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Recommendations for Solving Low Rates of College Readiness at James Monroe

High School, West Virginia

Michael Whitener

School of Education, Liberty University

In partial fulfillment of EDUC 880

Author Note:

Michael Whitener

I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Michael Whitener

Email: mwhitener@liberty.edu

Chapter 1: Introduction

Overview

The purpose of this study was to provide Recommendations for Solving Low Rates of College Readiness at James Monroe High School, West Virginia. The problem was that 28% of the low-income and underserved students were ready for college compared to an 84% overall college readiness rate (Vogel & Heidrich, 2020). This chapter of the report presents the Organizational Profile, an Introduction to the Problem, the Significance of the Research, the Purpose Statement, the Central Research Question, and the Definitions for this research.

Organizational Profile

The education site for this study was James Monroe High School in West Virginia. Its mission is to educate its student population with a rigorous, multifaceted curriculum that empowers students to express personal histories, build meaningful connections to the outside world, and become lifelong learners. Its vision is to motivate every student to achieve academic and personal success through a dynamic academic program, personalized relationships, and meaningful connections to the outside world. The school is in Monroe County and serves students from various backgrounds (white, black, low-income). It has 524 students from the 9th to 12th grade, ranking it the 76th in West Virginia and 10416th nationally (James Monroe high school, n.d).

Introduction to the problem

The problem at the school was that 28% of the low-income and underserved students were ready for college compared to an 84% overall college readiness rate (Vogel & Heidrich, 2020). College readiness indicators at the school include placement tests and GPA, among others. States can establish school specific standards to measure college readiness rates (Leeds & Mokher, 2019). The total minority enrollment is 3%, and in terms of National Rankings, it is ranked at 9379 according to how well they prepare its students for college, graduation, and performance. College readiness can be compared to the rate at which students enroll at college and in each grade. Students' enrollment rate by grade in the Monroe high school decreases by as they proceed to the next grades (Robertson, 2022). The slight decline was reported to be taking rigorous courses in high school such as mathematics as their advanced courses, which decreases from 3% to 1% and likewise to science courses.

Unequal distribution of college readiness among students raises questions about teaching approaches and discrimination at West Virginia school. It appears that some students from majority groups have advantages over their peers from low-income families. Consequently, James Monroe High school must find ways of balancing different students’ needs which appears to be the major cause of the current performance gaps. Boyce et al., (2020) analyzed effects of educational attainment and income of performance of students in urban schools. Their results showed that students’ performance was affected by ethnicity and racial groupings. Black students and those whose parents had low academic attainment performed dismally. Basing on their findings, low performance could also be prompted by family issues. As more diagnosis is undertaken at the school setting, understanding children’s experiences at their families through quantitative survey will be crucial.

Significance of the Study

Solving low college readiness gaps at James Monroe High School will promote public confidence in the school. College readiness impacts students’ academic success as they proceed to post-secondary education. (Jackson & Kurlaender, 2013) conducted a longitudinal study to determine how student’s readiness to take college classes upon entry to the university is related to four longer term postsecondary outcomes. The study involved for post-secondary institutions. They found that college readiness was an important predictor of postsecondary completion. College-ready students are more likely to complete their college education than those who are unprepared for college. When students from a secondary perform when in colleges, the school receives a higher public trust from parents and surrounding communities. However, when students from a school are unable to complete college studies, they school loss public trust. Therefore, finding solutions to low college readiness rates at the school will make it more effective. Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): Citations appear before punctuation, not after. Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): This seems to be a portion of the sentence, in which case it is also not correctly formatted. Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): Please proofread your work Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): Proofread. Also, you must cite your claims.

Secondly, it will promote the relationship between the neighboring communities and James Monroe High School. High college readiness among high school students can help eliminate ethnic and income gaps between ethnicities in degree completion. All students meet at colleges when they are well-equipped for the challenge. As they move to the job market, they students from the school will have equal chance to get employed. Lastly, the study will help the school administration develop school-specific parameters to measure college readiness (Leeds & Mokher, 2019). College-readiness can be measured using many variables, some which favor learners while others work to their disadvantage. The research will help the school identify the specific challenges underperformers experience and integrate them into college readiness evaluations to enhance fairnessreadiness. Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): cite Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): Meet what? Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): Proofreading

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this applied study was to provide recommendations for solving the problem of low college readiness gaps at James Monroe High School in West Virginia. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data. These methods included semi-structured interviews, a quantitative survey and observations. Participants were students, teachers, and community members. The researcher interviewed seven teachers from James Monroe High School during the interview. The interview was face-to-face. Most interview questions focused on school programs, performance indicators at the school, application of data analytics and school-community relationships. The second approach, a quantitative survey, involved developing objective questions to gain insightful information from participants on a given research topic. Ten participants participated in the quantitative survey: five teachers and five students. The quantitative survey questions also focused on the school environment while students were also asked questions on how their backgrounds affected school performance. The quantitative survey forms were sent to participants through emails. The observation method involved collecting information at the school by looking at the student-teacher interactions, student-to-student interactions, and other aspects such as timetabling. Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): Just be sure that all purpose statements match. Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): redundant Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): Blend this sentence and the next. Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): You must have no less than 15 surveys returned. Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): All participants must be asked the same questions. If you want two different surveys, you must get back 15 surveys from each participant group. Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): Will you have time to sit in the hallway to do this, or are you planning on being in the classrooms? If so, how many classrooms?

Central Research Question

How can low college readiness rates among students from diverse backgrounds at James Monroe High School be reduced? Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): indent Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): Re-phrase to align with the purpose statement.

Definitions

1. College readiness – Possession of skills, behaviors, and knowledge required from high school students before enrollment in their first year of college (Durham et al., 2015)

2. College readiness indicators- Parameters used to determine whether high school students are ready for college. Indicators may include high school GPA and course taking (Durham et al., 2015)

3. Underserved communities- Populations traditionally faced barriers to accessing employment, equal political representation, etc. Examples include the elderly, illiterate, low-income families, and people living with disabilities (Durham et al., 2015) Comment by Van Dam, Drew (Doctor of Education): Missing a reference page.