A Culturally Responsive Approach to College Readiness: Exploring Middle College Alumni Perceptions of Their College Preparation

• In Event: 46.033 - Connecting to College: College Access and College Readiness Revisited

Abstract

Middle College High School is identified as a program that serves as a medium to higher education by making college affordable and accessible to students who have been traditionally underrepresented in education. However, whether or not students experience the long-term benefit (or challenges) by participating in this program model is not substantiated. We utilized a Interpretative Phenomenological Approach to examine the perceptions of Alumni college readiness process through a culturally responsive college readiness lens. Results reveal that participants faced challenges accessing social supports and relied on their cultural knowledge to navigate a path to higher education.

Authors

• Montrischa Money Williams, American Institutes for Research

• Anjale DeVawn Welton, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign