Institutional Barriers Contribute to Low College Completion Rates

Institutions contribute to low college graduation rates by creating barriers. These are six common ones: degree requirements poorly described, not offering needed courses, unnecessary registration holds, inappropriate placement of transfer credits, financial aid policies that do not benefit the most needy students and not recommending students complete 30 hours a year. All of these barriers can be removed at little or no cost to the institution.

Increasing Community College Graduation Rates: A Synthesis of Findings on the ASAP Model From Six Colleges Across Two States

This paper presents new estimates of the effects of the City University of New York’s ( CUNY’s) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs ( ASAP) model, evaluated using a randomized controlled trial first in New York and later through a replication in Ohio. It presents longer-term effects of CUNY ASAP in New York, showing that the program’s effect on associate’s degree receipt persisted through 8 years and likely represents a permanent increase in degree receipt. It also presents an analysis from the pooled study samples in New York and Ohio. The findings indicate that the program had consistent effects on degree receipt across the two states but also for somewhat different levels of service contrast, such as the number of additional advising visits.

Culturally Responsive Teaching and Mentoring for African American Males Attending Post-Secondary Schools

African American male (AAM) college students with learning disabilities confront a number of obstacles while matriculating. Data indicates that a growing percentage of college students of color are enrolling in post-secondary institutions to pursue a higher education, but there still remains a graduation gap and retention issues between Black and White students, with the graduation rates of Black males still looming behind those of other groups. Of this student population, AAM's with learning disabilities encounter obstacles, both culturally, emotionally, financially, and psychologically that tend to exacerbate their learning needs and overall college experience, thus resulting in them dropping out midway through or at the end of the semester. Colleges and universities must address this gap and provide opportunities for culturally responsive mentoring, teaching, and specialized supports for AAM's with learning-diverse needs used to increase college graduation rates.

An Empirical Evaluation of a Summer Bridge Program on College Graduation at a Small Liberal Arts College

This longitudinal study evaluated the efficacy of a summer bridge program (SBP) and other support services on college graduation rates at a small liberal arts school in Purchase, NY. Financially disadvantaged students (n = 136) receiving a scholarship and a summer bridge curriculum within the Manhattanville Achievement Program were compared to students who received Pell Grants but did not receive the summer bridge program (n = 1,293) from 2008–2014. Outcomes assessed included graduation at 4 years and 6 years post-enrollment, GPA, and demographic characteristics of those who were more likely to graduate. Results indicated that enrollment in the SBP predicted a greater likelihood to graduate at 4 and 6 years while enrollment in the SBP did not predict higher GPA at either 4 or 6 years post-enrollment. Consistent with national trends, men were less likely to graduate than women. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Social Capital’s Impact on College Graduation Rates, Debt, and Student Loan Defaults

This study extends the literature on education economics and student retention by examining social capital as a predictor of college graduation rates, student debt levels, and student loan default rates. Coleman’s social capital theory is employed to understand how social influences can impact students through external social support (i.e., social capital). The study uses school-level data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and two social capital measures. Results suggest that social capital, at both the state and the community level, significantly influences graduation rates, student debt levels, and loan default rates. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

The Land of Opportunity?

This chapter investigates intergenerational class mobility in the U.S. during the twentieth century. It describes absolute and relative mobility trends and explores the role of educational expansion in shaping them. Analyses are based on data from several nationally representative surveys (GSS, OCG-II, SIPP, and PSID). As a consequence of massive occupational and educational upgrading, upward mobility increased over most of the century. The role of education in contributing to absolute class mobility changed across time: Class gaps in education as well as class returns to education equalized initially, but became more polarized among recent cohorts. Relative mobility trends differed by gender: After an initial surge in fluidity for both, mobility chances remained stable for women but increased further for men. Rising fluidity among men is mostly due to increasing college graduation rates (i.e., the compositional effect), whereas educational trends contribute little to understanding the stability of women’s mobility chances.

Issues of Developmental Instruction in Higher Education and the Need for Change

Achievement gaps are responsible for low high school graduation rates, low college enrollments, low college graduation rates, and lack of job readiness. Because many of today's high school students are not college ready, there is the need for developmental education in community colleges. Approximately 60% of high school graduates need to take remedial education courses before they can take credit bearing classes, and 76% of high school graduates do not meet ACT college readiness benchmarks. Dual enrollment is one way to address this issue. Opportunities to extend college credits to interested high school students have been increasing as an intervention strategy in preparing students for college, improving graduation rates, and reducing the time of college completion.

Evaluating Barriers to and Opportunities for Higher Education in the Hispanic Community

Although the Hispanic population in the United States is growing faster than any other ethnic group, college graduation rates, especially above the associates degree level, remain low, too low for the United States to remain academically and economically competitive in the years to come. Hispanics, on the whole, remain poorer and less educated than other ethnic groups, which could have significant economic impact on the United States, if left un-remediated, as their numbers continue to rise. Some of the questions and issues to be addressed in considering this gap in educating this population include cultural or financial barriers to attending college, bias in K-12 education and college recruitment strategies, retention and graduation issues specific to Hispanics, and high school and community college preparation of immigrant and other Hispanic students for transferring to four-year institutions.

Culturally Responsive Teaching and Mentoring for African American Males Attending Post-Secondary Schools

African American male (AAM) college students with learning disabilities confront a number of obstacles while matriculating. Data indicates that a growing percentage of college students of color are enrolling in post-secondary institutions to pursue a higher education, but there still remains a graduation gap and retention issues between Black and White students, with the graduation rates of Black males still looming behind those of other groups. Of this student population, AAM's with learning disabilities encounter obstacles, both culturally, emotionally, financially, and psychologically that tend to exacerbate their learning needs and overall college experience, thus resulting in them dropping out midway through or at the end of the semester. Colleges and universities must address this gap and provide opportunities for culturally responsive mentoring, teaching, and specialized supports for AAM's with learning-diverse needs used to increase college graduation rates.