Understanding socioeconomic differences in the relationship between black college students' involvement and educational outcomes

Participation rates in postsecondary education vary greatly by race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES). In addition to issues of access, there are also problems with retention and persistence associated with specific demographic characteristics (e.g. race). Low retention and persistence rates of Black students continue to be an issue for higher education professionals. Some strategies for improving student persistence are based on research surrounding student involvement; involvement has been found to contribute to academic, social, and cognitive development for Black college students. Noticeably lacking in this discussion is an examination of educational outcomes influenced by involvement for Black students who are not classified as low-income. This study examined SES differences in the relationship between Black college students’ involvement and their educational expectations. While the educational attainment of low-income Black students has been well documented throughout the educational pipeline, there is still very little known about the academic experiences and outcomes of middle and upper-class Black students, as they are largely absent from postsecondary education literature. Using data from the National Center on Education Statistics (NCES) Education Longitudinal Study (ELS: 2002), statistical analysis were conducted on responses from college sophomores to explore the relationships between SES, involvement, and educational expectations of Black students at fouryear public institutions. Results show that students from different SES backgrounds have statistically significant differences in their involvement, volunteer activities, and educational expectations. High-middle SES students also reported the highest rates of “never” being involved in academic activities compared to their peers. Analysis from this study also found that students from all SES backgrounds were more likely to have high educational expectations if they were more involved, both academically and non-academically. Finally using logistic regression, results indicate that high SES students who are involved have the highest probability for positive educational expectations. The findings of this study have substantial implications for student affairs practitioners, educators, and policymakers in postsecondary education who focus on Black collegians. The importance of involvement in college is a key factor to improving students’ educational outcomes and raising graduate school expectations. Findings from this research also highlight the importance of targeting services to Black students of all SES backgrounds.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Policy Studies

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Dorime-Williams, Marjorie

Contributors dc:contributor

• Strayhorn, Terrell L.
• Hood, Denice W.
• Span, Christopher M.
• Trent, William T.

• Black college students
• socioeconomic status
• involvement
• educational expectations

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2013 Marjorie L. Dorime-Williams

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/44769

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/44769