Despite All Odds: The Network Behaviors of College-Bound Students

• In Event: Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: Factors Influencing College-Going Behavior

Abstract

Efforts to increase college participation often focus on under-represented student populations, including racial and ethnic minority, first-generation, and low-income students. All too often these student populations are enrolled in high-need urban schools that do not have the capacity to intentionally prepare all students for college access and success. The students attending high-need high schools are surrounded by low college participation rates and over-burdened college counselors, thus leaving students to develop and design networks to support their aspirations of college attendance. This case study analyzes networks of support established by students in urban high schools. The findings suggest that high schools remain as a core feature of these networks, as well as external resources orchestrated by high school educators.

Author

• Jonathan D. Mathis, Partners for Developing Futures