High-Achieving African American Students and the College Choice Process: Applying Critical Race Theory

Description

By critically examining the legal, institutional, and social factors that prohibit or promote students’ college choices, this Volume undermines the notion that African American students and their families are opposed to formal education, and reveals structural barriers which they face in accessing elite institutions. For African American students, unequal education is rooted in the history in the legacy of slavery and of the history of institutional and structural racism in United States. The long legacy of racism in education cannot be dismissed when reflecting on the college choice experiences of African American students made today. Authors uniquely apply Critical Race Theory (CRT) to analyse the college selection process of high achieving African American students and, highlight the similarities and differences within an impressive group of students, therefore challenging the deficit notions of African American students as perpetual under-achievers. They also show that contrary to the general assumption, African American parents are inclined towards providing their sons and daughters higher education at the elite institutes of US. The decision is often influenced by analysis of factors including the allocation of school resources, parental attitudes, university recruitment, campus outreach, and affordability. The issues of discrimination on the grounds of race, class, and gender often plays a vital role in decision making process. This text will be of great interest to graduate and postgraduate students, researchers, academics, professionals and policy makers in the field of Race & Ethnicity in Higher Education, Sociology of Education, Equality & Human Rights, and African American Studies. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of Figures and Tables Figures 1.1 High school and bachelor’s degree attainment for Black population aged 25 years and older: 1974–2018 1.2 Percentage distribution of educational attainment of adults aged 25 and older, by race/ethnicity: 2016 1.3 Six-year outcomes by race and ethnicity 1.4 Percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds with a bachelor’s or higher degree, by race/ethnicity: 2000 and 2018. National Policy Context for African American College Access and Choice 1.5 A history of University of California admissions policies post-affirmativeaction 1.6 Student Academic Preparation and Educational Partnerships (SAPEP) State & UC funds, select years, 1997–2014 2.1 Tenets of critical race theory 2.2 Conceptual model of African American college choice 7.1 Average published tuition and fees in 2018 dollars by sector, 1988–1989 to 2018–2019 Tables 3.1 Students’ Generation status in the United States 3.2 Mother’s Level of Education 3.3 Father’s Level of Education 3.4 Number of AP Courses Taken in High School 3.5 Student Awards and Leadership 3.6 Key Activities in High School 6.1 Percentages of Black Students at Selective Public Institutions 6.2 White–Black Gap between Students Awarded Bachelor’s Degree in U.S. States 6.3 Student Survey Responses to the Importance of Diversity 7.1 Importance of College Cost on Making College Decisions 7.2 Importance of College Cost on Making College Decision by Mother’s Education Level Foreword Preface Acknowledgments 1 Introduction: The Status of African Americans in Postsecondary Education 2 Critical Race Theory, Mixed Methods, and a Conceptual Model of the African American College Choice Process 3 What Makes a Student a High-Achiever? A Profile of African American Students’ Academic Preparation and Planning for College 4 The Strongest System of African American Student Support: The Influences of Family and Kinship Ties 5 Opportunity to Enroll: The Roles of Counselors and Teachers in the African American Student College Choice Process 6 Diversity as Resource, Recruitment, and Retention: Institutional and Structural Factors Influencing Diversity in Higher Education 7 Complexities of Cost: Navigating Affordability in the College Choice Process 8 Addressing Issues of Race and Racism in the College Choice Process Appendix: Students Pseudonyms and Colleges Bibliography Index