Closing the Gaps by 2015: College readiness initiative and student ethnicity in Texas community colleges.

摘要

Purpose: The purpose of this causal-comparative quantitative study was to examine the effect of Texas' Closing the Gaps by 2015 college readiness plan on graduation and persistence rates in community colleges. Specifically examined in this study were the graduation and persistence rates and the 4-year and 6-year graduation rates of Texas community college students by ethnic membership (i.e., White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian) for the 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 academic years. Additionally, community colleges with the highest and lowest graduation and persistence rates, and the 4-year and 6-year graduation rates, were identified.;Methodology: The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board database served as the instrument for this investigation. After the IRB approved the study (Appendix A), downloaded were the graduation and persistence rates and the 4-year and 6-year graduation rates of students from Texas community colleges for the 2000 through the 2010 academic years. Because these variables were contrasted from the 2000 to the 2010 academic years, paired samples t-tests were used to address the research questions (Field, 2009).;Findings: A statistically significant difference was present between the 2000 and the 2010 graduation and persistence rates for all four ethnic groups. Moreover, a statistically significant difference was present between the 2000 and the 2010 4-year and 6-year graduation rates for Associate's and total degrees awarded. A trend was present for graduation and persistence rates for all ethnic groups between 2000-2010, as well as for the 4-year and 6-year graduation rates for Associate's and total degrees. Community colleges with the highest and lowest rates for the dependent variables analyzed herein were listed for 2010.;Results were congruent with the results of other researchers (Garcia, 2010; Perrakis, 2008; Wood & Turner, 2011) concerning differences in the graduation and persistence rates between White students and their Black and Hispanic counterparts. The Closing the Gaps by 2015 plan has achieved a modicum of success in regard to community college student success. Recommendations included altering the 6-year graduation rate as a success measurement and developing goals and targets that directly address the concerns of community colleges.;KEY WORDS: Community college, Hispanic students, Asian students, Closing the Gaps.