From Excelenia in Education August 17, 2007

Choosing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs): A Closer Look at Latino Students’ College Choices (Excelencia in Education) –

This policy brief, second in a series on HSIs, had three guiding questions: (1) Why do half of all Latino students enroll at HSIs?; (2) What influences the college choices of Latinos at HSIs; and (3) How do these influences compare with those of Latinos at other institutions.  Among their findings:

·         Latino students’ college choices create HSIs.  However, most Latino students enrolled at HSIs do not know their institution was an HSI.

·         Latino students at HSIs prioritized college costs, proximity to where they lived, and an accessible campus as decisive factors in their college choice.

·         Latino graduates who did not attend HSIs were more likely to prioritize financial aid, institutional prestige, and academic programs as critical factors influencing their college choice.

·         Latino students at HSIs believed they would receive a quality education at any college they choose, as long as they were motivated.

·         HSIs were lower in cost and more accessible than comparable institutions and were located in communities with large Latino populations.

·         Many Latino students at HSIs choose their institution based on the “sticker price” of tuition and related costs without significantly factoring in financial aid.

Visit:  http://www.edexcelencia.org/pdf/ChoosingHSIsCloserLookFINAL.pdf

From PACE August 2007

Beyond Access: How the First Semester Matters for Community College Students’ Aspirations and Persistence (PACE) –

PACE looks across all disciplines and explains why California must do more than expand access to community college if the state is to prepare the workforce needed to remain economically competitive in the 21^st century.  The brief shows that fewer than half of the young high school graduates who entered California community colleges with the goal of transferring to four-year colleges in 1998 made it through their first semester with their goals intact.  One quarter of these young people did not return for the second semester, and barely half of those who returned still planned to transfer to four-year schools.  Approximately 40 percent of those who aspired to transfer to four-year colleges when they entered community college ultimately achieved their goal.  Their analysis illuminates the decisive importance of the first semester in students’ post-secondary academic careers, and suggests that providing additional guidance and support to students as they enter college for the first time could yield big dividends in terms of student persistence and eventual transfer.

Visit:  http://pace.berkeley.edu/reports/PB.07-2.pdf

From CPST Comments September 5, 2007

Historic Reversals, Accelerating Resegregation, and the Need for New Integration Strategies (Gary Orfield and Chungmei Lee, Civil Rights Project/UCLA, August 2007) –

Racial inequality is growing in America’s K-12 schools.  Offering evidence on how to realize the benefits of integration, this report comes as school districts across the nation face the challenge of responding to the US Supreme Court’s June 2007 decision limiting desegregation policies.  The report notes that the Court’s decision will invalidate many desegregation plans that currently exist outside the South, and points out that a proposal by the US Department of Education to change the racial categorization of students, if adopted, would make it impossible to measure the impact of the Court’s decision on school desegregation.  The report concludes with recommendations for school districts and communities that are trying to preserve racial diversity given the constraints of the Court’s new decision.

Visit:  http://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/research/deseg/reversals_reseg_need.pdf

From Greenwood Press August 2007

The American Indian and Alaska Native Student’s Guide to College Success (D. Michael Pavel and Ella Inglebret, May 30, 2007) –

This guide helps Native people to clarify their postsecondary aspirations, improve their college choice, and increase their success in college.  The authors present college types, programs and services to meet the special needs of Native students, and financial aid options, to encourage more Native students to pursue a college education.

Visit:  http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/GR2958.aspx

From Edward Elgar Publishing 2007

Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics: Upping the Numbers (Ronald J. Burke and Mary C. Mattis, eds., 2007) –

Advances in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are key factors in contributing to future economic performance, higher living standards and improved quality of life.  As dominant white males near retirement and immigration slows, developed countries face a serious skill shortage in critical STEM disciplines.  This book examines why the numbers of women and minorities in STEM are low, outlines potential consequences and prescribes much needed solutions to the problem.  It includes a chapter by Capacity Center Director Daryl Chubin.

Visit:  http://www.e-elgar-business.com/bookentry_main.lasso?id=4219

From Catalyst 2007

The Double-Bind Dilemma for Women in Leadership: Damned if You Do, Doomed if You Don’t (Catalyst, 2007) –

Gender stereotyping, one of the key barriers to women’s advancement in corporate leadership, leaves women with limited, conflicting, and often unfavorable options no matter how they choose to lead.  This study, third in an in-depth series examining the pervasive and damaging effects of gender stereotyping in the workplace released by Catalyst, the non-profit organization working to advance opportunities for women and business, focuses on the consequences of gender bias and three specific “double-bind dilemmas” frequently experienced by women business leaders. The study also suggests organizational solutions to counter the persistent effects of gender stereotyping.

Visit:  http://www.catalyst.org/files/full/2007%20Double%20Bind.pdf

From IHEP July 2007

College Access for the Working Poor: Overcoming Burdens to Succeed in Higher Education (Courtney McSwain and Ryan Davis, July 2007) –

This report examines the precarious position of working poor students in our society. At the prospect of attending postsecondary education, these students realize it requires navigating through a minefield of conflicting work and family demands. The report points out the unique barriers encountered by working poor students and calls attention to policies and practices that raise expectations, enrollment, and completion rates of the working poor.

Visit:  http://www.ihep.org/Pubs/PDF/College_Access_for_the_Working_Poor_2007_Report.pdf

From The Pell Institute May 29, 2007

Demography is Not Destiny: Increasing the Graduation Rates of Low-Income College Students at Large Public Universities (Jennifer Engle and Colleen O’Brien, 2007) –

Colleges and universities that design and implement student retention programs with the challenges of low-income students in mind can improve college graduation rates without narrowing access.  This report reveals retention strategies that help some institutions succeed beyond all predictors and points to the pitfalls that can hamper retention efforts elsewhere.

Visit: http://www.pellinstitute.org/files/files-demography_is_not_destiny.pdf