Policy as an Opportunity to Address Latinx Transfer Inequity

• In Event: Contemporary Equity-Driven Policy Work

Abstract

This paper used critical policy analysis to explore how state-reform efforts were implemented to improve outcomes for Latinx students in community college. In 2014, California passed the Student Equity Plans policy providing institutions the opportunity to conduct planning in a more race-conscious manner with specific funds allocated for this process. One of the largest challenges facing California community colleges are the dismal rates of transfer for Latinx students, the largest ethnic group in the system. By examining these equity plans, this study finds that although Latinx students were identified as facing disproportionate levels of inequity, the types of strategies developed did not explicitly address these needs. The policy as implemented became an unexploited opportunity to address Latinx students’ equity gaps.

Author

• Eric Felix, University of Southern California