On the inside/on the outside: Fragmented accountability and the academic readiness of some community college Generation 1.5 students.

摘要

Across the United States, Generation 1.5 students have become a notable topic of discussion in higher education institutions---particularly community colleges. Arriving in college unprepared to begin academic studies, some Generation 1.5 students face the prospect of continuing (or even renewed) study of English-as-a-second language and quite often developmental studies in mathematics before they can begin the courses of study that motivated them to attend college. As a result, both the students and their institutions are often discouraged by the stark reality that faces these students whose lofty goals remain distant. This qualitative dissertation discusses the ways in which varying and fragmented views and implementation of accountability affected the educational experiences of these students.; Though individual school and teacher accountability are frequently discussed in the current education climate, and most students must pass high-stakes exams, students' experiences demonstrate that there is no unified vision for the accountability of all education stakeholders (policymakers, institutions, teachers, parents and the students). Instead, each group of stakeholders appeared much more adept at identifying others who should be held accountable for students' educational delay. The resulting fragmentation is one potential factor that contributes to the numerous challenges that threaten the continued education of the students. Among the specific issues that surfaced were language use in classrooms, school and classroom organization, and student as well as teacher failure to ensure learning.; The students' experiences underscore the lack of a jointly articulated vision of what the stakeholders' accountability to each other is and how the accountability of each group of stakeholders should be ensured and forcefully suggests the need for closer cooperation between all levels of the American educational system.