Highline Researches

Abstract:
For many African American college students, the challenges to achieve academic success are overwhelming. The disproportionate number of African American male students enrolled in the community college system is of substantial concern because community colleges have not traditionally been successful in producing African American male graduates and transfers at the same rate as their counterparts from other racial and gender groups. Moreover, the pressure for African American male students to choose between academic success and their cultural frame of reference often jeopardizes their chances of successfully completing their undergraduate degree. Consequently, African American males who choose the community college system as their primary path to economic and academic opportunity are often at a disadvantage.
This qualitative study examined the experiences of African American male community college students in the context of personal and academic counter-pressures on achievement. Findings suggested key academic, cultural, and social pressures African-American men experience had a substantial effect on their academic progress. Since educational access and achievement are linked to economic well-being and social status, and since little is known about the experiences of African American male students in community colleges, this study explored male students' experiences and examined from their perspective how researchers, practitioners, and administrators can best facilitate their success.

Baker, C. N. (2015). Gender differences in the experiences of African American college students: the effects of co-ethnic support and campus diversity. Women, Gender, and Families of Color, 3(1), 36+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A458645056/AONE?u=highlinecc&sid=AONE&xid=ed8569d0

Abstract: this study applies an intersectional framework to provide information about the ways in which race, gender, and on-campus social support influence the experiences of African American college students. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen, I examine how co-ethnic social support from the college community and the college racial composition influence the experiences of African American students attending selective colleges. The results suggest that African American women and men are differentially influenced by co-ethnic support and college racial composition. African American women are more likely than are African American men to receive personal support from African American members of the campus community, take classes with African American professors, and participate in an African American student group. I also find that co-ethnic support is positively related to the academic and social experiences of African American women during college, and I find that the college satisfaction of African American women is positively related to campus diversity.

Sandoval-Lucero, E., Maes, J. B., & Klingsmith, L. (2014). African American and Latina(O) Community College Students’ Social Capital and Student Success. College Student Journal, 48(3), 522–533.

Abstract: Using a framework of social and cultural capital, this study examined successful African American and Latina/o community college students. Based on focus group interviews with twenty two African American and Latina/o undergraduates at an urban community college, the authors reveal how social and cultural capital gained from students' relationships and interactions with friends, family, faculty members, student affairs staff and college support services impacted their successful college outcomes. In general, students identified social capital resources in the form of faculty relationships, supportive family, and campus engagement as sources of support for their college success. In addition, students showed personal determination to succeed against all odds displaying important aspirational capital as well. This research illustrates the importance of countering idea that first-time, full-time, four-year college attendance is the only path to college success, and the importance of social capital in helping underrepresented groups of students navigate the college completion process.

Felix, Eric R.; Castro, Marlon Fernandez. Planning as strategy for improving Black and Latinx student equity: Lessons from nine California community colleges. Education Policy Analysis Archives, [S.l.], v. 26, p. 56, Apr. 2018. . doi:https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.26.3223.

Abstract: In 2014, California policymakers passed the Student Equity Plans (SEP) policy to address disparities in the community college system. The reform effort formalized a campus-wide planning effort that required institutions to examine their data for disparities, develop goals and strategies to mitigate identified inequities, and use new fiscal resources to realize their plans. In recent years, there has been an increase in the enactment of state-level higher education policies, but few, if any, have focused on the notion of equity or explicitly named racial and ethnic groups as policy beneficiaries. This study examines nine student equity plans in the state’s largest community college district. Drawing upon critical policy analysis, we place a focus on understanding if, and how, the planning process was used to address inequities facing Black and Latinx students. Based on our analysis we found several themes on how plans identified and address barriers facing Black and Latinx students. After examining 178 equity activities, we found only 28 promising activities that explicitly targeted Black and Latinx students with culturally relevant, data-driven, evidence-based strategies. These findings have compelling implications for policymakers seeking to develop reform efforts and institutions using policy to address current and historic inequities faced by Black and Latinx students. The use of planning for improvement is commonplace in educational policy, but we find that more training and capacity-building efforts are necessary to use planning as an opportunity to address racial inequity in community college.

Derrick R. Brooms. (2018). Exploring Black Male Initiative Programs: Potential and Possibilities for Supporting Black Male Success in College. The Journal of Negro Education, 87(1), 59–72. https://doi.org/10.7709/jnegroeducation.87.1.0059

Abstract: This multisite study explored the role of a Black Male Initiative (BMI) program on Black male students' college experiences across three separate campuses. Strayhorn's sense of belonging and Yosso's community cultural wealth models were employed as a theoretical frame to investigate how the participants made meaning from their engagement. The findings suggest that the BMI program enhanced the students' sense of mattering and belonging on campus through helping them access sociocultural capital, providing holistic support, focusing on Black male identities, and engendering students' persistence. The author argues that the students' narratives highlight the potential and possibilities for supporting Black male success through BMI-type programs.