African American Male Students: Overcoming

Barriers to Success at TCC

TULSA COMMUNITY COLLEGEAchieving the Dream

Fall 2009 Student Focus Groups

© 2010 Tulsa Community College Data Team

AtD is a national, multi-year effort to help community college students succeed.

This effort focuses on student groups that face significant barriers to success, including students of color and low-income students.

Achieving the Dream (AtD)

TCC is working to increase the percentage of students who accomplish these five goals:

1. Successfully complete the courses students take;2. Advance from remedial to credit-bearing courses;3. Enroll in and successfully complete gatekeeper

courses;4. Enroll from one semester to the next;5. Earn degrees and/or certificates.

TCC Goals

• Identify areas of weakness using quantitative data provided by Planning and Institutional Research.

1: What’s wrong?

• Conduct focus groups to identify the barriers/challenges faculty, staff, and students encounter.

2: Why is the problem happening?

4 – Component Process for Making Data-Informed Decisions

4 – Component Process for Making Data-Informed Decisions

• Develop interventions based on the evidence.

3: Design & Implement Interventions

• Did the intervention work?• How should the intervention be

changed for greater success?

4: Assess the Impact of the Interventions

Quantitative data were analyzed for the fall 2008 cohort: First-time African American male

freshmen 109 African American male students

College Readiness

Persistence Rate

Graduation Rate

1. What's Wrong?

College-level math

College-level English

College-level reading

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

23%

56%

43%

33%

83%

71%

AA Male First-Time Freshmen

All First-Time Freshmen

What’s Wrong? College Readiness

From TCC Quick Facts

Fall

to S

prin

g Ret

entio

n

Fall

to F

all R

eten

tion

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

60%

36%

74%

50%

AA Male First-time FreshmenAll First-time Freshmen

What’s Wrong? Persistence Rates

From TCC Quick Facts

Graduation within 3 Years0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

16%

36%

AA Male First-time FreshmenAll First-time Freshmen

What’s Wrong? Graduation Rates

From TCC Quick Facts

The AtD Data Team investigated why many African American male students have difficulty at TCC.

The 2009 summer and fall student focus groups revealed the challenges and barriers AA male students face while enrolled at TCC.

2. WHY?

Seven focus groups Total of 28 African American male students Students were asked, “What barriers or

challenges have you faced in being successful at TCC?”

African American Male Student Focus Groups

110 barriers for African American male students were identified.

(24 barriers)

AA Male Experience

(17 barriers)

Institutional

(69 barriers)

Managing College Life and Goals

A peek into each slice…

(24 barriers)

AA Male Experience

(17 barriers)

Institutional

(69 barriers)

Managing College Life and Goals

Sub-Types of Managing College Life and Goals Number of Barriers

Balancing School, Employment, and Life 14

Adjusting to College 10

Financial Management/Need 10

Goals (academic, career, background) 10

Academic Skills 8

Motivation 7

Time Management (including procrastination) 5

Non-Traditional Student 3

Fear of Failing 1

Transportation 1

Total 69 Barriers

Type: Managing College Life and Goals

Managing College Goals and Life

Balancing School, Em-ployment, and Life 20%

Adjusting to College 15%

Financial Management/Need 15%

Goals (academic, career, background)

15%

Academic Skills 12%

Motivation 10%

Time Management 7%

Non-Traditional Student 4%

Fear of Failing 1%

Transportation 1%

What works?

Managing College

Life

… Work Study

… On-line classes

…Morning

and evening classes

… Teachers

make class

engaging

… Financial Aid, TA, grants

These are common examples from the African American Male Student Focus Group Data – Fall 2009

•Internship @ TCC•Alumni help students look for jobs•More flexible classes

Balancing School,

Employment and Life

•Have support groups•Provide more role models•Control / improve quality of instructors

Adjusting to

College

Recommended Changes

(24 barriers)

AA Male Experience

(17 barriers)

Institutional

(69 barriers)

Managing College Life and Goals

Barrier Subtype Number of Barriers

Negative Peer, Community, and Family Influences

12

Not seeing others of the same race/gender 6

Stereotyping 6

Total 24 Barriers

Type: African American Male Experience

African American Male Experience

Negative Peer, Community, and

Family Influences 50%Not seeing others of

the same race/gen-der 25%

Stereotyping 25%

Student Assoc.

Focus Group

s

Advertising the

need for education

High School

Recruiters

What works?

These are common examples from the African American Male Student Focus Group Data – Fall 2009

•Have family nights•Show stats of college vs non-college

Negative Peer, Community and

Family Influences

•Recruit to black community•Encourage other AA males to attend

Not seeing others of same

race/gender

•Open-minded advisors•Bring TCC role models into community

Stereotyping

Recommended Changes

(24 barriers)

AA Male Experience

(17 barriers)

Institutional

(69 barriers)

Managing College Life and Goals

Barrier SubtypeNumber of

Barriers

College resources (navigating campuses; finding campus offices and services; mentoring programs)

16

Textbooks 1

Total 17 Barriers

Type: Institutional Barriers

Institutional Barriers

College resources (navigating cam-

puses; finding campus offices

and services; men-toring programs)

94%

Textbooks 6%

College resources (nav-igating campuses; find-ing campus offices and services; mentoring programs)

Textbooks

What works?

Advertising that math

tutors are available

Orientation

Student

Handbook

These are common examples from the African American Male Student Focus Group Data – Fall 2009

•Put African American male (employees) in FACET Center (and other learning labs)•Interactive campus maps•Encourage African American males to ask questions•Show location of campus offices during orientation•Better list of scholarships—more accessible

College

Resources

Recommended Changes

Barrier Sub-Types with Highest Frequencies

College Resources : 16 barriers Subtype of Institutional Barriers

Balancing School, Employment, and Life: 14 barriers

Subtype of Managing College Life and Goals

Negative Peer, Community, and Family Influences : 12 barriers

Subtype of African American Male Experience

WHAT’S NEXT?

3. Design and Implement Data-based Interventions

Resources Available Report--African American Male Student Focus Group

Report

PowerPoint--African American Male Students: Overcoming Barriers to Success at TCC

Quick Facts--AtD African American Male Student Quick Facts

Focus Group Matrix--African American Male First-Time Freshman: Focus Groups, COMBINED Summer and Fall, 2009

Please take a moment to reflect on what you’ve heard and complete your card.

What do you make of the results you’ve heard, and what do you think we

should do about it?

Thank you!

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