Low Graduation Rates at Glendale Community College

DISCUSSION THREAD: RESEARCH SUMMARY

DISCUSSION THREAD: RESEARCH SUMMARY

I volunteer part-time at a non-governmental organization (NGO) that support persons with substance use addiction through treatment and societal reintegration. The organization is based in Glendale, California, and mainly serves the Hispanic populations of Glendale, La Crescenta, and Tujunga. As part of the reintegration program, the organization supports its beneficiaries to acquire technical and vocational skills of their choice. Glendale Community College is one of the institutions with whom we partner in this mission. Despite the high quality of training at Glendale, most of the students we enrol at the institution do not complete their associate degrees within the required two years.

Study Title: Recommendations to Address the Problem of Low Graduation Rates among Minority Students at Glendale Community College

Statement of the Problem: Glendale College enrols approximately 13,000 students into its mixed-transfer, vocational and technical courses every year (Community College Review, 2022). Ethnic minorities, particularly Hispanics, make up over 55 percent of student enrolments (Community College Review, 2022). However, annual graduation rates indicate that on average, only 32 percent of students complete their courses and graduate on time (Community College Review, 2022). This rate is equal to the state average, but significantly lower than that of other community colleges such as the Los Angeles College of Music (at 74%) and Pasadena City College (at 35%) (Community College Review 2022b, 2022c).

Purpose Statement: the aim of this study is to provide recommendations to address the problem of low graduation at Glendale Community College. The study limits itself to students from ethnic minority backgrounds. The assumption is that since these are the majority, improving their completion rates will significantly improve the institution’s overall completion rates. Data will be collected through both qualitative and quantitative means. Quantitative data will be collected through surveys that will be administered to 30 teachers and 100 students selected randomly. As part of the qualitative data collection, the researcher will carry out document review to better understand the school climate at Glendale. Documents of interest include student attendance registers, teachers’ supplemental instruction reports, financial aid beneficiary records, admission guidelines, and the curriculum map.