College Is Beneficial, But Who Attends?

According to the United States Department of Education's National Educational Longitudinal Study (1993), over 95% of high school seniors plan to attend college, but only about 62% actually enroll. In particular, low-income, minority, or first-generation college students are much less likely to fulfill their dream of attaining a higher education degree. This gap between aspirations and reality is alarming especially when we consider income differences between those who graduate from college and those who do not. Studies reveal that college graduates earn about $20,000 more annually than high school graduates, who in turn earn about $8,000 per more per year than high school dropouts (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). In addition, higher education has become all the more important with the advent of a knowledge-based, global economy. It is also seen as a requirement for advancement in employment and as an indicator of social status.

New Initiative: Academic Pathways to Access and Student Success

Traditional high school academic pathways have not successfully promoted access to college for all students. Too many leave high school inadequately prepared for college or careers. A common response to this problem has been to raise academic performance through the establishment of clear high school graduation standards or through secondary/postsecondary curriculum alignment. However, Robert B. Schwartz (2003) argues that setting more rigorous standards and pushing more students through the same old channel is not a solution to this high school crisis. He notes that higher expectations and more challenging curricula are not adequate to engage many students by the time they reach high school. Instead, he calls for a "clearly demarcated set of new pathways from the early high school years to a postsecondary credential that have 'built-in supports' for young people" (p. 12). This entails constructing individual education and training programs rather than the typical one-size-fits-all high school model. Such efforts provide the groundwork for developing a system of learning alternatives that assumes that all students will master a set of commonly agreed upon high standards, but uses diverse pedagogical approaches, assorted institutional arrangements, and varying amounts of time to achieve this end.

Beginning in January 2004, the Academic Pathways to Access and Student Success (APASS) project, funded by the Lumina Foundation for Education, was launched with collaboration from faculty, staff, and graduate students affiliated with the Higher Education program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The purpose of the study is to identify, examine, classify, and disseminate information about new pathways that promote access to college and student success while in college for traditionally underrepresented students.

Academic pathways, as we define them, straddle secondary and postsecondary education levels and include institutional structures that enhance students' transition to higher education. The initial study will document the goals, characteristics, practices, and key policies related to promising or emerging academic pathways. The aim is to look at how these pathways facilitate linkages between secondary and postsecondary institutions, and promote the successful enrollment and persistence of underserved students in college. Although these academic pathways primarily use a boundary spanning approach, attention will be given to college preparation and access issues at the secondary and postsecondary educational levels.

The major goals of the APASS study are four-fold: a) to conduct a comprehensive search of all 50 states to inventory academic pathways and curriculum models; b) to describe academic pathways and curriculum models that appear to be particularly effective in improving students' access to college and their subsequent success; c) to describe the federal, state, and local policy environments, including legislation and regulations, that enhance or inhibit the development of these academic pathways; and d) to widely disseminate the results of this project utilizing a variety of media and methods.

The Role of the Community College In Promoting Access And Success

In many of these academic pathways, community colleges play a critical role in enhancing students' transition to college from secondary education by preparing them to do college level work. For example, the Portland Community College Preparatory College Bound Program offers students the opportunity to work towards: a) a high school diploma in a career area, b) a Certificate of Advanced Mastery, and c) an associate's degree in a career area of the student's interest and ability. The targeted students are those who have left high school before graduation, are behind in high school credits, have at least an eighth grade reading level, live in a participating school district, or are willing to participate in a comprehensive high school completion program, which could potentially last for two or more years.

As another example, Middle College Charter High School at LaGuardia Community College opened in 1974 as an alternative high school under the auspices of the New York City Board of Education and LaGuardia Community College. The design for the school developed from the belief that a joint high school/college program could nurture the academic and psychosocial needs of at-risk urban youth with college potential. This collaborative model encourages at-risk students to succeed, buoyed by three major supports: (a) visible peer role models, namely students enrolled at the college, (b) small classes, and (c) superior academic and support services.

After identifying and examining the many exciting and innovative academic pathways that have recently emerged around the country, the findings will be widely disseminated. Many of them have great promise as models for replication and will be brought to the attention of various stakeholders, including educators, researchers, administrators, and policy makers. The project aspires to share information that can be used to enable educational opportunities within the U.S. educational system, with special attention to meeting the needs of underrepresented students.

More information on the APASS project may be found at http://occrl.ed.uiuc.edu or by calling
217-244-9390.

References

National Center for Educational Statistics (1993). High school seniors look to the future, 1972 and 1992 (NCES No. 93473). Washington, DC: Author.

Schwartz, R.B. (2003). Multiple pathways- and how to get there. Proceedings of Double the Numbers: Postsecondary Attainment and Underrepresented Youth (pp. 11-18). Boston, MA: Jobs for the Future.

U.S. Census Bureau (2000). Earnings by occupation and education. U.S. Census Gateway 2000. Washington, DC: Author.

Eunyoung Kim and Christopher V. Evans are doctoral students in Higher Education in the Department of Educational Organization and Leadership at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They may be reached at ekim3@uiuc.eduand cevans@uiuc.edu.