Low Graduation Rates at Glendale Community College Recommendations

Recommendations to solve the Problem of Low Graduation Rates at Glendale Community College

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Literature Review

I. Overview

The proposed study seeks to determine the factors that influence student completion rates at Glendale Community College and make recommendations. The Glendale College student population presents a rich racial composition, with African-Americans and Latinos making up over 65 percent of the population. Unfortunately, the completion and graduation rates among Latino and African-American students have been consistently low relative to their white counterparts. This is despite efforts made by the institution to make the college climate inclusive for all students. This chapter reviews relevant literature in the area of college student retention. The first part is the narrative review of literature on the factors influencing student completion and strategies for improving graduation rates. The second part reviews literature on the relevant theories that provide a foundation for the study.

II. Narrative Review

a) Academic factors influencing college completion (Almenaie, 2018, Guzman, 2021)

i) Grade Point Average, GPA (Almenaie, 2018; Guzman et al., 2021)

ii) Past academic performance (Guzman et al., 2021)

iii) Satisfaction with one’s academic program (Guzman et al., 2021)

iv) Participation in extracurricular activities (Scott & Castles, 2017)

b) Institutional factors influencing college completion

i) Student-staff ratio (Srairi, 2021)

ii) Staff quality (Srairi, 2021)

iii) School/campus climate (Buckman et al., 2021; Fleming et al., 2017; Guzman et al., 2021)

iv) Sense of belonging (Buckman et al., 2021)

v) Living arrangements/availability of accommodation (Scott & Castles, 2017; Guzman et al., 2021)

vi) Self-Advocacy opportunities (Fleming et al., 2017)

vii) Supplemental instruction programs (Buckman et al., 2021; Bengesai & Paideya, 2018)

viii) Admission criteria (Almenaie, 2018)

c) Individual factors influencing college completion

i) Age (Margarit & Kennedy, 2019; Guzman et al., 2021)

ii) Gender (Margarit & Kennedy, 2019; Guzman et al., 2021)

iii) Race/ethnicity (Margarit & Kennedy, 2021)

iv) Parental education levels (Margarit & Kennedy, 2019; Guzman et al., 2021)

v) Family type (Guzman et al., 2021)

d) Financial/Socioeconomic factors influencing college completion

i) Availability of financial aid (Margarit & Kennedy, 2019; Guzman et al., 2021)

ii) Employment during college (Margarit & Kennedy, 2019)

iii) Family income (Guzman et al., 2021)

e) Strategies for increasing completion rates

i) Student involvement through collaborative learning (Afable et al., 2022)

ii) Service-learning in general education (Mungo, 2017)

iii) Academic Support programs such as supplemental instruction (Bengesai & Paideya, 2018)

iv) Financial Aid expansion

v) Positive school climate (Buckman et al., 2021)

vi) Peer social support programs (Afable et al., 2022).

III. Theoretical Framework

i) Self-determination theory – students are more motivated to successfully complete their studies if their needs for competence, relatedness, and autonomy are met (Okwuduba et al., 2022).

ii) Danielson’s Framework for Teaching (FFT) (Morris-Matthews et al., 2020)

IV. Summary

Many studies have been conducted to determine the factors that influence college students’ completion and graduation. The literature categorizes these into academic factors, individual factors, socioeconomic factors, and institutional factors. The reviewed studies recommend more student involvement through collaborative learning, service-learning programs, financial aid expansion, peer support, and development of positive school climates. While the literature is rich, no studies have been conducted specifically at Glendale Community College. Further, most studies have focused on colleges in general, with little focus on community colleges, whose standards are different from those of normal colleges. Both of these factors make Glendale Community College a viable case study for the proposed study.

References

Afable, T. M., Lamberto, C. D., Nicole, T. A., Umandap, A. N., & Arcinas, M. M. (2022). SHS students’ engagement in online synchronous collaborative learning activities: Correlations with self-efficacy, peer social support, well-being and academic performance. International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research, 3(6), 1128-38.

Almenaie, O. (2018). Factors affecting the rate of completion of undergraduate students. Journal of Education and Practice, 9(36), 37-45.

Bengesai, A. V., & Paideya, V. ((2018). An analysis of academic and institutional factors affecting graduation among engineering students at a South African university. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education, 22(2), 137-148.

Buckman, D. G., Hand, N., & Johnson, A. (2021). Improving high school graduation through school climate. NASSP Bulletin, 105(1), 5-24.

Fleming, A. R., Oertle, K. M., Plotner, A. J., & Hakun, J. G. (2017). Influence of social factors on student satisfaction among college students with disabilities. Journal of College Student Development, 58(2), 215-228.