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University of Chicago Study Finds OneGoal to be Beneficial to Students

by Richard Kaplan, Chicago
As the president of Syndicated Equities, Richard Kaplan draws on over 40 years of experience as a real estate professional. Since founding the Chicago, Illinois, company in 1986, he has guided its activities in the residential and commercial markets both in Chicago and nationwide, and has facilitated the acquisition of approximately $1 billion in investment properties. Outside of his professional activities, Richard Kaplan works to provide educational opportunities for underprivileged students through his support of organizations such as OneGoal.
Utilizing a three-year, teacher-led college success model, OneGoal strives to make college graduation an attainable goal for all students regardless of their socioeconomic background. Recently, the University of Chicago conducted an evaluation to explore the impact that OneGoal has had on its students. Authored by Wladimir Zanoni and Tim Kautz of the University of Chicago and directed by Nobel laureate James Heckman, the study found the nonprofit’s strategies to be highly effective. The results revealed that participation in OneGoal’s programs significantly improve students’ postsecondary performance. In addition, it raises their college enrollment and persistence rates by as many as 20 percentage points. The nonprofit also helps students succeed while they are still in high school. Its programs have led to fewer absences, more credits, and higher ACT scores and overall GPAs.