A Critical Race Case Study: Students of Color Completing a Residential Developmental Math Program

• In Event: 72.028 - Examining California State University Remediation Policies and Practices: Implications for Students, Faculty, and Staff

Abstract

Objectives
This paper examines the experiences of Students of Color at an Early Start math summer bridge residential program at a Hispanic Serving CSU campus. Previous literature finds that summer bridge developmental education programs can reduce the amount of terms required of developmental courses, enable first-time students to enroll in college-level courses, and support degree completion (Attewell, Lavin, Domina, & Levey, 2006; Edgecombe, 2011). However, quasi-experimental research finds that in eight Texas college campuses, summer bridge developmental programs had no effect on the number of credits attempted, credits earned, or persistence (Barnett, Bork, Mayer, Pretlow, Washington, & Weiss, 2012). Using qualitative data, this paper addresses the implications for postsecondary pathways for Students of Color who participate in an Early Start residential summer bridge program. Research questions included:
1. How do Students of Color experience the mandatory Summer Bridge Residential Program?
2. How does participating in developmental math influence the postsecondary aspirations of Students of Color?
3. How does Early Start influence students’ math identities?

Perspective/Theoretical Framework
Critical race theory in education (CRTE) (Solorzano, 1998) guided this study to challenge dominant ideologies found in educational theories, policies, and practices, and understand ways that systemic inequities are perpetuated. Through the use of five tenets, CRTE provides a social justice lens to examine the educational experiences, conditions, and outcomes of marginalized students. To examine the math classrooms and mandatory tutoring sessions, validation theory accounted for the interactions between institutional agents and students (Rendón, 1994).

Methods
The qualitative study was designed as a case study. As Yin (2013) notes, a case study design is useful to examine contemporary events as they happen in a natural setting and to gain a holistic understanding of real-life experiences, cycles, and processes.

Data
Qualitative data included focus group interviews with 25 Early Start students and individual semi-structured interviews with 40 Early Start students after the Program. Data also included 80 hours of structured observations during math Early Start classes and written field notes from workshop observations. Data was analyzed through deductive and inductive coding.

Results
Preliminary qualitative findings center on two themes. First, students are grateful for the opportunity to enroll in a developmental math course without having to pay and enjoy the residential component as it allowed them to establish friendships. Second, pedagogies in the Early Start math courses entailed various learning opportunities and students who placed in the lowest math course were academically validated. As such, students experienced an increase in self-efficacy and they believed they would be able to complete the required math courses successfully. For example, with a Latino male participant decided to change his major from theater arts to biology because he gained confidence in his ability to learn math.

Scholarly Significance
While previous research examines implications of a summer bridge accelerated developmental math course, no published research to date examines such a program with a mandatory residential component. Furthermore, this paper addresses the dearth in literature that examines the experiences of Students of Color in developmental education courses (Kurlaender & Larsen, 2013).

Author

• Nancy Acevedo-Gil, California State University - San Bernardino