Minority Student Retention and Academic Achievement in Community Colleges. ERIC Digests.

ERIC Clearinghouse for Community Colleges, University of California at Los Angeles, 3051 Moore Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1521. Tel: 310-825-3931.

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Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.

Academic Achievement; Academic Persistence; Community Colleges; Educational Research; Educational Trends; Minority Groups; Two Year College Students; Two Year Colleges

This digest reviews recent approaches and models for diverse learning environments, with specific emphasis on fostering the retention and educational achievement of ethnic minority students at community colleges. In 1997, 22.8 percent of all associate degrees were awarded to minority students, a 7 percent increase from 1987. But compared with their share of total student enrollment, minorities remain underrepresented in degree awards. This reflects general trends throughout higher education in which minority students tend to have lower persistence and graduation rates as well as lower levels of academic preparedness. For minority community-college students, family and academic support factors emerged as playing a significant role in enhancing academic achievement and success. Research also indicates that an association exists between students' cultural background and their preferred learning styles. For example, African-American students' achievement appears to be positively related to oral experiences and interpersonal relationships. The successful integration of students into the college environment is a crucial element of raising retention rates. Some common efforts at community colleges to achieve such integration are freshmen seminars and mentoring programs. Contains 10 references. (JA)

2001

ED451859