This narrative study explores the transition from high school to college for low-income students of color who participated in a college access mentoring program, the College Admissions Project (CAP) while in twelfth-grade. A community cultural wealth (CCW) lens guides this research and is used to examine student experiences. CAP alumni who enrolled in an institution of higher education in the fall semester immediately following their high school graduation are the participants in this study. A narrative approach to inquiry is used because the author is interested in the particular experiences of a few individuals. Specifically, the experiences of low-income students of color from New Orleans as they made the transition from high school to college either in 2015 or 2016. This study has implications for practice in the area of college access programs as well as theoretical applications which extend a CCW framework to additional communities of color beyond Latina/o communities. In the area of practice, supporting positive peer relationships could make college access programs more effective. Student voice is also important to the participants in this study. Students should be part program development and evaluation processes so that programs are designed to best meet their needs as they exist, rather than as adults see them. There is some evidence that a CCW framework is applicable to the experiences of these students. Informational and social capital were most commonly referenced by participants, and efforts to help students further develop these assets would help to support their college transition processes.

With the US recovering from a recession, a college diploma has become more valuable to avoid unemployment. Despite a college degree's importance, the access to higher education is a challenge for lower income Pell-Eligible Vermont students. For the past three decades, higher education continues to rise in cost faster than family income. Cost is not only an inhibitor for Pell-Eligible Vermont students. The complexities of navigating the financial systems of higher education to acquire aid in order to make college obtainable is also an issue for Pell-Eligible students. In order to successfully navigate these systems, a Pell-Eligible student's habitus, cultural capital, and social capital, greatly influence their decisions about applying to college and being able to successfully participate once accepted. To help understand the experience of Pell-Eligible Vermont students as they navigate the financial system of higher education institutions, I utilized a qualitative case-study phenomenological approach. The study was guided by the following research questions: (1) What are the specific challenges for Pell-Eligible students during their navigation of the financial systems of college? (2) What messages/information/support and from where do Pell-Eligible students receive about financing a college education? (3) How does cultural and social capital, and habitus influence a Pell-Eligible student in navigating the financial systems of higher education? (4) What are the implications for high schools, states, and colleges in providing information for Pell-Eligible students in navigating the college process? The study looked at the experiences of Pell-Eligible students who applied to and were accepted at Green Mountain University (GMU), a public four-year university in the Northeast region of the US. I interviewed undergraduates of GMU, the financial-aid officers of GMU, and professionals from the Vermont Higher Education Agency (VHEA). The goal of the study was to find areas where higher education institutions, high schools, and government agencies, can provide better support, more transparency, and ease the navigation process for Pell-Eligible Vermont students as they make decision and navigate the financial aid process in order to enroll into college after high school graduation.

“College Readiness” has been a phrase discussed across higher education and the workforce in most recent years. However, the perception of College Readiness has been debated throughout history as there is not a universal agreement on the philosophy of what it means to be College Ready. In Mississippi, the state has not even defined this phrase so there is not a way to measure the success of College Readiness. Because of this lack of universal philosophy, the purpose of this study is to understand the philosophy of college readiness programs in the state of Mississippi. The research question guiding this study will include: How do different stakeholders assigned to align college readiness programs between P-12 and postsecondary systems understand the philosophy of college readiness? Moreover, what influences the beliefs that shape philosophies about college readiness held by these stakeholders? Leaning on research from Thelin (2004), Conley (2007), and the Ecological Model of College Readiness as designed by Arnold et al. (2012), the literature review synthesizes research on the history of college readiness in American Higher Education, the definitions of College Readiness, and the most widely accepted conceptual framework to explain the factors that influence College Readiness among students. The design of this study included a qualitative comparative analysis and used focus groups to collect data from the perspectives of 16 directors or coordinators who are responsible for organizing or implementing college readiness programs across the state of Mississippi. As a result, the theme from the participant responses supported the consensus that college readiness is a complex and undefined phrase. However, each participant agreed that to be college ready, students need to have more than academic readiness. Instead, students must also have individual characteristics that yearn for a plan after high school. Another conclusion made was that college readiness is influenced by the students’ surroundings including people and politics. While the most current conceptual framework helps identify factors that influence college readiness, it does not precisely identify the relationships among the different layers or help explain when a student becomes college ready. Therefore, additional research should be conducted to determine the stages by which students pass through to become college ready.

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<p> </p> <p>     The purpose of this study was to explore the rural schooling experience of ten high school students attending a small high school located in a rural county in Indiana regarding college and postsecondary aspirations. Specifically, do they have a positive, negative, or neutral view of college? Who or what is influencing their perceptions, values, and beliefs regarding college? Also, this study focused on rural Indiana, providing a Middle America “rural focus” because it is not prevalent in the literature. This qualitative single case study used a sociocultural framework and utilized information gathered from student personal essays, and semi-structured focus group interviews, which provided insights into how rural students perceive college. In addition to the student perspectives, the high school principal and college and career guidance counselor were also interviewed to provide context regarding the culture of the school, community, family involvement, and socioeconomic metrics and how these factors influence the educational and occupational aspirations of students at the site school. Each interview was recorded, transcribed, and coded for data analysis. The data were analyzed using open coding as articulated by Given (2008) as well as the eight-step focus coding process articulated by Tesch (1990) to identify emergent themes. Six themes emerged as providing perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs regarding college as well as the sociocultural and habitus influences concerning educational and occupational aspirations: (1) schooling experience; (2) juxtaposition of postsecondary education; (3) college is expensive; (4) guidance counselor- too many hats and limited resources; (5) influences of educational and occupational aspirations; (6) athletics – more than an extracurricular activity. Results showed the significance of the secondary schooling experience and the juxtaposition of postsecondary education, specifically concerning skilled trade occupations, especially for male students. The cost of college was discerning for the students as well as the burden of paying for college. Attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs differed based on perceived academic ability and gender. This study offers insights into the cultural role of the family, school, and community regarding postsecondary aspirations and how to increase postsecondary matriculation rate of rural youth. </p>

College retention, persistence, and success levels continue to be lower for students of color, first-generation students, and low-income students compared to the White majority. This study, focusing on African American males from Philadelphia, set out to investigate the challenges that young, urban, low-income, and first-generation students face in their transition to and enrollment in institutions of post-secondary education. To accomplish this goal, the study at hand focused on two primary questions: RQ 1: What tools do young Black first-generation college students who go to school in and around their city of origin utilize in order to gain entry to institutions of post-secondary education and successfully transition to these institutions? RQ 2: How are young Black first-generation college students who go to school in and around their city of origin able to successfully navigate academic obligations and social responsibilities in their first year of college? To answer these questions, a qualitative research study was designed, and six young men fitting the criteria above were interviewed over the course of their first year of college. In total, each student participated in four interviews. Additionally, participants submitted their college entrance essays and personal statements, which were reviewed to confirm their narratives and coded for themes. Finally, college counselors for the non-profit that assisted each young man in his college planning were interviewed. These interviews focused on the counselor’s perception of success at the post-secondary level, and the ways that their non-profit could assist students. Student engagement theory, paired with a Critical Race paradigm, served as the primary theoretical lens through which data were analyzed. Additionally, literature on student resilience and self-efficacy was used to inform the interpretation of the data. Key findings include: the significance of family support during a student’s transition to college, the myriad ways that a student’s intersecting identities play a role in the collegiate experience, and the importance of engaging in campus life to form strong support networks and succeed academically. The young men of this study faced myriad challenges in the journey towards a college degree. From complex family relationships, to navigating stigma surrounding their identities, the obstacles facing these men are great. However, through forming a network of campus connections and using their past challenges to inform future decisions, the young men of this study are resisting stereotypes and pursuing their goals. Developing resilience and self-efficacy through self-reflection, vicarious experiences of trusted mentors and family members and supportive peer networks has and will continue to allow the young men of this study to achieve their goals. / Urban Education

This study documents how organizational strategies underlying college counseling departments modify counselors’ ability to perform their academic and college advising duties. To examine this, fifteen semi-structured, in-depth interviews with public high school counselors in Southern California were conducted. A district’s commitment to college access and opportunity, as well as parents’ expectations for maintaining a college-going culture, shaped the nature of college counseling and organizational habitus in a school. Counselors reported that access to different forms of institutional support and resources diminish or exacerbate the structural constraints known to surface in public schools. This influenced when and how counselors advised students, which offered different views of the educational opportunity structure. Additionally, findings indicate that both college preparation programs and culturally sensitive counselors work to remedy educational disparities and increase the college enrollment rates of working-class minority students.

This qualitative multiple-case study explored the supports and barriers experienced by nine first-generation Hispanic male high school students who met the college entrance requirements for the University of California and California State University systems. Research indicates that Hispanic males lag behind other underrepresented populations when it comes to college readiness, application, and enrollment rates. Given that parent education level is a strong predictor of degree attainment and that Hispanics have some of the lowest parent education levels, it is essential to examine how first-generation college-bound Hispanic males experience supports that help mitigate the barriers they face when pursuing college enrollment. Particularly in California, where the Hispanic population continues to rise exponentially, it is important for educational practitioners to develop a better understanding of how to support first-generation Hispanic students. This study aims to contribute to the research on improving college access for underrepresented populations using resiliency theory as the lens through which to examine this issue. Rather than look through a deficit-oriented lens, resiliency theory focuses on the protective factors or supports that help mitigate risk factors or barriers. Using data collected through interviews and document analysis, the findings here showed the significant role of supports such as academic capital and college knowledge, a systematic focus on college readiness, college readiness and bridge programs, and a strong counseling program for these students. In addition, it was evident that the students’ familial connections to college had a significant impact on the level of academic capital of each of them, reinforcing the need to look beyond the label of “first-generation”.

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceived changes in cultural, human, and social capital as a result of professional development. Research in the area of effective professional development is substantial. Similarly, the body of research on cultural, human, and social networks is extensive. This research is significant in that it aims to marry the body of research surrounding professional development and the bodies of research in cultural, human, and social capital. A case study approach was used to conduct an in-depth look at teachers' practices through teacher interviews and classroom observations. All teachers in the study participated in a high school level college-access program aimed at increasing the college-going rate of under-served youth. Further, each participant had at least three years' experience in the program. The research suggests that there may be a teacher typology even within a voluntary college preparatory program. This typology is not limited to the suggested categories of this study. Nor does this typology suggest that teachers are stagnant categories of this study. Nor does this typology suggest that teachers are stagnant within their assigned typology. Rather, the research suggests that there is a continuum of teacher ability with regards to implementation of practices and ideas around cultural, human, and social capital. Outcomes suggest that school administrators should examine their practices in monitoring and supporting the implementation of professional development. Further, school administrators should consider matching school reform initiative with teacher type. Recommendations for future research include expanding the research both within the college-preparatory program and with teachers not involved in a college-preparatory program. Future research may also want to analyze how professional development influences the development of other forms of capital.

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