AN INVESTIGATION OF CRITICAL MASS: The Role of Latino Representation in the Success of Urban Community College Students

The community college has historically functioned as a primary access point to postsecondary education for Latino students. This study, an investigation conducted through an analysis of the Transfer and Retention of Urban Community College Students (TRUCCS) project, focuses on Latino students enrolled in urban “minority-majority” community colleges, where Latino students have a high representation. The specific interest of this research is the role and effect of the level of representation of Latino community college students on their academic outcomes. The relationship between the level of representation of Latinos, and the levels of academic success are analyzed in concert with other variables, such as, the level of representation of Latino faculty on campus, student age, attitude, academic integration, English ability and aspiration. Findings indicate a relationship between academic success of Latino community college students and the proportion of Latino students and faculty on campus. The findings thus suggest that a critical mass of Latinos may be a positive influence encouraging “minority” students to higher academic performance.     

Promoting Financial Literacy and Latino Males’ Success at Community Colleges

Latino males across the country enroll in community colleges with the purpose of obtaining an educational degree, which could lead to accomplishing professional and personal aspirations. Even if Latino male students enroll in post-secondary education, they continue to be disenfranchised, vanished, and often rejected through the higher education pipeline. Research regarding access to education shows that money matters to the success of Latino students. Through a metasynthesis, this practice briefly identifies that there is little to no empirical research conducted that explores how Latino male community college students elicit, engage, and explore financial literacy programs. This paper makes recommendations for post-secondary institutions, practitioners, and policymakers to promote Latino males’ success at community colleges.     

Social Support and Success in Higher Education: The Influence of On-Campus Support on African American and Latino College Students

This study focuses on how personal support from the college environment influences the academic performance of African American and Latino college students attending selective colleges. Under-represented students at selective colleges continue to face challenges to their academic success, and support from the college environment is a key factor in the academic success of many of these students. The results indicate that it is important to distinguish between different forms of personal support and the race and gender of students receiving support. However, I find that the influence of faculty, specifically support from faculty of color, is important for the success of African American and Latino students at selective colleges.     

Machismo and higher education: Examining the relation between caballerismo and ethnic identity,support seeking,and sense of connectedness among college Latinos

Latino men, part of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing minority group, stand to benefit from new knowledge related to factors that positively influence college persistence. In this study, the investigators examined whether machismo—a multidimensional and gendered social construct—was directly and indirectly associated with three outcomes associated with postsecondary success: connectedness at school, ethnic identity, and support-seeking behavior. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis on data from 140 mainly Mexican American undergraduates partially supported the hypotheses. Implications for college counselors and program coordinators are discussed, along with limitations of the study and areas for future scholarship.     

Latino student transition to college: Assessing difficulties and factors in successful college adjustment

The primary purpose of this study is to understand the factors that affect Latino student adjustment in the first and second year of college. The study examines data from a national, longitudinal survey along with the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire completed by Latino students judged to have high potential for success upon entering a variety of four-year colleges. Results show dimensions of the campus climate affect all forms of student adjustment, as do transitional experiences that are common to most students in the first year. Implications of the findings suggest further college programming and monitoring of adjustment in the second year of college.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Association of Institutional Research Forum in New Orleans, LA, May 1994.     

The Role of Community College First-Year Experience Programs in Promoting Transfer Among Latino Male Students

ABSTRACT

A qualitative case study approach was used to examine Latino male students and First-Year Experience (FYE) programs aimed at promoting student transfer. Two FYE programs at two community colleges in California were studied: Bridgetown Community College and Portlake Community College (pseudonyms). Study participants included four groups: Latino male FYE students, Latino male FYE alumni, FYE counselors, and FYE coordinators. Data collection strategies included semi-structured interviews, site observations, and document analysis. Analysis of data involved both deductive and inductive approaches, and resulted in identification of four findings critical to the success of FYE programs and their work with Latino males: (a) the need to support help-seeking behaviors, (b) the need to address the “long journey” to transfer, (c) the need to support students’ work burden and financial constraints, and (d) the need to incorporate approachable and culturally responsive practices. Overall, the study offers insights into how community colleges might strengthen transfer support for Latino males through FYE programs.     

The role of collectivism among Latino American college students

In an attempt to explain the lower Latino college graduation rate, the current study focuses on collectivism in kin and nonkin helping situations. The sample comprised 60 students at a 4-year college in the southwestern United States. Results revealed significance between ethnicity and nonkin collectivism: Latino American college students were significantly more collectivistic toward nonkin groups compared to their non–Latino American counterparts. The use of various support systems may shed some light on the necessary remedy for Latinos’ lower college graduation rate. Implications are discussed for cultural sensitivity training and program development to foster the experience and success of Latino American college students.     

Latino immigrant parents’ financial stress,depression, and academic involvement predicting child academic success

The current study examines Mexican‐ heritage immigrant parents’ financial stress, English language fluency, and depressive symptoms as risk factors for parental academic involvement and child academic outcomes. Participants were 68 Latino immigrant (from Mexico) third and fourth graders and their parents. Results from a structural equation model analysis indicated that Latino parents who reported greater financial stress also reported higher levels of depressive symptoms; this, in turn, was related to lower parent‐reported levels of engagement in the monitoring and transmission of implicit and explicit valuing of academics. Parental monitoring of academics was positively associated with children's success in mathematics and transmission of implicit and explicit valuing of academics was positively associated with children's success in language arts. The current study extends support for the Family Economic Stress Model by demonstrating connections between parental stress, emotional well‐being, and child academic outcomes, through parental involvement in children's academics in a Latino‐heritage sample.     

How Community Colleges in Texas Prioritize Resources for Latino Men

This study explored how administrators at community colleges conceptualized change related to resource allocation and managing competing priorities to support targeted programming for Latino men. The study included the perspectives of 39 administrators from seven community colleges across Texas using concepts associated with institutional change to ground our analysis. Findings revealed that state and national initiatives, particularly those concerned with enhancing success for students of color, influenced how community college administrators approached change on their campuses. In addition, community college institutional mission, leadership, and a desire for data-informed resource management influenced the approach to resource allocation for Latino men.     

升“本”忘“本”：我国民办院校发展的魔咒

我国民办院校自20世纪80年代成立以来,经历了从事非学历教育、专科学历教育、本科学历教育以及研究生教育的发展历程。在其发展过程中,民办院校常常在获得本科学历教育资格后丢掉了获得本科教育资格的立身之＂本＂,从而影响了其后续的发展。也就是说,升＂本＂忘＂本＂,往往成为影响我国民办院校发展的魔咒。除了外在制度因素外,我国民办高校只有明确定位,发挥优势;依托地方,稳步发展;质量为本,限制数量,才有望走出这一魔咒,取得真正的发展。     

美国高校录取中的非学术因素

美国高校在录取新生时非常看重学业成绩等学术因素,但也关注且近年来日益强调学生的个性特征等非学术品质。这主要是由于美国的两项重要研究,即个性特征等非学术品质与大学学业成功关系密切。另外,美国高校日益强调多样性、国际化等办学理念,这也对高校录取工作产生了重要影响。近年来,对处境不利背景学生以及挑战不利处境的能力等品质的日益关注,使高校在录取时对学生的家庭背景、社会经济背景等非学术因素也日益重视起来。美国高校录取工作中关于非学术因素的地位、价值与使用方面的研究与实践,值得我们关注、深入研究与有选择地借鉴。     

高职院校“校企融合,双岗双能”师资队伍建设研究与实践

推进人才培养模式改革,科学构建以工作过程为导向的课程体系,形成校企合作、工学结合相互发展的办学格局,离不开教师创造性的工作。为解决上述问题,探索出"校企融合、双岗双能"的师资队伍建设模式,并对高职院校教师任职条件、教师聘任、职称评审等方面的政策提出一定的参考建议。     

关于我国民办高等教育拾遗补缺性地位的思考

文章认为目前公立高校在资源获取、社会认可等方面都处于垄断和优势地位,民办高校无法与公立高校在同一平台上竞争。进一步的政策选择应在促进公平竞争的导向下,推进政策变革,为民办高校的发展提供平等的政策环境。     

国有高校民办二级学院的思考

民办二级学院既区别于独立设置的民办高校，又有别于普通二级学院，是“公有”优势和“民办”活力相结合的办学形式。民办二级学院的发展动力在于制度创新。办好民办二级学院必须正确认识和处理好筹资收费与制度创新、教学质量与办学效益、依托母体与相对自主、校内资源与校外资源等方面的关系。民办二级学院是目前高校适应市场经济改革的一种发展形式，长远地看也是一个过渡形式。     

Is Online Learning the Silver Bullet for Men of Color? An Institutional-Level Analysis of the California Community College System

The spread of online courses and programs in community colleges across the nation has contributed to a redefinition of open-access education. Accordingly, the growth in online courses has drawn attention to the value of different instructional modalities, particularly with regard to their effectiveness in learning, retention, and success. As a result, this study sought to determine whether or not there were differences in students’ academic success and course retention for community college men by racial/ethnic affiliation. This study used institutional data on men enrolled in California’s community college system to provide greater insight into the effect of online learning on student success. Findings illustrated that Asian, Black, Latino, and White men were more likely to have higher success outcomes when engaged in face-to-face modalities. There were no clear patterns in which online modality was better than others with regards to success, except for Black men. For these men, asynchronous with multimedia was identified as the second most effective online modality pertaining to success. This research has demonstrated the manifold benefits of face-to-face instruction. As such, face-to-face courses seemed to be the best type of modality for community college men. For that reason, careful consideration must be taken when promoting online learning to Asian, Black, Latino, and White men in community colleges. Though, further research is needed to better understand variation in the presentation of online learning materials and the structure of interactions within online classrooms.     

Examining the Success Factors of High-Achieving Puerto Rican Male High-School Students

This article works to dispel the myth that Latino urban high-school students are not capable of performing at high academic levels. Whereas much educational research emphasizes the academic underachievement of urban Latino students, this article counteracts this research by describing the four success factors that three working-class Puerto Rican male high-school students attribute to their high academic achievement. These success factors are: (a) the acquisition of social capital through religiosity and participation in school and community-based extracurricular activities, (b) having a strong Puerto Rican identity, (c) the influence of these students' mothers/sisters on their academic achievement, and (d) the potential for caring and sincere teachers and other school staff to influence high academic achievement. These findings have implications for Latina/o education and recommendations are provided.     

Behavior Concerns Among Low-Income,Ethnically and Linguistically Diverse Children in Child Care: Importance for School Readiness and Kindergarten Achievement

Research Findings: Recent research and teacher reports have highlighted the importance of early behavior skills for children’s school readiness and academic success in elementary school. Significant gaps in school readiness and achievement exist between children in poverty and those more affluent. Low-income children are also more likely to exhibit behavior concerns than their more financially advantaged peers. The current study examined the importance of behavior skills at age 4 for school readiness and academic achievement in kindergarten among an ethnically diverse sample of 1,618 low-income children (63% Latino, 37% Black) in an urban setting. Children’s early behavior concerns at age 4 were significantly associated with children’s school readiness scores and end-of-year kindergarten grades above and beyond the contributions of family and child demographics and children’s early cognitive and language skills. In addition, behavior problems were more strongly related to school readiness and kindergarten performance within English-dominant Latino children as opposed to Spanish-dominant Latino children. Practice or Policy: The findings from the current study provide support for targeting behavior skills, and not just preliteracy and/or number skills, prior to school entry as a strategy to increase the likelihood of low-income diverse children’s school readiness and school success. Behavior interventions are discussed.     

A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Modularized,Computer-Assisted,Self-Paced Approach to Developmental Math

Abstract

Community colleges are a large sector of postsecondary education. In 2016–2017, the United States had nearly 1,000 public 2-year postsecondary institutions (community colleges), serving almost nine million students, representing 39% of all undergraduates. The majority of entering community college students require developmental (or remedial) math. Success rates in the developmental math course sequence and college more broadly are discouragingly low. Policymakers, practitioners, and researchers alike are eagerly searching for reforms to improve success rates, but there is a dearth of causal evidence on the effectiveness of most proposed reforms. We sought to answer the following question: what effect does a modularized, computer-assisted, self-paced approach to developmental math (compared with a more “traditional” direct-instruction course alternative) have on students’ likelihood of completing the developmental math course sequence? Findings from a randomized controlled trial (n =1,403) are presented. The program was well implemented; however, we did not find evidence that this approach was superior to the “traditional” math class. Although these results are disappointing, they are important because modularization and self-paced computer-assisted instruction are popular reforms.