Decline in College Entry for Black Students by Andii Layton

Summer Bridge Programs (SBPs) are a component of institutions that provides programs for students who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. These programs are meant to bridge the gap for students who come from low-income, under-resourced communities by providing students with academic support. According to Strayhorn (2011) “ (SBPs) are popular in higher education as a strategy for helping students prepare for college” (Strayhorn, 2011). Despite SBP’s and other federal and state programs enrollment and graduation rates for low-income African American students continue to be on a steady decline. For example, 80% of White high school graduates enroll in some form of postsecondary education following graduation, while only 68% of African Americans, “age 18 to 24 years, enroll within that timeframe” (Strayhorn, 2011). Black students who come from low socio-economic communities are challenged by multiple barriers that may delay aspirations for college. The challenges of being poor, living in an urban impoverished community while attending an underachieving school are some of the obstacles that low-income black students face on a daily basis which clouds aspirations of attending college. Such risk factors such as poor academic preparation, teenage pregnancy, financial hardship, lack of parental involvement, and being first-generation college students have supported some explanations for “the racial gap in college attendance” (Strayhorn, 2018).

Exploration of Problem Area Through Literature

My review of the literature on disparities in college access for low-income African American students explains that there are three primary causes of these disparities: poor academic preparation; poverty; and racial identity. In this section, I will engage in a literature-based discussion of each of the causes of low college graduation for low-income students of color.

Poor Academic Preparation

Black students who come from low-income communities typically receive poor academic preparation. These students attend schools that rarely offer advanced placement (AP) classes, college counselors, or scholastic preparation. Navigating the college application process can be difficult for anyone, but it can be extremely taxing for students with the intersection of being a racial minority. Research also suggests that low-income minority students often “do not have access to the information and guidance needed to effectively navigate that college application process” (Roderick, Coa, and Nagaoka (2011); Cabrera and La Nasa 2000a, 2000b; Gonzalez, Stoner, and Jovel 2003; Howard 2003; McDonough 1997; Schneider and Stevenson 1999; Stanton-Salazar 2001; Wimberly 2002).

Resources that prepare students for college are less accessible in under-resourced schools.  Unfortunately, years after education reform the quality of Americas’ public education is predetermined according to a students’ zip code. Racial and economic inequality is the framework of maintaining “high schools that are less likely to “(a) employ teachers who focus on rigorous, standards-based instruction” McDonough & Fann (2007). Robust academic preparation that is offered in predominantly white middle class school districts is a reliable indicator of the college preparation that white students receive in more affluent districts. The need for SBPs is for students who enter college unprepared. When students attend college ill-equipped with the skills needed to be successful, they either drop out, fall behind and risk believing that college is out of reach. The irony is that if all students were adequately prepared there wouldn’t be a need for SBPs or remedial courses. All students would be equipped with the essentials needed to enroll, excel, and graduate from college. Disparities and inequity create and maintain structural and systemic divides within the education system.

Low-Income Students                

Low-income students typically have limited access to social and cultural capital. The people who live in a community defines the type of capital that exist in the neighborhood. Relatedly, the value of students social and cultural capital is the architecture of developing an esteemed social network that can provide exposure and opportunity. According to Perna (2000) “social and cultural capital reflect differences in expectations, preferences, tastes, and certainty about higher education. Students who lack cultural capital don’t receive the same opportunities and exposure to college compared to their White counterparts and students who come from middle class or affluent communities” (Perna, 2000). 

Students who live in impoverished communities are often exposed to frequent violence, drug abuse, police harassment, high unemployment rates, and ongoing stress associated with poverty and community disruption. Living with the trauma of being poor in a stratified society can contribute to feelings of suspicion, vulnerability, lack of trust and heightened sensitivity to racism and racial discrimination. Community stratification holds its resident’s hostage to information and opportunity that can lift families out of poverty.

Socialization

Low-income Black students often experience challenges related to racism, classism and discrimination. Experiencing social deficits due to race, class, or economic status are relevant factors that add or take away from a students’ racial identity. Predominately White Institutions typically have low numbers of students and faculty of color. Furthermore, white students and white faculty members mostly come from segregated, middle and upper-class communities which broaden the gaps of social, and cultural isolation and racial exclusion. “For most of us, if not all of us, our socialization as racial and ethnic beings begins early in life” much of this occurs from birth until our death” (Carter, 2006). Having representation that resembles students racial, class and cultural background are imperative to a student’s education experience. As an emerging scholar, it is my responsibility to build healthy relationships with students while providing tools and resources to help them navigate a stratified system. Learning how to navigate college is difficult, but when you add the barrier of belonging to a marginalized group especially when they attend a Predominantly White Institution it can seem almost unbearable. 

Conclusion

I believe that SBP’s is a strategy to create a bridge for low-income African American students. However, our educators and policy makers have to be more intentional about eliminating barriers such as those aforementioned to provide pathways to even the education trajectory for students who have historically been left behind. In my professional experience, I have witnessed the need and value of quality SBPs. I have seen how these programs provide exposure that students use to prepare them for college and beyond. The literature that I shared supports my theory of some of the factors that limits college access for low-income African American students. As a society who claims to be the best in the nation it is vital that we do better to support student development for all students.

Andrea (Andii) Layton is an experienced educator with an enduring commitment to equity, access, leadership, and student empowerment. She has worked with early education through college-aged students in both traditional and non-traditional academic settings. She holds a master’s degree in social service administration and community schools from the University of Chicago and is currently a Ph.D. student in Educational Leadership at the Pennsylvania State University. Her professional portfolio includes being a former middle school teacher, Community Schools Director, working with top researchers from the University of Michigan, and creating programming to increase college entry and college graduation for low-income, first-generation students. Andii loves to listen to music, spend time with her loved ones, and watch sports in her spare time. 

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