In addition, the faculty need to believe that creating a summer bridge
program is worth their time and effort, as well as having expectations that they will succeed in
creating the summer bridge program. Expectancy value theory (EVT) can be applied here to
make recommendations. EVT provides an outline for motivation by focusing on interest,
attainment, utility, and cost (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002). The effort faculty spend on building this
program will be worth their time if they are confident that they can draw on their abilities
(Wigfield & Eccles, 2000) along with confidence in their skill value (Clark & Estes, 2008). This

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would suggest that faculty would benefit from participating in training sessions and discussion
groups. Therefore, it is recommended that the organization provide opportunities for faculty to
participate in expert-led training sessions that provide models of successful summer programs,
allow faculty to engage in task-oriented discussions, and assist faculty with increasing their
confidence in building a pre-law program.
Additionally, there was an inquiry into motivation focused on self-efficacy. The findings
for the three self-efficacy influences resulted in two influences being categorized as needs and
one influence categorized as an asset. The influences assumed that (a) faculty feel confident in
identifying key skills and teaching legal analysis concepts to first-generation law students; (b)
both faculty and academic support feel that they can teach new learning skills and tools to these
students, and (c) academic support is confident they can successfully monitor student progress.
Self-efficacy theory can be applied here to inform recommendations. Context-specific expertise
contributes to increased motivation (Rueda, 2011) and impacts collective efficacy (Bandura,
2001). As such, it is important to provide goal guidance as well as ensure that practice that is
provided to faculty and staff during the program is paired with frequent, accurate, and private
feedback (Pajares, 2006). This would suggest that faculty would benefit from collaborative work
groups to enhance the positive effects of self-efficacy. Therefore, it is recommended that the
organization provide space for training in which faculty participate in expert-led goal-setting
activities, participate in reflective discussions, and provide feedback on outcomes.
Finally, there are findings for motivation influences related to emotions. The findings for
the two emotion influences resulted in one influence being categorized as a need and the other as
an asset. The first influence assumes that faculty need to feel positive about engaging in an
exercise in which they identify the academic skills they need to teach students, while the second

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influence assumes that academic support needs to feel positive about creating a summer bridge
program and monitoring student progress. Emotions are a part of motivation theory which are
related to feelings of failure, success, neutrality, and regarding a future, current, or completed
task (Pekrun, 2000). Here, value appraisal of outcomes and outcome expectancies can evoke
positive emotions (Pekrun, 2000). This would suggest that faculty would benefit from
collaborative work groups to enhance the positive emotions associated with teaching firstgeneration students and building a summer bridge program. Therefore, it is recommended that
the organization provide space for expert-led group discussions in which faculty are provided
with reminders of the importance of their work to themselves, students, and the law school
community.
Organization
Inquiry into the organization first focused on resources. The findings for the three
resource influences resulted in all of them being categorized as needs. The influences assumed
that faculty need time to (a) identify the key legal analysis skills essential to new student
learning; and (b) meet with academic support team members to communicate these skills. In
addition, faculty and academic support need to determine if monetary resources are needed to
design and implement the summer bridge program. Organizational alignment is key. Clark and
Estes (2008) indicate that source material plus information technology, are essential resources to
evaluate and can help reduce performance gaps. This would suggest that faculty would benefit
from synchronous and asynchronous collaborative work groups in which they enhance their
knowledge of the resources needed to build a successful summer program. Therefore, it is
recommended that the organization provide space for faculty participation in expert-led training
on budget modeling and project timeline forecasting.

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In addition, there was an inquiry into the organization focused on policies, processes, and
procedures. The findings for the two influences resulted in both of them being categorized as
needs. The first influence assumed that faculty and academic support have procedures in place
that outline communication practices that allow them to work together to create a summer bridge
program. The second influence assumed that faculty have policies and procedures in place to
measure instruction and student success. Value stream assessment can be used to make
recommendations. Examining policies and procedures is important to achieving goals (Rueda,
2011) as well as identifying the processes that are most effective in achieving organizational
goals (Clark and Estes, 2008). This would suggest that faculty would benefit from discussion
groups to review current practices and create new policies, processes, and procedures, as needed.
Therefore, it is recommended that the organization provide opportunities for expert-led work
groups in which faculty discuss current standard operating procedures, create new policies and
processes, and improve team training skills.
Finally, there are findings for organizational influences related to culture. The findings
for the two cultural influences resulted in both of them being categorized as needs. The
influences assumed that faculty are part of a culture that (a) embraces collaboration so that they
will exert extra effort in work outside of their department and participate in developing an
educational plan that encourages and supports first-generation law students, and (b) aligns with
information sharing to work together with Academic Support to meet institutional goals.
Sociocultural theory can be used to make recommendations. An effective organization must have
policies, processes, and procedures that are in alignment and support organizational goals and
values (Clark & Estes, 2008). Cultural models exist as the unspoken rules of operation within an
organization in which employees operate their rules of engagement, behaviors, policies, values,

140
and structure (Rueda, 2011; Gallimore & Goldenberg, 2001). This would suggest that faculty
would benefit from discussion groups to realign goals and create a new, sustainable subculture
within the organization. Therefore, it is recommended that the organization provide expert-led
discussion groups where faculty have space to discuss perceived and real barriers, deliberate on
effective change efforts, and create a unified community.
Summary of Knowledge, Motivation, and Organization Recommendations
In summation, the majority of knowledge, motivation, and organization influences
explored in this study were revealed to be needed and, as such, the research-informed
recommendations were proposed in all three categories. In consideration of the characteristics of
the stakeholders, who are adult professional learners, the solutions proposed are collaborative
with formal and informal training elements. The recommendations are fully described in the
Program section of the Evaluation plan that follows.
Evaluation Plan
The forthcoming strategy will utilize the New World Kirkpatrick Model to design a
framework for an integrated implementation and evaluation plan for the pre-law summer bridge
program. CALS committed itself to core educational values with a focus on educating
underserved communities. First-generation law students comprise a large portion of the student
body and may be particularly disadvantaged in legal education. In Chapter 2, the deficits in
metacognitive and procedural knowledge important for first-generation student performance and
mastery of legal education (Foster et al., 2021) were explored in-depth. The desired outcome of
this study was to examine the assets and needs required for the organization to create and
implement a strategic summer bridge support program to increase first-generation students’
academic success. The performance framework utilized for the study is the gap analysis model

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created by Clark and Estes (2008) whereby knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors to
identify performance gaps to understand underlying causes and allow for solutions based on
those findings. The innovation model, as outlined by Clark and Estes (2008, pp. 137-139), is a
bottom-line impact design where performance is measured by reviewing pre- and postassessments after solution implementation.
Evaluation Framework
The four-level evaluation framework utilized in this study is based on the New World
Kirkpatrick model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) which posits building a training plan with
results in mind. Therefore, the evaluation plan will be designed beginning with the end, Level 4
Results. This will allow for careful configuration of the goals sought out by the organization.
The training model evaluation contains four levels: Reaction, Learning, Behavior, and
Results (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick, 2016.) To elaborate, the four levels of the model consist of
the following: (a) Level 1 Reaction–determination of how favorably the participants find the
training and the degree to which they find it pertinent to their jobs; (b) Level 2 Learning–
determination of how the participants will absorb the elements of the training which include
knowledge, skills, confidence, attitudes and commitment; (c) Level 3 Behavior–ways in which
participants demonstrate consistent, key behaviors that are geared toward goal attainment; and,
(d) Level 4 Results–reviewing outcomes and measuring success based on training (Kirkpatrick
and Kirkpatrick, 2016.) Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) explain their preferred way of
designing an evaluation plan is with the goals in mind, therefore, the Levels will be described
backward, beginning with Level 4, followed by Level 3, then Level 2, and concluding with Level
1.

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Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
Starting with the goal in mind, this section covers Level 4 Results. The primary reason
that training is conducted is to achieve desired outcomes (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The
Level 4 Results section provides directives on how to utilize pre-determined leading indicators to
help measure behaviors, after training, to show signs of positive advancement toward goals
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The leading indicators work as goalposts along the pathway
to the end goal which allow room for re-calibration, if needed. In Table 46, external and internal
outcomes, metrics for measuring success, as well as the methods in which the leading indicators
will be observed for stakeholders are outlined.

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Table 46
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metric Method
External outcomes
Increased first-time bar
pass rate for alumni.
Number of students who pass
the bar exam on the first
attempt compared to the
number of students who sit for
the exam.
Bar Services will keep track of
students in a shared database.
The data will be collected by
surveying students to
determine who sits for the
exam and reviewing official
bar exam pass lists by state,
monitoring only the
jurisdictions in which
students have confirmed an
exam attempt.
Increased alumni
satisfaction.
Number of alumni who provide
positive feedback, increase
donor-related activity, and
increase participation in law
school events.
Alumni Affairs will keep track
of alumni donations in a
shared database. The data will
be collected by creating
methods of collection for
donations.
Alumni Affairs will keep track
of feedback. The data will be
collected by surveying alumni
to ask about their experiences
at the law school.
Alumni Affairs, Career
Services, and the Dean’s
Office will keep track of
alumni participation in law
school-related events using a
shared database. Participation
data will be collected by
counting the number of
alumni at events.
Increased employer
satisfaction.
The number of employers who
reach out to the school to set
up interviews with students.
Also, the number of alumni
who are hired at law firms and
jobs that seek JD graduates.
Career Services will keep track
of employers who set up
student interviews using a
shared database. Career
Services will also keep track
of alumni who are gainfully
employed within 9 months of
graduating from law school.

144
Outcome Metric Method
Job placement data will be
collected from alumni surveys
and viewing LinkedIn
profiles.
Increased number of
potential future law
students.
Number of inquiries from
prospective students and
increased number of
submitted applications for
admission.
Admissions will keep track of
student inquiries and
applications using a shared
database. The prospective
student data will be collected
by creating a web-based
information form submitted
by the student. Application
data will be collected using a
candidate portal to accept
documents and allow students
to apply electronically.
Increased positive
perception of the law
school.
The number of positive news
articles and social media
mentions from followers and
local news media outlets.
The Marketing Department will
keep track of media inquiries
and requested interviews or
content submissions. Inquiries
will be collected and
monitored in a shared
database.
The Marketing Department will
also track positive mentions
and comments via social
media channels and
monitoring platforms.
Information will be collected
and monitored in a shared
database.
Decreased accountability
to accrediting bodies
such as the American
Bar Association (ABA)
and the Association of
American Law Schools
(AALS).
Number of inquiries and updates
requested by each body.
The Dean’s and President’s
Offices will monitor the
inquiries from accreditors.
Information will be collected
and monitored in a shared
drive and/or database.

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Outcome Method Metric
Internal outcomes
Increased first-year
student success.
Number of students with
satisfactory grade reports at
the end of the first year.
Academic Support will keep
track of student progress in a
shared database. Course
grades will be monitored and
progress will be evaluated at
the end of each year.
Decrease in students
retaking classes or
enrolling in skills–
development courses.
Number of students who reenroll in courses and number
of students who enroll in
skills-development courses.
Academic Support and
Registrar will keep track of
students who re-enroll in
courses or enroll in skillsdevelopment courses.
Enrollment will be monitored
in a shared database.
Increased faculty
involvement in the
summer bridge
program.
Number of faculty who elect to
participate in the summer
bridge program.
Academic Support, Registrar,
and the Dean’s Office will
keep track of faculty who
elect to participate in the
summer bridge program.
Participation will be
monitored through course
assignments in a shared
database.
Increased bar passage rate
will positively impact
current students,
faculty, and staff.
Number of students who pass
the bar exam on the first
attempt compared to the
number of students who sit for
the exam. Positive feelings
expressed by students, faculty,
and staff as well as the
number of participants
volunteering to assist with
academic and co-curricular
programs.
Bar Services will keep track of
students in a shared database.
The data will be collected by
surveying students to
determine who sits for the
exam and reviewing official
bar exam pass lists by state,
monitoring only the
jurisdictions in which
students have confirmed an
exam attempt.
Student Affairs will keep track
of positive emotions and
motivation feedback from
current students as they
experience their student
colleagues achieving success,
which in turn will improve
self-efficacy and motivation.

146
The Dean’s Office will keep
track of positive feedback
from faculty and staff which
will improve the self-efficacy
and motivation of these
groups. Positive feelings will
result in faculty and staff
participating in more
workshops, academic
achievement programs, and
school-related events.
Participation will be tracked
in a shared database.
Level 3: Behavior
This section addresses Level 3 Behaviors which Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016)
consider to be the most important level in the framework. This level includes directives on how
to observe and monitor the actions of participants who have been a part of the training program.
Monitoring behavior is critical as it shows if and how participants have applied their new
knowledge to achieve work goals (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016).
Critical Behaviors
Identifying critical behaviors to monitor in post-training assessments will help to keep
track of defined institutional goals. As defined by the authors, critical behaviors must be,
“...specific, observable, and measurable (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016 pp. 51). Additionally,
a critical behavior should be identified as one that is necessary to perform regularly, or it should
not be identified as such (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). Table 47 shows the critical
behaviors that must be performed by faculty and support staff.

147
Table 47
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
Faculty and
Academic
Support meet to
create skillsbased
programming for
a summer bridge
program.
The number of
planning meetings
attended and
programmatic
pieces completed.
Attendance will be
recorded for each
planning meeting. A
shared document will
keep track of
collaborators’
contributions to
program elements
through completion.
Monthly reports to
keep track of
attendance.
Monthly review
of shared
documents to
review
contributions.
Faculty and
Academic
Support
implement the
summer bridge
program.
Number of times
operations planning
meetings are
attended. Number
of planned faculty
members who
participate in the
summer program.
Attendance will be
recorded for each
operations planning
meeting. A shared
document will keep
track of collaborators’
assigned tasks
through completion.
A tracking list will be
used during the
summer program to
ensure that planned
faculty attend the
summer program.
Monthly reports to
keep track of
attendance at
meetings.
Monthly review
of shared
documents to
review tasks.
Weekly tracking list
of faculty
attendance
through the
duration of the
program to
determine if the
content was
delivered, events
attended and
office hours
completed.
Faculty and
Academic
Support track
student progress
using database
software.
Number of times
student records are
accessed and
updated.
Users will be required to
notate student
records. Reports will
be run to determine
which students are
missing evaluation
notes.
Weekly reports
during the
summer bridge
program.

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Required Drivers
As explained in the New World Kirkpatrick Model, required drivers function as the
processes and actions that are identified to help reinforce, support, and reward on-the-job
behaviors related to performance goals (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). There are two
categories of required drivers that are utilized in the observational component of this model: (a)
support; and (b) accountability (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick 2016). Further detailed by Kirkpatrick
and Kirkpatrick (2016), are the elements within these two categories that will serve as the
markers within the system to monitor the critical behaviors: (a) reinforcing; (b) encouraging; (c)
rewarding; and (d) monitoring. As the summer bridge program will take time to develop, all
faculty members will need to believe in the program and that it is worth their time and effort.
Value is important and involves a stakeholder deciding how important a task is to themselves
(Pintrich, 2003). Using designated required drives to monitor critical behaviors is essential to
meet the specific organizational goal of creating the summer bridge program for first-generation
law students. Table 48 lists the required drivers to support the critical behaviors of faculty and
support staff.

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Table 48
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing Critical behaviors supported
Reinforcing
Provide job aids for faculty on
a designated database for
student academic records
tracking and monitoring.
Annually 1, 2, 3
Provide refresher training for
faculty on a designated
database for student
academic records tracking
and monitoring.
Ongoing through the duration
of the program (JuneAugust)
1, 2, 3
Provide refresher training for
faculty to support their
efforts to create skills-based
courses.
Ongoing 1, 2, 3
Create reminders for faculty
to update assigned task lists
in shared drives.
Ongoing 1, 3
Encouraging
Encourage collaboration and
team building so that
faculty continue to learn
from one another and
improve their teaching
skills.
Ongoing 1, 2, 3
Encourage faculty to track
their progress on assigned
tasks related to the program
which may motivate others
to model their behavior and
participate in academic
planning.
Ongoing 1, 2, 3
Provide faculty with on-thejob support for database
training to encourage them
to practice utilizing
systems.
Ongoing 1, 2, 3
Promote the high value
purpose of creating the
summer bridge program
which may encourage other
faculty peers' motivation to
Ongoing 1, 2, 3

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Method(s) Timing Critical behaviors supported
participate in the program
and improve campus
culture.
Rewarding
Law Dean to publicly
recognize faculty who are
actively participating in
training and planning
sessions at both Staff and
Faculty Meetings.
Monthly 1, 2, 3
Law Dean to recognize
faculty who participate in
the summer bridge program
to the internal community
via email.
Annually
2
Law Dean and/or President to
recognize faculty who
participated in the summer
bridge program planning
and implementation to
external stakeholders such
as alumni, donors, and local
community interests.
Annually 1, 2
Reward faculty by reducing
faculty teaching load during
the school year as thanks
for teaching in the summer
bridge program.
Annually
2
Monitoring
Tasks lists are monitored to
determine if skills
-based
programming assignments
are completed by due dates.
Monthly 1, 3
Required academic planning
and operations meetings
monitored for attendance.
Monthly 1, 3
Surveys are distributed to
faculty to monitor
confidence and progress in
learning related to skills
-
oriented programming and
database software.
Quarterly 1, 3
Faculty sign
-ins are
monitored during the
summer bridge program to
Annually
2

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Method(s) Timing Critical behaviors supported
ensure that faculty have
participated and delivered
content.
Reports are created to
determine if and how
database software was
utilized by faculty during
the program to monitor
student progress.
Annually 2, 3
Organizational support. Support from the organization will be a critical part of
achieving all of the goals related to planning and implementing the summer bridge program.
Creating, or altering, a cultural setting is the goal to help motivate faculty to participate in the
development and execution of the summer bridge program. As Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001)
expressed, norms change in cultural settings when stakeholders interact and where shared goals
are conceived and valued. Therefore, the first signs of support for this program are needed from
the Law Dean as well as the Senior-Level Faculty and Staff. They will be essential during the
program implementation in reinforcing, encouraging, rewarding, and monitoring faculty’s
critical behaviors. Second, identifying the office(s) assigned as Program Lead(s) is necessary to
deliver communications regarding program goals, monitor participation, create training
calendars, build agendas for meetings and training sessions, and ultimately serve as the primary
contact for internal and external stakeholders. Lastly, the Program Lead and Law Dean will need
to collaborate to determine what resources are available to create training manuals and job aids,
determine database software needs, and allocate funds for training space and classroom space for
the summer bridge program. The Program Lead will need to work with Department Leads to
determine what policies, processes, and procedures need to be reviewed and updated. Lastly, the

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Program Lead will need to administer surveys, monitor meeting attendance, run database reports,
and provide updates to the Law Dean, Senior-Level Faculty, and Staff.
Level 2: Learning
In this section Level 2 Learning, the purposeful and deliberate assessment of training
participants’ learning is outlined. As defined by Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) in the New
World Model, formative and summative evaluations will measure the degrees to which
participants have acquired additional knowledge and skills, as well as whether they have
enhanced attitude, confidence, and commitment. Therefore, participants’ acquisition of the
intended deliverables is consequential in determining the success of the training program
designed and guided by the KMO influences as well as the impact on the implementation of the
summer bridge program.
Learning Goals
The learning objectives set forth encompass the KMO influences as well as the examined
assets outlined in the study. The knowledge influences include those identified by Anderson and
Krathwohl (2001) which contain the categorized four knowledge types: (a) declarative and
factual; (b) conceptual; (c) procedural; and (d) metacognitive which are incorporated into the
learning goals. Additionally, the examination of motivational influences is necessary by
exhibiting support for three constructs: (a) value; (b) self-efficacy; and (c) emotions. Motivation
is important as it demonstrates the direction one puts their energy (Pintrich, 2003). Lastly, a
cultural profile will be useful in aligning the current organizational culture with behavior to reach
performance goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). Based on these concepts, the following learning goals
have been created:
1. Identify the skills needed by students to succeed in law classes (factual knowledge).

153
2. Describe the best types of student engagement that promote learning (factual knowledge).
3. Describe the process for tracking and analyzing student progress (procedural knowledge).
4. Describe how to determine learning objectives for students as well as how to teach
specific methods of law study, legal analysis skills, and law-specific note-taking to
students (procedural knowledge).
5. Demonstrate enhanced knowledge-transfer learning plans as discussed in reflective group
conversations (metacognitive knowledge).
6. Demonstrate high regard, purpose, and support for first-generation students in law school
(value).
7. Exhibit positive feelings about creating a pre-law summer bridge program for firstgeneration law students (emotions).
8. Initiate strategies that align faculty and create a culture of collaboration to develop an
educational plan, work in unity, and achieve institutional goals (organizational culture).
Program
The following two training programs are recommended to achieve the eight learning
goals outlined and to address the KMO influences that were identified in this study. The first
training workshop supports the development of an educational program for first-generation law
students, creates a culture of collaboration, and generates positive feelings about building a
summer bridge program. The second training workshop focuses on database software, pertinent
applications, and report generation to track student progress.
It is recommended that the Law Dean announce the intention to launch a pre-law summer
bridge program for first-generation students to faculty and staff nine to twelve months before the
projected implementation month of July 2025. By September 2024, Program Leads will have

154
been selected and faculty will have been notified of the training dates intended for the
workshops.
Workshop 1: Education Strategy Workshop. This workshop will consist of formative
methods of assessment to allow for deep and meaningful conversations to take place among
faculty. The workshop should be scheduled for one full day on the law school campus in
September. The Program Lead will facilitate the group activities and keep track of attendance,
participation, and general mood of the attendees. The first portion of the program should allow
for the presentation of information on national data enrollment trends of first-generation law
students, current first-generation enrollment at the law school, and additional data on
performance trends and bar passage. This will provide the framework for the importance of
reflecting on current teaching methods and help facilitate conversations on educational
enhancements. The goal is to allow space for confidential discussions to take place in which
faculty members share teaching practices and collaborate on identifying critical legal analysis
and law note-taking skills as well as specific methods of law study. The Program Lead will then
engage faculty in a discussion in which they identify the critical programmatic elements of a
summer bridge program. Next, faculty will be broken into smaller groups, assigned one or two
elements, and participate in an activity where they create goals, identify resources to achieve
their goals, and identify perceived or real roadblocks to success. This activity actively engages
faculty in creating the framework for the summer bridge program further developing a culture of
collaboration and increasing positive feelings for the summer bridge program. Finally, the
Program Lead will facilitate a summative assessment in the form of a group interview in which
faculty will be asked to provide their thoughts on the workshop and determine what topics need
to be revisited as planning for the summer bridge program unfolds over the year.

155
Workshop 2: Tracking Student Pathways Workshop. This workshop will consist of
formative and summative methods of assessment to allow for deep learning to take place among
faculty. The workshop should be scheduled for a 3-hour time block on the law school campus in
October. The Program Lead will facilitate the workshop and keep track of attendance,
participation, and the general mood of the attendees. The Program Lead will schedule
representatives from the Information Technology (IT) team to lead the software training.
Additionally, representatives from Student Affairs and the Registrar will participate as subject
matter experts in law student grade assessments as well as provide guidelines on academic
interventions. Faculty will be asked to show evidence of procedural learning by accessing the
software simulation mode to demonstrate the process for tracking and analyzing student data.
The workshop will conclude with a discussion on the importance of timely grade recording,
monitoring student progress, and methods of intervention. The discussion will also incorporate
feedback from faculty to determine if and when additional training sessions, or refresher courses,
are needed before and during the summer bridge program.
Evaluation of the Components of Learning
Once the training sessions have concluded, it is necessary to evaluate the eight learning
objectives outlined in this study. Implementing an evaluation framework will help determine if
interventions have been successful, improved on-the-job performance, and to demonstrate value
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). The following evaluation model lists methods and activities
to collect data and assess declarative knowledge, procedural skills, attitude, confidence, and
commitment. Table 49 lists the evaluation components of learning.

156
Table 49
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program
Method or activity Timing
Declarative knowledge “I know it.”
Knowledge check to assess faculty familiarity
with subject matters.
During the introductory session of Workshop
1 and 2.
Small discussion groups to brainstorm on
assigned topics, then reassemble and share
knowledge with the entire group.
During the training session, immediately after
the first group exercise, Workshop 1 and 2.
Pre and post testing. Before Workshop 1 and after Workshop 2.
Procedural skills “I can do it right now.”
Academic skills listed created for faculty use
during the summer bridge program.
During Workshop 1 and gain in delayed postassessment survey.
Major concepts in academic knowledge
transfer identified during group discussion
for faculty use during the summer bridge
program.
During Workshop 1 and again in delayed
post-assessment survey.
Program Leader observes participants
achieving workshop learning goals.
During Workshop 1 and 2, by survey at the
end of the workshops and again in a
delayed post-assessment survey .
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Group discussion to obtain feedback from
participants about the value of the program.
Immediately at the end of each workshop
session and gain in a delayed postassessment survey.
Survey questions answered by participants to
assess attitude about the training session(s).
Likert scale questions at the end of the
workshops and again in a delayed postassessment survey.
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”
Obtain feedback from participants during the
final group discussion by the Program
Leader.
At the end of each workshop.
Survey questions answered by participants to
assess confidence in applying the concepts
they learned during training.
At the end of each workshop and again in a
delayed post-assessment survey.
Survey questions answered by participants to
assess participants’ confidence in being
able to apply learned concepts to their job
functions.
At the end of each workshop and again in a
delayed post-assessment survey.
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
Action plan created by participants on key
strategies to implement during the year and
during the summer bridge program.
During workshops.
Participants acknowledged levels of
commitment observed by the Program
During workshops and again in delayed postassessment surveys.

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Leader during workshops.
Participants to demonstrate progress in task
completion and deliverables for the
summer bridge program development.
Assessed in delayed post-assessment survey.
Level 1: Reaction
In this section Level 1 Reaction, the purposeful and deliberate assessment of training
participants reflection and feedback is outlined. As defined by Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick
(2016) in the New World Model, formative and summative assessments will measure the degrees
to which participants have found their training favorable, engaging and relevant to their work.
Table 50 lists the components of measuring reactions to the program.

158
Table 50
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
Method or tool Timing
Engagement
The active engagement of participants
during training.
During each workshop.
Program Leader implements pulse checks
throughout training to observe
participants’ active listening, note-taking,
cell phone usage, and overall behavior.
During each workshop.
Survey questions to determine value,
usage of new knowledge on job functions,
and program quality.
Assessed in delayed post-assessment survey.
Relevance
Program Leader to implement use of pulse
checks to assess participants feelings of
the relevance of the training information.
During each workshop.
Survey questions to determine the
relevance of new knowledge on job
functions.
Assessed in delayed post-assessment survey.
Customer satisfaction
Program leader to implement use of pulse
checks to assess participants’ feelings of
satisfaction on learning elements of the
workshop.
During each workshop.
Survey questions to determine participants’
satisfaction with the learning elements of
the workshop and impact on their job
functions.
Assessed in delayed post-assessment survey.
Evaluation Tools
The creation and usage of evaluation tools will provide credible data sets with which to
measure the effectiveness of the training workshops. The types of questions posed, the method of
collection, and the timing of the data collection are important factors. As Kirkpatrick and
Kirkpatrick (2016) indicated, the utilization of evaluation tools is going to reveal how well the
training was received by participants and their confidence to apply this knowledge in their jobs.

159
Immediately Following the Program Implementation
Immediately following each of the planned workshops, faculty participants will be asked
to provide feedback via survey prior to departing the program. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick
(2016) believe that a gap may exist between facilitator’s perceived ideas of participants’
experiences compared to the participants’ perceptions of their own experiences, so narrowing the
gap by collecting data at the conclusion of the program is helpful. The surveys presented to
faculty at the end of Workshop 1 and Workshop 2 will be used to evaluate Level 1 Reaction and
Level 2 Learning. Each survey will consist of Likert scale questions that evaluate satisfaction
and perceived quality of the content of the workshop. Additionally, open-ended questions will
allow participants to submit feedback. The evaluation tools can be found in Appendix F and
Appendix G.
Delayed for a Period After the Program Implementation
A delayed evaluation allows data to be collected to reveal if critical behaviors have
changed, whether those changes have impacted workflows and to what degree organizational
culture has been influenced by those changed behaviors. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) note
the importance of measuring behavioral changes in employees post-training, reviewing job
performance and ultimately, whether the organization achieved positive results for mission
critical programs. The timing of the delayed survey allows for participants to reflect on what they
learned during training workshops and if training affected their performance. The survey
presented to faculty will be used to evaluate Level 3 Behavior and Level 4 Results. Questions for
Level 1 Reaction and Level 2 Learning will be included to re-measure participants' feelings
about the workshops. The survey will consist of Likert scale questions that evaluate satisfaction
and perceived quality of the content of the workshop and impacts on performance as a result of

160
participation. Additionally, open-ended questions will allow participants to submit feedback. The
survey will be administered electronically 90 days after Workshop 1, which is also
approximately 60 days after Workshop 2. The evaluation tool can be found in Appendix H.
Data Analysis and Reporting
Analysis of the findings are critical to concluding if the interventions were successful.
There are two primary periods in which formative and summative assessments will be analyzed:
a) during the training program, reviewing immediate feedback survey data; and b) after the
training program, reviewing delayed feedback survey data. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016)
indicate that analyzing data during the training program allows course leaders to determine if
expectations are being met and, if not, allows for components of the program to be altered to
create greater value for participants. During the two data analysis periods, stakeholders will be
supplied with summaries of the findings. To view progress toward their organizational goals as
outlined in Level 3 Behavior, critical behaviors will be analyzed. See Appendix H, Figure H1 for
an example of how sample data will be presented regarding faculty creating skills-based
programming for the summer bridge program. Stakeholders will also be supplied with
summaries of findings after the program to determine if Level 4 Results have been achieved by
analyzing leading indicators. See Appendix H, Figure H2 for an example of how sample data
will be presented for the leading indicator to increase faculty involvement in the summer bridge
program. Stakeholders will have the analyzed data presented to them in scheduled, formal
meetings. When appropriate, achievements will be shared with the law school community, as
well as partners, to keep them apprised of the positive outcomes.

161
Summary
The New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick, 2016) is a robust
evaluation framework that outlines the steps to build a training plan by following four standards.
It allows the opportunity to work closely with stakeholders to determine organizational
achievements and create measurable goals that impact critical behaviors necessary to attain
desired results. Using this evaluation framework, recommendations for implementing a program
are based on the findings of the assessed knowledge, motivation, and organizational factors. The
expectations of implementing this type of evaluation plan should result in positive impacts on
student learning, student outcomes, faculty motivation and participation, and the creation of a
successful pre-law summer bridge program for first-generation law students.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach
While many methodological approaches could have been selected, each with strengths
and weaknesses, the performance framework utilized for this study is the gap analysis model
developed by Clark and Estes (2008). More specifically within that framework, the innovation
model was selected to introduce the novel summer bridge program for first-generation law
students as it is a bottom-line impact design. Using the New World Kirkpatrick Model
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) to deliver content, the strengths of the KMO model are the
built-in performance evaluations which allow the training team and stakeholders to see reliable
and valid data that will inform them about the progress of the research-informed
recommendations. Taking time to evaluate participants’ learning midway through the program
allows developers to see what is working, and what needs to be improved, to stay on target to
meet organizational goals. However, since this is an innovation model, the KMO analysis may

162
have not identified all of the needs needed to formulate all of the learning goals necessary to
meet all of the stakeholder outcomes.
Limitations and Delimitations
There are limitations in every study which may impact the interpretation of the findings.
Reflecting upon the design and implementation of this study, there are areas that can be
identified for future improvements. Since qualitative research is an attempt to understand
feelings, beliefs, or perceptions (Patton, 1987), then it is important to make sure that there is a
significant sample size for the study. This study specifically focused on full-time faculty and
academic support faculty stakeholders which resulted in a small sample group and thus not a
generalizable study. To increase the number of participants, it is suggested that the adjunct
faculty members be included in the sample pool. The trustworthiness and credibility of this study
is crucial, therefore additional data is recommended for collection in future studies such as
documents or artifacts that showcase faculty lesson plans pre and post training. Additionally,
recognizing that there are professional staff that have a significant impact on the success of law
students suggests that the stakeholder group for future studies increase to include student affairs,
admissions and/or career services. In terms of the survey, there were some questions that were
limiting insofar as a handful of them were geared towards full-time faculty or academic support
faculty. Therefore, branching within the survey may improve the results and reduce any
confusion for the participants.
In terms of the delimitations, this study is currently bound to the law school and
associated partners. However, it is possible to add stakeholders to the target population, add
study sites, and alter survey questions in a future study.

163
Future Research
Recommendations for future research on the topic of first-generation law students’
integration into law academia should first focus on the expansion of the stakeholders included in
the data collection to potentially incorporate student affairs, admissions, and career services staff
members. An expanded study would allow for these stakeholders to include co-curricular and
extracurricular program feedback, which are integral in the experiential component of legal
education. If included, the KMO gap analysis would result in a more comprehensive study.
Additionally, if this study were to be replicated, then it is recommended that the number
of survey questions be whittled down to increase the likelihood of completion. The current
survey is 35 questions and there were some instances of faculty not completing the survey.
Although it is unclear why they did not finish, it is possible that the length of the survey was too
time consuming.
Finally, this study could be expanded to include continued first-generation law student
academic success through the second year and third year. As this study primarily focuses on the
skills needed for first-generation law student success as they enter their 1L year, more
information from stakeholders on the knowledge and skills needed to maintain academic success
through the remainder of their schooling could be impactful, and strengthen each asset
investigated and identify supplementary assets.
Conclusion
The purpose of this case study is to examine the assets and needs required for the
organization to create and implement a strategic summer pre-law student support program for
first-generation law students and boost their chances for academic success in law school. This
study applied the knowledge, motivation, and organization (KMO) performance framework

164
developed by Clark and Estes (2008) to examine the assets and needs required for the
organization to create this innovative program. Therefore, the purpose of the study focused on
examining how tenured faculty and academic support faculty can best design, implement and
support a comprehensive pre-law summer bridge program as they have the greatest influence
over academic learning. The study included both qualitative and quantitative data collection in
the form of surveys and interviews with the purpose of confirming the assumed causes and
supporting the analysis of knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences. Using mixed
methods, faculty members were asked to identify the critical learning and analytical skills needed
by law students to achieve academic success during their first year in law school. Data was
collected by administering surveys and conducting interviews.
The data results detailed in Chapter 4 revealed that 26 assumed influences were
confirmed as needs and nine assumed influences were confirmed as assets. To address these
needs, a four-level evaluation framework based on the New World Kirkpatrick model
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) was utilized to outline the directives to build a training and
evaluation plan which described learning goals, as well as the critical behaviors needed by
faculty to achieve results and meet performance goals. The expectations of implementing this
type of evaluation plan should result in positive impacts on student learning, student outcomes,
faculty motivation and participation, and the creation of a successful pre-law summer bridge
program for first-generation law students.
While it is important to address this problem within the organization, this case study can
inform future research on first-generation law students, of which there is currently very little.
The success of these law students will have a positive ripple effect in the legal community, and
society, as they maneuver their career paths.

165
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APPENDIX A: SURVEY TOOL
Tables A1-A3
Table A1
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Methods of Assessment
Knowledge influences Survey question
Declarative factual
Faculty need to know which skills are needed
by students to succeed in law classes.
Complete the sentence:
Based on my experience teaching law students,
the most important skill they must
learn/possess is:
a. Reading comprehension
b. Legal analysis
c. Time management
d. Outlining
e. a and d
f. all of the above*
Faculty need to know which academic support
resources are needed to best assist students.
Multiple choice:
Based on my experience, students who perform
well in class use which of the following
academic support resources? (Check all that
apply)
a. Organizational skills training sessions
b. IRAC supplemental exercises
c. Self-assessment to assess learning
d. Advising appointments to obtain
feedback on outlines
Faculty need to know which questions to ask
students in order to assess their needs.
Multiple choice. Check all that apply:
To assess the needs of my students, I ask them:
a. Do you have experience reading case
law?
b. In prior work or education experiences,
have you created comprehensive
outlines?
c. Do you need help with time
management skills?
d. Do you need help with timed test taking
skills?
Faculty need to know the best types of student Multiple choice. Check all that apply:

171
Knowledge influences Survey question
engagement that promote learning. What are the best types of student engagement
resources that promote learning?
a. Exercises that increase student’s selfefficacy.
b. Blended learning instructional
strategies.
c. Suggesting coaching or one-on-one
advisement.
d. Timed mock exams.
Academic support team needs to know what
skills programming is needed to best assist
students.
Multiple choice. Choose all that apply:
Which type of skills programming is needed to
best assist students?
a. Academic writing workshops.
b. Legal analysis workshops.
c. Assessment surveys.
d. Mock timed performance exams.
e. One-on-one advising appointments.
Declarative conceptual
Faculty need to know the best way for students
to acquire knowledge.
Multiple choice. Choose the best answer.
The best way for a student to acquire
knowledge is:
a. Begin reading case law books prior to
the start of the 1L year.
b. Only read outlines for cases.
c. Study for exams shortly before they are
administered.
d. Prepare outlines for each class.*
Faculty need to know the best skills needed by
students
Multiple choice. Choose the best answer.
Students who refine this skill tend to do the
best in class:
a. Communication skills.
b. Analysis skills.*
c. Compassion for clients.
d. Grammatical skills.
Academic support team needs to know the best
way to assess and track student progress.
Multiple choice. Choose the best answer.
When assessing student performance, the best
way to track student progress is to:
a. Review attendance rosters.
b. Post-class assessment surveys.

172
Knowledge influences Survey question
c. Summative assessments such as
tracking test grades.*
d. Informal meetings with students.
Procedural
Does the faculty know how to teach legal
analysis skills to students?
Multiple choice. Choose the best answer:
When I teach legal analysis, I provide
information by:
a. Distributing a legal analysis check-list.
b. Modeling, by spending time showing
students how to analyze cases.*
c. Provide praise even for incorrect
answers.
d. A lesson taught is a lesson learned.
Does faculty know how to teach specific
methods of law study to students?
Multiple choice. Choose the best answer.
Scenario: The 1L class you are teaching this
fall is filled with first-generation law
students. You want to provide them with the
best methods of study. Do you:
a. Survey students to determine what
methods they prefer.
b. Teach them that memorization is the
best technique for learning information.
c. Encourage them to visit the Academic
Success/Support Center to learn study
methods.
d. Spend time teaching students proven
legal analysis based study techniques.*
Faculty know how to teach students law
specific note taking and outlining methods.
Multiple choice. Choose the most correct
answer.
What note taking and outlining methods have
you taught students?
a. Students are encouraged to review
different outline models provided by
Academic Success/Support.
b. I teach students how to outline utilizing
the IRAC method.*
c. Students are encouraged to search for
outlines offered on external databases.
d. I do not teach outlining techniques.
Academic Support knows how to create a Multiple choice. Choose all that apply.

173
Knowledge influences Survey question
skills-based support program? When I create a skill-based support program, it
is important to include the following
elements:
a. Explicit teaching of relevant study
skills.*
b. Explicit teaching of most commonly
utilized outlining techniques.*
c. Implementing strategic scaffolds of
learning in skills courses.*
d. Only A & C
Academic Support knows how to track data to
track student progress?
Multiple choice. Choose the best answer.
The best way for me to track student data to
assess student progress is to:
a. Instruct students to submit a selfmonitored progress tracking sheet.
b. Instruct ASP to submit a student
progress tracking sheet.
c. Utilize a data tracking tool for
summative assessments with embedded
risk management flags.*
d. Create student surveys to gauge their
feelings about skills learning through
the ASP program.
Academic Support knows how to track student
progress and intervention?
Multiple choice. Choose the best answer.
How do you analyze student data to determine
when intervention should take place?
a. Utilize a data tracking tool to create a
warning flag if students do not meet
baseline requirements in ASP
programs.
b. Utilize a data tracking tool to create a
warning flag if students do not meet
baseline requirements for academic
good standing each semester.
c. Collect survey information from
students that requires them to measure
their learning outcomes and assess selfsubmitted data.
d. Both A&B*
Metacognitive

174
Knowledge influences Survey question
Faculty need to reflect on what skills make
students successful.
Multiple choice. Complete the sentence by
choosing the best option.
Upon reflection, students need this one skill
more than others to be successful in law
school:
a. Technology skills.
b. Analytical and reasoning skills.*
c. Written communication.
d. Oral communication.
Academic support staff need to reflect on
progress and performance of students.
Multiple choice. Choose the best answer.
The Academic Support department dedicates
time to evaluating programs that enhance
student learning by:
a. Reviewing content of student formative
assessments.
b. Reviewing data tracking systems.
c. Reviewing departmental practices,
policies and procedures.
d. All of the above.*
e. None of the above.
Faculty and academic support need to reflect
on the program to determine which elements
may need alteration.
Multiple choice. Choose the best answer.
The faculty and academic support team work
together to enhance learning programs by:
a. Implementing an annual review of
academic support programs.
b. Engaging with peer institutions to see
what programs they implement for their
law students.
c. Reviewing student progress data based
on academic support participation.
d. All of the above.*
e. None of the above.

175
Table A2
Summary of Motivation Influences and Methods of Assessment
Assumed motivation influences Survey
Value
Faculty need to value first-generation students
in law academia and in the legal profession.
How important do you find first-generation
students in law academia and in the legal
profession?
a. Not at all important
b. Slightly important
c. Moderately important
d. Very important
e. Extremely important
Faculty need to value the pre-law academic
support program for first-generation students.
How important do you find pre-law academic
support programs for first-generation
students?
a. Not at all important
b. Slightly important
c. Moderately important
d. Very important
e. Extremely important
Faculty need to value the academic support
team.
How important do you feel it is to value the
Academic Support team?
a. Not at all important
b. Slightly important
c. Moderately important
d. Very important
e. Extremely important
Faculty need to value creating new learning
tools for first-generation students.
How important do you find creating new
learning tools for first-generation students?
a. Not important at all
b. Slightly important
c. Moderately important
d. Very important
e. Extremely important
Faculty need to believe that creating a summer
bridge program is worth their time and effort.
How much worth do you find in spending your
time and effort creating a summer bridge
program?
a. No worth at all
b. Slight worth

176
Assumed motivation influences Survey
c. Moderate worth
d. Very high worth
e. Extremely high worth
Faculty need to have expectations they will
succeed in creating a summer bridge
program.
If you participate in creating a summer bridge
program, how high are your expectations that
you will succeed?
a. No/low expectations
b. Slight expectations
c. Moderate expectations
d. Very high expectations
e. Extremely high expectations
Self-Efficacy
Faculty need to feel confident that they can
identify key skills to teach first-generation
law students legal analysis concepts.
How confident do you feel that you can
identify key skills to teach first-generation
law students legal analysis concepts?
a. Not at all confident
b. Slightly confident
c. Moderately confident
d. Very confident
e. Extremely confident
Academic support and faculty need to feel
confident that they can teach new learning
skills and tools to first-generation law
students.
How confident do you feel that you can teach
new learning skills and tools to firstgeneration students?
a. Not at all confident
b. Slightly confident
c. Moderately confident
d. Very confident
e. Extremely confident
Academic support needs to feel confident that
they will be able to successfully monitor
student progress.
How confident do you feel that you will be able
to successfully monitor student progress?
f. Not at all confident
g. Slightly confident
h. Moderately confident
i. Very confident
j. Extremely confident
Emotions
Faculty need to feel positive about engaging in
an exercise to identify academic skills to
Faculty need to feel positive about engaging in
an exercise to identify academic skills to

177
Assumed motivation influences Survey
teach students. teach students.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly agree
The academic support team needs to feel
positive about creating a pre-law summer
program and monitoring student progress
through the duration of the program.
The Academic Support team needs to feel
positive about creating a pre-law summer
program and monitoring student progress
through the duration of the program.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly agree

178
Table A3
Summary of Organizational Influences and Methods of Assessment
Assumed organization influences Survey
Resources
Faculty will need time to identify the key legal
analysis skills essential for new law student
learning.
Faculty will need time to identify key legal
analysis skills that are essential for new law
student learning.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly agree
Faculty will need time to meet with Academic
Support to communicate key legal skills
needed by first-generation law students.
Faculty will need time to meet with Academic
Support to communicate key legal skills
needed by first-generation law students.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly agree
Faculty and Academic Support will need to
determine if monetary resources are needed
to design and implement the program.
Faculty and Academic Support will need to
determine if monetary resources are needed
to design and implement a pre-law summer
bridge program.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly agree
Policies, Processes, and Procedures
Faculty and Academic Support need procedures
in place that outline communication practices
which will allow them to work together to
create a summer bridge program.
You need to participate in implementing
procedures that outline communication
practices which allow faculty and academic
support staff to jointly create a summer
bridge program.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or disagree
d. Slightly agree

179
Assumed organization influences Survey
e. Strongly disagree
Faculty need to have policies and procedures in
place to support and measure instruction and
student success.
Faculty need to have policies and procedures in
place to support and measure instruction and
student success.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly disagree
Culture
Faculty need to be a part of a culture that
embraces collaboration so that they will exert
extra effort in work outside of their
department and participate in developing an
educational plan that encourages and supports
first-generation law student learning.
Current faculty culture is collaborative which
encourages and supports the investment of
time in educational planning initiatives, such
as first-generation student learning.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly agree
Faculty need to be part of a culture that aligns
with information sharing in order to work
together with Academic Support to meet
institutional goals.
Currently faculty culture supports information
sharing and collaboration with Academic
Support to meet institutional goals.
a. Strongly disagree
b. Slightly disagree
c. Neither agree or disagree
d. Slightly agree
e. Strongly agree

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APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW TOOL
Tables B1-B3
Table B1
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Methods of Assessment
Knowledge influences Interviews
Declarative factual
Faculty need to know which questions to ask
students in order to assess their needs.
Question 1:
How do you assess student academic needs?
Follow up question:
What types of questions do you ask students to
determine their academic needs?
Declarative conceptual
Faculty need to know the best way for students
to acquire knowledge.
Question 2:
Based on your teaching experience, what
would you suggest as the best ways for
students to acquire knowledge?
Procedural
Academic Support knows how to track student
progress and intervention?
Question 3: What indicators do you use to flag
learning issues to determine when
intervention needs to take place?
Follow up question:
What are 1-2 notable examples of of red flag
issues?
Metacognitive
Faculty need to reflect on what skills make
students successful.
Question 4:
Reflecting on your past experiences teaching
law, what do you believe is the top skill that
will allow students to be successful in law
school?

181
Table B2
Summary of Motivation Influences and Methods of Assessment
Assumed motivation influences Interviews
Value
Faculty need to value first-generation students
in law academia and in the legal profession.
Question 5:
What importance is there in first-generation
students in law academia and in the legal
profession?
Follow up question:
Why do you find this important?
Self-Efficacy
Academic support and faculty need to feel
confident that they can teach new learning
skills and tools to first-generation law
students.
Question 6:
Describe how you might teach new learning
skills to first-generation law students?
Follow up:
Do you feel that your teaching methods have
changed as a result of increased enrollment
of first-generation law students?
Follow up question:
How so?
Emotions
The academic support team needs to feel
positive about creating a pre-law summer
program and monitoring student progress
through the duration of the program.
Question 7:
What feelings do you have about creating a
pre-law summer program for first-generation
law students?

182
Table B3
Summary of Organizational Influences and Methods of Assessment
Assumed organization influences Interviews
Resources
Faculty will need time to identify the key legal
analysis skills essential for new law student
learning.
Question 8:
How much time would you estimate it would
take to identify key legal analysis skills, create
model methods of learning for students, as
well as risk management processes?
Faculty and Academic Support will need to
determine if monetary resources are needed
to design and implement the program.
Question 9:
What monetary resources do you need to
design and implement this program?
Policies, Processes, and Procedures
Faculty need to have policies and procedures
in place to support and measure instruction
and student success.
Question 10:
Tell me about any new or altered policies and
procedures that need to be created to
measure instruction and student success.
Follow up question:
What are the current policies and procedures?
Follow up question:
Do these need to be altered or removed?
Culture
Faculty need to be part of a culture that aligns
with information sharing in order to work
together with Academic Support to meet
institutional goals.
Question 11:
Tell me how you feel about the collaborative
nature of the faculty? With academic
support?

183
APPENDIX C: INFORMED CONSENT/INFORMATION SHEET
Informed Consent/Information Sheet
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
3470 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles CA, 90089
First-Generation Law Student Support Program
You are invited to participate in a research study. Research studies include only people who
voluntarily choose to take part. This document explains information about this study. You should
ask questions about anything that is unclear to you.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of the study is to conduct an analysis that will focus on the resources needed to create
an innovative summer immersion program that will deliver academic and skills development
training to first-generation law students.
PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT
If you agree to take part in this study, you will be asked to participate in surveys, interviews and
submit documents for review.
CONFIDENTIALITY
There will be no identifiable information obtained in connection with this study. Your name,
address or other identifiable information will not be collected.
Required language:
The members of the research team, the funding agency and the University of Southern
California’s Human Subjects Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews
and monitors research studies to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects.
When the results of the research are published or discussed in conferences, no identifiable
information will be used.
INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
The Principal Investigator is [Paulette I. Palafox, ppalafox@ggu.edu, (323) 683-8459]
The Faculty Advisor is[Dr. Kenneth Yates, kennetay@usc.edu],
IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
University Park Institutional Review Board (UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los
Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or upirb@usc.edu

184
APPENDIX D: RECRUITMENT LETTER
Recruitment Letter - Forwarded by School Contact
Dear Professor____________,
I am working on a dissertation study regarding an innovation model that would propose the
creation of a summer bridge program for entering first-generation law students. I am seeking
your input through survey, interview, and document review.
The data collected will be used to help better understand the knowledge, motivation and
organizational factors that impact the creation of an educational program. Results of the survey,
interview, and document review will be used for purposes of the dissertation study - Student
Support Program for First-Generation Law Students.
If you choose to participate, the survey may be submitted anonymously. Contained within the
survey, questions will reside asking if you would like to participate in the interview and
document review processes. If you choose to participate, all data collected will be de-identified.
Please complete the electronic survey by following the link below:
Qualtrics Link
The survey contains 18 questions, and should take you approximately 10 minutes or less to
complete. The survey will remain open until XX/XX/XXXX.
Additionally, if you agree to participate in the interview and document review process, I will
contact you to schedule a meeting either in-person or via Zoom between the dates April 4, 2023
and April 14, 2023. Interviews will be scheduled for 1 hour, but less time is likely to be needed.
If you have any questions or would like to be removed from future communications regarding

185
participation in this study, please reply to this email.
Sincerely,
Paulette I. Palafox

186
APPENDIX E: IMMEDIATE EVALUATION TOOL 1
Administered Immediately After Workshop 1
Evaluating Level 1 and Level 2
Survey Questions, Level 1: Participants will be asked to rate what they have learned during the
workshop. Likert Scale Rating Scale: Strongly disagree; Somewhat disagree; Neutral; Somewhat
agree; Strongly agree
1. The information in today’s workshop was relevant to my work.
2. I was encouraged to participate throughout the workshop.
3. I am satisfied that what I learned today will help me do my job better.
4. As a result of what I learned today, I am clear about what is expected of me on the job.
5. I feel confident that I can apply what I have learned to strengthen academic skills
teaching to law students.
6. I feel inspired to assist with the creation of the summer bridge program.
7. Based on what I have learned today, the first thing I plan to implement is (open
response):
Survey Questions, Level 2: Participants will be asked to rate what they have learned during the
workshop. Likert Scale Rating Scale: Strongly disagree; Somewhat disagree; Neutral; Somewhat
agree; Strongly agree
1. I know more about creating a summer bridge program now than I did before the
workshop.
2. I am committed to apply what I have learned from my colleagues to my own teaching
plans.
3. I understand the value of collaborating with my colleagues to enhance law school
pedagogy.

187
4. I understand that it is important for me to incorporate what I have learned in order to
better assist students with legal learning.
5. I can take responsibility for helping to build the summer bridge program.
6. During the workshop, I wish you would have discussed (open response):

188
APPENDIX F: IMMEDIATE EVALUATION TOOL 2
Administered Immediately After Workshop 2
Evaluating Level 1 and Level 2
Survey Questions, Level 1: Participants will be asked to rate what they have learned during the
workshop. Likert Scale Rating Scale: Strongly disagree; Somewhat disagree; Neutral; Somewhat
agree; Strongly agree
1. The information in today’s workshop was relevant to my work.
2. I was encouraged to participate throughout the workshop.
3. I am satisfied that what I learned today will help me do my job better.
4. As a result of what I learned today, I am clear about what is expected of me on the job.
5. I feel confident that I can apply what I have learned to monitor students’ academic
progress.
6. I feel inspired to use this tool during the summer bridge program.
7. Based on what I have learned today, the first thing I plan to implement is (open
response):
Survey Questions, Level 2: Participants will be asked to rate what they have learned during the
workshop. Likert Scale Rating Scale: Strongly disagree; Somewhat disagree; Neutral; Somewhat
agree; Strongly agree
1. I know more about data management now than I did before the workshop.
2. I am committed to apply what I have learned from my colleagues to my own student
monitoring plans.
3. I understand that it is important for me to incorporate what I have learned in order to
better assist students with legal learning.

189
4. I can take responsibility for helping keep track of students' progress during the summer
bridge program.
5. During the workshop, I wish you would have discussed (open response):

190
APPENDIX G: DELAYED EVALUATION TOOL
Administered 90 Days After Workshop 1
Evaluating Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4
Survey Questions, Level 1: Participants will be asked to reflect on their participation in training
and rate what they have learned during the workshops. Likert Scale Rating Scale: Strongly
disagree; Somewhat disagree; Neutral; Somewhat agree; Strongly agree
1. I am satisfied that what I learned during the workshops was relevant to my work.
2. After the workshops, I spent adequate time discussing how to use new skills with my
colleagues..
3. I feel satisfied that I have applied what I have learned to monitor students’ academic
progress.
4. I feel satisfied with the contributions I have made to build the summer bridge program.
Survey Questions, Level 2: Participants will be asked to reflect on their participation in training
and rate what they have learned during the workshops. Likert Scale Rating Scale: Strongly
disagree; Somewhat disagree; Neutral; Somewhat agree; Strongly agree
1. After training, I can apply practices I learned about data management to help track
student progress.
2. After training, I can apply what I have learned from my colleagues to my own student
monitoring strategy.
3. After training, I can incorporate new practices to better assist students with legal learning.
4. I have the support to incorporate new teaching strategies in my lesson plans for the
summer bridge program.
5. Reflecting on the workshop, these are areas that I would like revisit for further discussion
(open response):

191
Survey Questions, Level 3: Participants will be asked to reflect on their participation in training
and rate what they have learned during the workshops. Likert Scale Rating Scale: Strongly
disagree; Somewhat disagree; Neutral; Somewhat agree; Strongly agree
1. I feel that the summer bridge program is relevant to law students.
2. I feel that the summer bridge program is worth my time and effort.
3. I feel that collaboration has become an important part of the organizational culture.
4. I feel satisfied with my contributions for tasks related to building the summer bridge
program.
5. I feel that my proficiency with student data tracking is satisfactory.
6. How have you used what you learned in the workshops in your job (open response):
Survey Questions, Level 4: Participants will be asked to reflect on their participation in training
and rate what they have learned during the workshops. Likert Scale Rating Scale: Strongly
disagree; Somewhat disagree; Neutral; Somewhat agree; Strongly agree
1. I am already seeing positive results from what I have learned in the workshops.
2. I feel greater confidence in my teaching strategies.
3. I have seen an increase in collaborative work with my colleagues.
4. I feel increased confidence in my ability to monitor student progress.
5. I have seen contributions from my colleagues toward building the summer bridge
program.
6. Please give an example of a positive outcome that you have experienced after attending
the workshops (open response):

192
APPENDIX H: DATA ANALYSIS PRESENTATION EXAMPLES
The following figures summarize example learning data from surveys completed by participants.
Figure H1
Immediate Feedback Training Survey Data Example

193
Figure H2
Delayed Feedback Training Survey Data Example

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This study applies the knowledge, motivation, and organization (KMO) performance framework developed by Clark and Estes (2008) to examine the assets and needs required for the organization to create an innovative summer immersion program for first-year, first-generation law students. The purpose of the study is to examine how tenured faculty and academic support faculty at a west coast law school can best design, implement and support a comprehensive pre- law summer bridge program at the institution. Using mixed methods, faculty members were asked to identify the critical learning and analytical skills needed by law students to achieve academic success during their first year in law school. Data was collected by survey, interviews and document analysis which served to evaluate their knowledge, motivation, and organizational needs in order to create a new academic immersion program focused on teaching those identified critical skills. The results and findings are reported, as well as recommendations for implementation and evaluation. The study will help gain a better understanding of the critical skills needed by first-generation law students to succeed in law school as well as determine how faculty can build the academic bridge program.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Palafox, Paulette Inez (author)

Core Title Student support program for first-generation law students

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Educational Leadership

Degree Conferral Date 2024-08

Publication Date 07/12/2024

Defense Date 07/11/2024

Publisher Los Angeles, California (original), University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag academic bridge program,first-generation,law student,OAI-PMH Harvest,pre-law program,summer immersion

Format theses (aat)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Yates, Kenneth (committee chair), Crawford, Colin (committee member), Tobey, Patricia (committee member)

Creator Email paulette_palafox@hotmail.com,ppalafox@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC113997NAZ

Unique identifier UC113997NAZ

Identifier etd-PalafoxPau-13216.pdf (filename)

Legacy Identifier etd-PalafoxPau-13216

Document Type Dissertation

Format theses (aat)

Rights Palafox, Paulette Inez

Internet Media Type application/pdf

Type texts

Source 20240712-usctheses-batch-1181 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright.

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu