This exploratory study examined school based conditions in the K-12 setting that promote or limit the access of African-American students to college. African-American students have been underrepresented on college campuses since their inception. Despite the 1954 ruling in the Brown vs. Board of Education case, African-American students find themselves in a position that is far less advantageous than that of their White counterparts.
The research question of the study asked, what is the perceived quality of education received in the K-12 level by a selected cohort of African-American students attending the University of California, Berkeley? The study also sought to identify the level of support and encouragement received by African-American students by their teachers, and the perceptions about how they fit into the larger school culture. The University of California, Berkeley was selected as the study site given its status and reputation as a public institution of higher education.
A research literature review covered the history of African-Americans in higher education, the legal issues of educational access, research on factors that promote or limit access to college, research trends on K-12 student teachers/staff support, encouragement factors in motivating students to continue their education, the admission trends of the University of California system in providing college access to students of color, and the role of cross-cultural inclusion in university campuses.
Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to ascertain participant opinion of their K-12 educational experience and to identify patterns of student perceptions. The data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics, correlations, one way ANOVA controlling for income and factor analysis. A selected group of sixty-seven African-American freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors were surveyed. The study used a 33 item survey with four sub-scales: Academic Support, Rigor and Encouragement, Cultural Acceptance/Appreciation, Treatment, and Connectedness. Case study methods were used to document the voices of selected participants.
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