Community College Equity Issues That Most Impact Success of Students of Color, Immigrants, and Lowin

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Community College Equity Issues That Most Impact
Success of Students ofColor, Immigrants, and
Low-income StudentsLaney College Mini
Conference on Faculty Inquiry November 9, 2007

• Anne E. Price Senior Associate
• California Community College Access and Equity
  Initiative

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Todays Agenda
Overview
Why is Equity Important? What are the
implications? What does it mean for California?
Issues that Impact Students of Color, Immigrants
and Low-Income Students
Preparedness Basic Skills Affordability
Financial Aid Persistence, Completion, Transfer
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Diversity often exists without equity
Equity means each groups has equal access to
economic, social and educational opportunities.
Equity creates the conditions for a more just
and inclusive society.

Increasingly, access to college and college
degrees are becoming dominant indicators of
equity and a measure of future economic success.
Equity for community colleges means providing
equitable access so that students can fully
participate without facing physical, financial,
emotional, cultural or other barriers.
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The Historical Moment
Unprecedented demographic economic changes
Transition to being the first state without a
single ethnic majority Non-white groups are
becoming the majority of the population in most
urban areas One-quarter of Californians are
foreign-born 40 speak a language other than
English at home
In the context of persistent and enduring
economic, education, and social inequalities...
raise urgency for leadership focused on
diversity, inclusion, and equity.
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Why Equity Matters
Increasing the access of low and- middle-income
children to high-quality education, particularly
college education, would have a significant
effect on overall economic mobility.
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Persistent, alarming and unequally distributed
under-preparedness among students
Raises the urgency to expand and improve basic
skills education
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According to national survey, 71 of
low-income high school graduates who did not
further their education never reached algebra II,
and 67 had difficulty reading math problems,
biology, history or other textbooks.
When asked at the age of 26 why they did not
continue their education, 75 said they had poor
grades or didnt take the right classes 57 said
they did not like school...
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Percent of Oakland Students Who are Proficient in
Algebra I,

based on CST, 2006-07
Source The Education Trust-West
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College-Ready Rates in Selected School Districts,
by race and ethnicity, 2006-07
African-American
Latino
Asian
College Ready Rate-Pct of students who (1)
Graduate with regular diploma (2) Have attained
basic reading level (3) complete 4 yrs of
English, 3 of Math, 2 of Natural Science, social
science foreign lang.
Source The Education Trust-West
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California Community College Students Dont
Receive Their Fare Share of Financial Aid
California
Texas
New York
percent
Source California Community Colleges Making
Them Stronger and More Affordable. The National
Center for Public Policy and Higher Education,
March 2007.
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Financial Aid Falls Short of Need
Only 16 of California Community students get
Pell Grants
Less than 3 of students get state grants
86 of independent, full-time students face unmet
need after all aid is considered, and their need
averages 6,739.
Source California Community Colleges Making
Them Stronger and More Affordable. The National
Center for Public Policy and Higher Education,
March 2007.
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What Helps Provide Momentum Toward Completion
Entering community college immediately following
high school
Preparation for placement testing
First year credit generation-earning more than 20
credits
Good grades- top 40 of GPA distribution
Minimizing use of withdrawals and no credit
repeats
Use of summer terms
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There are Sharp Differences in Transfer Patterns
Among Racial and Ethnic Groups
Source Unexpected Pathways Transfer Patterns
of California Community College Students, August
2007, MPR Associates, Inc.
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In 20 years of diversity and equity related
change work we have found that institutional
leaders are more successful when

• Their diversity and equity work moves from the
  periphery to the center of strategic development
  efforts all levels of their institutions
• They commit to respectful and rigorous inquiry of
  the systemic underpinnings of inequality
• They are willing to experiment and innovate--even
  make mistakes
• They understand that shifting from separation to
  interdependence takes time and commitment to
  account for each others hopes and fears
• They commit resources to professional and
  organizational development
• Top leaders provide support needed to embed and
  sustain change efforts.