Improving Low Graduation Rates: Strategies for Black Students
This paper addresses low graduation rates at a community college, with particular focus on the 12.29% graduation rate among Black (Non-Hispanic) students compared to the overall institutional rate of 31%. Grounding the discussion in the college's mission to support student learning and goal achievement, the paper proposes two key intervention strategies: early outreach to middle school students to build time management, communication, and stress management skills — modeled on Ohio State University's Young Scholars Program — and connecting enrolled students with community stakeholders such as local churches and community groups, a model successfully used at Texas Tech University to help Black students navigate institutional culture and access resources.
- Introduction: The Graduation Rate Problem: Overview of the college's 31% graduation rate problem
- Graduation Rates Among Black Students: Focus on 12.29% graduation rate for Black students
- Early Outreach and Skill-Building Strategy: Middle school mentorship modeled on Ohio State program
- Community and Stakeholder Partnership Strategy: Community groups and churches supporting Black students
- Conclusion: Reaffirming institutional mission and proposed solutions
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What makes this paper effective
- Grounds proposed solutions in the institution's own mission statement, creating internal coherence and institutional accountability.
- Supports each strategy with a real-world example — Ohio State's Young Scholars Program and Texas Tech's community partnership model — giving the recommendations practical credibility.
- Focuses specifically on the Black student graduation gap rather than treating all low graduation rates as a single undifferentiated problem, sharpening the argument's focus.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates evidence-based policy recommendation writing: each proposed solution is paired with a documented precedent from another institution, showing that the recommendation is not speculative but drawn from established practice. This technique — citing analogous programs at peer institutions — is a standard and effective approach in education policy and program proposal writing.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by establishing the problem with specific data (overall 31% graduation rate; 12.29% for Black students), anchors the urgency in the institution's mission statement, then pivots to two distinct solution proposals. Each solution is illustrated with a named program or institution. The references section cites two sources that directly support the interventions discussed, plus the institutional mission statement.
Introduction: The Graduation Rate Problem
The problem under consideration is a low graduation rate at a community college with an overall graduation rate of 31%. Although this rate is higher than that of comparable institutions, there remains a pressing need to reduce the number of students who drop out. Improving graduation outcomes is directly aligned with the college's mission statement, which asserts that the institution "exists to ensure students identify their educational goals and needs and successfully accomplish student learning" (University, 2022).
Graduation Rates Among Black Students
The concern is especially acute with regard to Black (Non-Hispanic) learners, whose graduation rate stands at just 12.29% according to the most recent available data. This figure represents a significant equity gap that demands targeted intervention. Closing this gap would be fully consistent with the college's stated mission and its commitment to serving all students. The achievement gap in American higher education has been well documented and disproportionately affects Black and other underrepresented student populations.
Early Outreach and Skill-Building Strategy
One strategy the college could adopt is reaching out to students while they are still in middle school and equipping them with the skills necessary to succeed in college. These skills include effective time management, communication, and stress management, among others (Dillion, 2014). This approach has been successfully implemented at Ohio State University through a program known as the Young Scholars Program, which provides early academic and college-readiness support to students from underrepresented backgrounds. The college could seek to collaborate with other institutions of higher learning to develop similar mentorship initiatives.
Conclusion
Addressing the low graduation rate among Black students is essential to fulfilling the institution's core mission of ensuring all students successfully accomplish their learning goals. By adopting early outreach programs modeled on Ohio State's Young Scholars Program and building community and stakeholder partnerships as demonstrated at Texas Tech, the college can make meaningful progress toward closing the graduation gap and better serving its Black student population. Collaborative efforts with community college peer institutions and local organizations represent practical, evidence-based pathways to improving student outcomes.
References
DeRuy, E. (2016). How to graduate more Black students. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/03/how-to-graduate-more-black-students/475077/
Dillion, D. (2014). Blueprint for success in college. Montezuma Publishing.
University. (2022). District mission, vision, and values statements.
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