Community College as a Winning
Strategy for Improving the Education
of Black and Brown Male Students
Success Within Reach.
Presentation Goals
• Share research related to who succeeds and who struggles in
post-secondary education
• Make case for the need to focus on ACCESS AND SUCCESS for
Black and Brown male students.
• Explain why community colleges are in the BEST position to
respond to their educational needs.
• Discuss a research model that clarifies facets of the The
Student Experience and Learner Identity
• Discuss Tarrant County College Interventions aimed at Student
Success and Completion Interventions
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Fundamentals of Student Retention
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Typically 4-year schools have higher retention rates than do 2-year schools
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Financial aid helps increase persistence for students who need and receive financial aid
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Older students, African American & Hispanics, students who work more than 30 hours weekly, and first
generation college students have persistence challenges
•
Factors that influence persistence include the intent to persist, institutional and student commitment,
college grades, high school academic experience, and social & academic integration
•
Schools can improve retention rates by more accurately determining when and why students withdraw.
•
Increase retention rates by encouraging schools to develop and implement their own unique retention
plans
Why Focus on Access and Success for Black and
Brown Male Students?
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Education (US Census, 2010):
Low levels of educational attainment
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All U.S. Males/All Races – 30.3%
•
Hispanic males – 12.9%
•
Black males – 17.7%
•
White males - 30.8%
•
Asian males – 55.6%
Economics (Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 2015):
Unemployment rates for US males
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US Average: 5.5%
•
Blacks 10.1%
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Hispanics 6.8%
•
White 4.7%
•
Asian 3.2%
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Why Focus on Access and Success for Black & Brown
Male Students?
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Justice (U.S. Department of Justice, 2009)
High levels of incarceration
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Black males make up approximately 13% of the US population and 40% of the prison
•
Black males are incarcerated at a rate that is 6 times higher than their White
counterparts (3,119 per 100,000 U.S. residents)
•
Hispanic males are incarcerated at a rate 3 times higher than Whites males (487 per
100,000 U.S. residents)
Longevity
•
Growing instances of chronic diseases, public health issues, and death from violent
crimes
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60x30TX
By 2030, at least 60 percent of Texans ages 25-34 will have a certificate or degree (THECB)
•
Thirty percent of Black Americans and 20% of Latinos ages 25 to 34
earned an associates degree or higher (Lee & Ransom, 2011, p. 9)
•
Forty-nine percent of White Americans and 71% of Asian Americans
earned an associates degree or higher (Lee & Ransom, 2011, p. 9)
Research related to college-going
students show:
•
Socioeconomic
status
Graduation
•
Age
•
Dependent
status
Completion
•
Educational
Legacy
Succeed
•
Risk
•
Full-time
•
Part-time
•
Enrollment
•
High
Graduation
Factors
Status
Job
delay
School GPA’s
Success
Success
Succeed
Success
Success
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Community College Points of Entry & Pathways
 GED/ESL/ABE
 Developmental Education (RDNG, ENGL, MATH)
 Gatekeeper Coursework (GOVT/HIST, ENGL, MATH)
 15, 30, and 48 semester credit hour checkpoints
 Certificates and Associate degrees
 STEM majors that earn Associate degrees
 Transfer
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Leveling the playing field…
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Swail’s Geometric Model of Student
Persistence and Achievement
THE ART OF STUDENT RETENTION:
A Handbook for Practitioners and Administrators
THE
STUDENT
EXPERIENCE
Institutional Factors
Dr. Watson Scott Swail, Educational Policy Institute
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Swail’s Geometric Model of Student
Persistence and Achievement
THE ART OF STUDENT RETENTION:
A Handbook for Practitioners and Administrators
Dr. Watson Scott Swail, Educational Policy Institute
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Social - Student Success
and Learning
Identity
Strategies that Strengthen Learner Identity
• Financial Issues - Make financial literacy, entrepreneurship,
and career exploration part of your student success course
curriculum.
• Educational Legacy – Introduce faculty, staff, and student
testimonials into Student Success and Academic programs.
• Attitude Toward Others – Have conversations with students
of a different race or ethnicity different from your own.
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Cognitive - Teaching and Learning Pedagogies
that Strengthen Learner Identity
• Critical & Analytical Thinking Skills - Discuss ideas from readings or classes
with others outside of class (students, family members, co-workers, etc.)
• Academic Related Extra-Curricular Activities - Link a contextualized
learning experience to a course
• Content Knowledge - Emphasize and encourage mental activities such as:
– Memorizing facts, ideas, or methods
– Analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience or theory
– Using information read or heard to perform a new skill
Institutional Factors – Community
Colleges Must Focus on…
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•
•
•
•
•
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Curriculum Alignment
Remedial Education Reform
Early College Experiences
Student Supports
Financial Aid and Funding Initiatives
Support Transfer Policies
Program and Labor Market Outcome
Alignment
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CCSSE High Impact Retention
Programs
Supplemental Instruction (SI)
Academic Goal Setting and Planning
Accelerated/ Fast Track Developmental Education
First Year Experience
Orientation
Student Success Courses ( STSC)
Learning Communities
Experiential Learning Beyond Classroom
Tutoring Programs
Early Registration
Early alert and intervention
Mentoring
Assessment & Placement
Class Attendance
Student Success & Completion Interventions
2010-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
*Mandatory
Remediation
Assigned Case
Management Advising
Expanded
New Student
Orientation
*Success Coaching
*Transition to College
Success Course
No Late Registration
Assigned Case
Management Advising
*Attendance
Requirement
*Student Development
and Success Institute
Required Professional
Development
Developmental
Education Institute
Graduation Outreach
and Completion
Expanded Tutoring
*Academic
Enrichment Program
*Math Emporiums
*Supplemental
Instruction Training
Retention Alert
Faculty Mentoring
Advising
Academic Planning
Model
*Men of Color
Mentoring Program
*Student Success
Scholastic Summit
Academic Curriculum
Teams
High Impact Retention Programs
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MCM: Program Goals
• Improve Retention Rates
• Increase Awareness and Use of Support Services
• Develop “Capacity Building”
• Establish Community Amongst Peers
• Empower Students to be Actively Engaged in their
External Community
• Promote Completion and Transfer to 4-Year Institutions
• Develop Partnerships with 4-Year Institution Mentoring Program
• (Mentor Tech, Project MALES)
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The Process:
The 3 E’s of MCM
• Exposure
• Internships and Job Shadowing
• Professional Conferences and Institutes
• Engagement
• Mentoring and Learning
• Capacity Building (Personal, Social, Professional)
• Community Service and Immersion
• Expectations
•
•
•
•
Degree Completion and/or Transfer
Increase Campus Involvement
Utilize Campus Resources
Improve Academic Performance
Program Outcomes
• 77% Academic Success Rate
• 85% Retention Rate of Students in MCM
• Increased semester to semester retention rate
• Increased student transfer rates
• Participants Assuming Leadership Roles
• Received approximately $30,000 in Scholarship Money
In Summary…
• There is no Magic Bullet – Retention programs must be designed to meet
student needs and have an academic success focus
• Retention programs must be multi-faceted
• Do not ignore socio-economic and psycho-social factors
• Quick improvements can be made by examining processes and points of
student interaction
• A true team effort must be embraced: IR, academic affairs, student
affairs, enrollment management, etc.
Recommendations
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Do what works for all students-inescapable engagement in evidence-based
educational practices
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Disaggregate data
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Listen systematically and well to students, and ensure that their voices are
heard across the college
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Create venues for regular discussion of participation and achievement
gaps, as well as their possible causes
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Stop tinkering and invest in big changes
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Redesign academic and career pathways, including developmental
education
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Build on students’ personal and cultural assets, help them clarify goals, and
strengthen behaviors and skills that lead to student success
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Improve faculty and staff diversity and strengthen their cultural
competence
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Wrap up: Questions & Answers
The College of Choice for Academic Excellence and Lifelong Learning
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