Black Male Collegians E-Book

Robert T. Palmer

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Serie: J-B ASHE-ERIC Report Series (AEHE)
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 273

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Improving college access and success among Black males has garnered tremendous attention. Many social scientists have noted that Black men account for only 4.3% of the total enrollment at 4-year postsecondary institutions in the United States, the same percentage now as in 1976. Furthermore, two thirds of Black men who start college never finish. The lack of progress among Black men in higher education has caused researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to become increasingly focused on ways to increase their access and success. Offering recommendations and strategies to help advance success among Black males, this monograph provides a comprehensive synthesis and analysis of factors that promote the access, retention, and persistence of Black men at diverse institutional types (e.g., historically Black colleges and universities, predominantly White institutions, and community colleges). It delineates institutional policies, programs, practices, and other factors that encourage the success of Black men in postsecondary education. This is the 3rd issue of the 40th volume of the Jossey-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education issue, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.

Leseprobe

ASHE Higher Education Report: Volume 40, Number 3

Kelly Ward, Lisa E. Wolf-Wendel, Series Editors

Black Male Collegians: Increasing Access, Retention, and Persistence in Higher Education

Robert T. Palmer

J. Luke Wood

T. Elon Dancy II

Terrell L. Strayhorn

Black Male Collegians: Increasing Access, Retention, and Persistence in Higher EducationRobert T. Palmer, J. Luke Wood, T. Elon Dancy II, Terrell L. Strayhorn ASHE Higher Education Report: Volume 40, Number 3 Kelly Ward, Lisa E. Wolf-Wendel, Series Editors

Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction or translation of any part of this work beyond that permitted by Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. Requests for permission or further information should be addressed to the Permissions Department, c/o John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030; [phone], fax [phone], www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Cover image by © Mustafahacalaki/iStockphoto.

ISSN 1551-6970 electronic ISSN 1554-6306 ISBN 978-1-118-94165-2

The ASHE Higher Education Report is part of the Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education Series and is published six times a year by Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company, at Jossey-Bass, One Montgomery Street, Suite 1200, San Francisco, California 94104-4594.

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CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Prospective authors are strongly encouraged to contact Kelly Ward ([email protected]) or Lisa E. Wolf-Wendel ([email protected]). See “About the ASHE Higher Education Report Series” in the back of this volume.

Visit the Jossey-Bass Web site at www.josseybass.com.

The ASHE Higher Education Report is indexed in CIJE: Current Index to Journals in Education (ERIC), Education Index/Abstracts (H.W. Wilson), ERIC Database (Education Resources Information Center), Higher Education Abstracts (Claremont Graduate University), IBR & IBZ: International Bibliographies of Periodical Literature (K.G. Saur), and Resources in Education (ERIC).

Advisory Board

The ASHE Higher Education Report Series is sponsored by the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), which provides an editorial advisory board of ASHE members.

Ben Baez

Florida International University

Amy Bergerson

University of Utah

Edna Chun

University of North Carolina Greensboro

Susan K. Gardner

University of Maine

MaryBeth Gasman

University of Pennsylvania

Karri Holley

University of Alabama

Adrianna Kezar

University of Southern California

Kevin Kinser

SUNY – Albany

Dina Maramba

Binghamton University

Robert Palmer

Binghamton University

Barbara Tobolowsky

University of Texas at Arlington

Susan Twombly

University of Kansas

Marybeth Walpole

Rowan University

Rachelle Winkle-Wagner

University of Nebraska – Lincoln

Contents

Executive Summary

Dedications

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Contextualizing the Experiences of Black Men in Society and Education: Setting the Foundation

Purpose of the Monograph: Reshaping the Puzzle

Snapshot: Black Males in PreK–12 Education

Status: Black Men in Postsecondary Education

Overview of the Monograph

Getting to College: Factors Affecting Black Male Achievement in Schools and the Educational Pipeline

The U.S. Black Educational Pipeline: Sociohistorical and Policy Perspectives

Black Males in U.S. Schools: A National Framework

Conclusion

Factors Critical to the Access and Success of Black Men in Postsecondary Education

TRIO Programs: Facilitating Access to Higher Education for Black Students by Increasing College Readiness

Affirmative Action: A Critical Facilitator of Access to Higher Education for Black Students

College Readiness Programs: A Vital Linkage to Access and Success for Black Students

Black Men at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Black Men at Predominantly White Institutions

Black Men at Community Colleges

Student Engagement and Academic Success

Factors Critical to the Success of Black Men in Postsecondary Education

Conclusion

Implications for Future Research, Policy, and Practice

Implications for Future Research

Implications for Practice

Implications for Policy

Concluding Remarks

Appendix

Presentations on Black Males at ASHE by Year

2013 St. Louis

2012 Las Vegas

2011 Charlotte

2010 Indianapolis

2009 Vancouver

2008 Jacksonville

2007 Louisville

2006 Anaheim

2005 Philadelphia

2004 Kansas City

2003 Portland

References

Advert

Name Index

Subject Index

About the Authors

About the ASHE Higher Education Report Series

Call for Proposals

End User License Agreement

List of Tables

Chapter 1

Table 1

Table 2

Table 3

Table 4

Table 5

Table 6

Table 7

Table 8

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Contextualizing the Experiences of Black Men in Society and Education: Setting the Foundation

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Executive Summary

Improving college access and success among Black males has garnered tremendous attention. For example, there have been policy reports from the College Board Advocacy and Policy Center and the Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education at the University of Pennsylvania. Furthermore, there are a number of journals, such as Journal of African American Males in Education, Challenge Journal: A Journal of Research on African American Men, Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men, among others, devoted to scholarly inquiry and providing insight into the experiences, conditions, and challenges facing Black males in education and beyond. At the same time, many educational researchers have sought to provide critical insight and have raised thought-provoking questions about Black males through peer-reviewed articles and books.

The focus on Black males is warranted. Many social scientists have noted that Black men account for 4.3% of the total enrollment at four-year postsecondary institutions in the United States. Incidentally, the percentage of Black men who are enrolled in college is the same as it was in 1976. According to national data, two thirds of Black men who start college never finish. The educational challenges of Black men have caused major concern among stakeholders in higher education. From this concern emerged a number of empirical studies, policy reports, journals, retention programs, and books focused on ways to help improve educational outcomes among Black male collegians. This monograph was conceived with a similar goal in mind. Specifically, the monograph provides a comprehensive synthesis and analysis of literature on factors promoting the access, retention, and persistence of Black men in postsecondary education. One of the key components of the monograph is its focus on the experiences of Black men in diverse institutional contexts (i.e., historically Black colleges and universities, predominantly White institutions, and community colleges). This approach recognizes the institutional heterogeneity of colleges and universities in America's higher education system as well as the diverse student characteristics and experiences within those contexts. By employing this approach, this monograph realizes that adopting a “one size fits all” method is not the most practical way to help improve the plight of Black men in higher education. The monograph includes recommendations and strategies to help advance success among Black males relative to the diverse institutional contexts of focus.

The monograph consists of four chapters. In the first chapter, we provided a justification for this monograph by discussing the underachievement of Black men throughout the educational pipeline. Keeping consistent with the aim of this monograph, we contextualize the academic achievement of Black men within the diverse institutional types of focus in this monograph. The first chapter is critical because it provides a foundation to help understand some of the challenges that Black men experience as they progress through the educational pipeline. In the second chapter, we highlight the preK–12 experience of Black men, focusing specifically on factors that restrict or limit their participation in higher education. In the third chapter, we discuss programs and policies that help to facilitate access to higher education for Black men; more so, we also examine critical factors to their retention and persistence. Finally, in the fourth chapter, we discuss implications for research, policy, and practice. Given its unique approach and comprehensive focus, this monograph is an important resource for faculty, administrators, and staff in preK–12 and postsecondary education. The monograph will also be rendered valuable by educational policymakers. Additionally, we surmise this monograph will be deemed a useful resource for scholars, institutional researchers, and graduate students who are interested in pursuing empirical research in this critical line of inquiry.

Dedications

Robert T. Palmer would like to dedicate this monograph to his mentors and friends in the academy, who have inspired him to be resilient and focused on succeeding in every endeavor. J. Luke Wood would like to dedicate this monograph to his son, J. Luke Wood, Jr., you inspire me toward excellence. T. Elon Dancy would like to dedicate this monograph to his mentees and the vast numbers of Black boys and men who endeavor to realize their dreams in U.S. educational institutions. Terrell L. Strayhorn would like to dedicate this monograph to all those motivated to excel in their respective endeavors, whose commitments and passions encourage, inspire, and fuel me daily.

Foreword

Readers do not need to venture far in the popular press, social media, or political commentary to find topics related to African American men in U.S. society. Topics range from concern for Black men, the plight of urban youth, and getting beyond stereotypes. And, of course, there has been considerable attention to the narrative and rhetoric related to the often cited statement by President Obama (who at the time of the statement in 2007 was a senator) indicating “we have more Black men in prison than we have in our colleges.” The statement, though untrue, triggered considerable attention to many of the issues that face African American men. The attention generated by the statement highlights concerns about Black men in higher education including access, affordability, and completion. These concerns have led to interest and subsequent research related to different aspects of the representation and performance of African American men in colleges and universities.

The monograph, Black Male Collegians: Increasing Access, Retention, and Persistence in Higher Education coauthored by Robert T. Palmer, J. Luke Wood, T. Elon Dancy II, and Terrell L. Strayhorn, examines the recent spate of research related to different aspects of higher education for Black men. The monograph is comprehensive in its review of current research and practice. In an increasingly diverse landscape of higher education and society in general, the number of Black men participating in higher education has not changed considerably in the past 30 years. Topics in the monograph explore the many books, articles, and reports that look at the experiences of Black men in higher education. The monograph has a twofold purpose—to highlight the experiences of Black men in the diversity of higher education contexts and to look at the factors that promote access, retention, and persistence. The authors present information that clearly articulates and outlines problems associated with underachievement and underrepresentation of Black men in higher education and clearly summarizes the strategies that help promote success.

In a field of study that has rapidly increased, it is often difficult to find a key source that integrates and provides an overall picture of the topic at hand. Research related to Black men in higher education has increased so rapidly, making it hard for readers to keep up. The monograph is a key resource to summarize and analyze the burgeoning and diverse areas of research and practice. As a researcher, I am generally interested in topics related to diversity and student success, but I have not focused on topics related to Black men. Reading the monograph provided me with a compendium of information to get an overall understanding and clear articulation of current issues related to African American men in higher education. The monograph provides an understanding of the current status of Black men in different sectors of education (preK–12 and higher education) as a way to encapsulate the pipeline of (under)achievement through education and in different educational settings. The authors also provide a synthesis of current research related to programs and policies that promote access and success. Readers looking for a synopsis of topics related to Black men in higher education will find a solid base of information. Researchers interested in more in-depth topics will also find the authors' synthesis and analysis comprehensive and a useful tool to provide a foundation for future research about Black men in higher education and related topics.

Authors Palmer, Wood, Dancy, and Strayhorn join a complementary collection of other ASHE monograph topics that look at different aspects of diversity. For example, Latinos in Higher Education; Immigrant Students in Higher Education; Postsecondary Education for American Indian and Alaska Natives; Asian Americans in Higher Education; Stonewall's Legacy: Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Students in Higher Education; and Allies for Inclusion: Disability and Equity in Higher Education all examine current research and practice looking at other underrepresented groups in higher education. In addition we’ve included more general topics related to diversity such as Engaging Diversity in Undergraduate Classrooms and a forthcoming volume on critical race theory. The intent is for researchers and practitioners to read these monographs alone or collectively as a way to grasp current research and practice to further success for all students.

There are no easy answers or one size fits all responses to the Black male “crisis” in higher education. Instead, practitioners and policy makers need to be informed about the realities and complexities of African American men in all aspects of higher education and in different educational contexts. The monograph admirably synthesizes current research as a way to clarify the situation and provide promising practices to give practitioners and researchers new and different ways to think about Black men in higher education.

Kelly WardLisa E. Wolf-WendelSeries Editors

Acknowledgments

Robert T. Palmer: I would like to note that it was an honor working with the coauthors of this monograph. These men are extremely humbled, but yet so talented and passionate about promoting success for Black men in education. I would also like to thank J. Oscar Simmons for helping me to realize that tomorrow holds a promise for a better, more prosperous day.

J. Luke Wood: I would like to acknowledge my cocontributors whose scholarly contributions have been essential to advancing the field of Black male studies in education. I would also like to acknowledge my colleague, Frank Harris III, for his support and mentorship.

T. Elon Dancy II: I thank my coauthors for their dedicated work, colleagueship, and community. I am always indebted for the support of a very loving family, particularly my mother, Gwendolyn. In addition, I value the mentors, colleagues, and friends who sustain me as I continue in this work. Finally, I am thankful for Zawadi who teaches me daily about love and its possibilities.

Terrell L. Strayhorn: I would like to acknowledge all those involved in advancing scholarship on Black males in education, including my coauthors. I would also offer sincere thanks to the members of my research team and staff in the Center for Inclusion, Diversity & Academic Success (IDEAS) at The Ohio State University. Constant support and encouragement from my son and daughter, lifelong friends, and family make all of my work possible.

Contextualizing the Experiences of Black Men in Society and Education: Setting the Foundation

In the past decade, there has been a heightened awareness of issues facing boys and men of color in society. Once overlooked, discourse on issues concerning these individuals (particularly those of Black/African American descent) has been elevated in the scholarly community and among practitioners. With respect to the prior, the scholarly community has witnessed a rapid expansion of publication venues and works specific to Black boys and men. Beginning with the in 1995 (later renamed the ), the foundations for publication outlets specific to the Black male experience were made. Since then, additional journals have been founded, including: (2007); (2010); (2010); and most recently, (2012). The latter () is a particularly salient addition to the fold, as its establishment represents the first instance (to our knowledge) of a university press—Indiana University Press—featuring a journal specific to the lives and experiences of Black men.