TY - JOUR
T1 - “Living in the Along”
T2 - Validating Experiences Among Urban Community College Students in a College Transition Program
AU - Baber, Lorenzo Du Bois
N1 - Funding Information:
For Justin, a Harold Washington College graduate, the financial support was secondary:
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, The Author(s) 2018.
PY - 2018/7/1
Y1 - 2018/7/1
N2 - Objective: Despite significant attention from federal and state policy makers, postsecondary completion rates in the United States remain stratified across race and socioeconomic background. This study examines a community-based college readiness program for underrepresented students from low-resource neighborhoods in Chicago, Illinois. Method: This qualitative study utilized validation theory to consider the experiences of program participants. During the Summer of 2014, I collected data through six focus groups with participants who successfully completed the college readiness program between 2010 and 2014. Results: Aligning with phrases from Chicago poet and activist Gwendolyn Brooks, I describe major themes that reflect the validating experiences of program participants. Overall, participants indicate that program experiences affirmed existing motivations that drive postsecondary aspirations and persistence. Participants felt most when their existing strengths were consistently recognized as an important factor for college transitions. Contributions: Findings offers further evidence for the critical role of validation in supporting the postsecondary pursuits among students from underrepresented backgrounds. Participant insights also offer critical observations about unintended consequences when successful programs grow rapidly to satisfy external constituents.
AB - Objective: Despite significant attention from federal and state policy makers, postsecondary completion rates in the United States remain stratified across race and socioeconomic background. This study examines a community-based college readiness program for underrepresented students from low-resource neighborhoods in Chicago, Illinois. Method: This qualitative study utilized validation theory to consider the experiences of program participants. During the Summer of 2014, I collected data through six focus groups with participants who successfully completed the college readiness program between 2010 and 2014. Results: Aligning with phrases from Chicago poet and activist Gwendolyn Brooks, I describe major themes that reflect the validating experiences of program participants. Overall, participants indicate that program experiences affirmed existing motivations that drive postsecondary aspirations and persistence. Participants felt most when their existing strengths were consistently recognized as an important factor for college transitions. Contributions: Findings offers further evidence for the critical role of validation in supporting the postsecondary pursuits among students from underrepresented backgrounds. Participant insights also offer critical observations about unintended consequences when successful programs grow rapidly to satisfy external constituents.
KW - community college students
KW - equity
KW - postsecondary transition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85048046340&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85048046340&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0091552118775813
DO - 10.1177/0091552118775813
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85048046340
SN - 0091-5521
VL - 46
SP - 316
EP - 340
JO - Community College Review
JF - Community College Review
IS - 3
ER -