Postsecondary Pushout: A Critical Policy Analysis of Race, Class, and Access Through Higher Education Policies

• In Event: Revealing Often Unseen Barriers to College

Abstract

Abstract: Research on school pushout traditionally focuses on the disparities of K-12 discipline policies and practices on Black students. This paper pushes those boundaries to include a broader definition of school pushout, including, but not limited to, the lack of and access to resources, faculty of color, Black education and an inclusive Black experience. The result is the pushout of Black undergraduate and graduate students within colleges and universities. Higher education policies continue to shape the outcomes of the Black students specifically as it pertains to enrollment rates, retention, graduation rates, financial aid, and access (Huddleston, 2002). Using critical policy analysis, we analyze how institutional policies in higher education push Black students out of postsecondary education.

Authors

• Natasha McClendon, Georgia State University

• Thais Council, University of Kentucky