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The barriers and facilitators of academic success for Black male students at a community college: a gap analysis

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The barriers and facilitators of academic success for Black male students at a community college: a gap analysis

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Content Running head: THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS FOR BLACK MALE
STUDENTS AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE: A GAP ANALYSIS

By

Corey W. Flournoy

________________________________________________________________________

A Dissertation Proposal Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

December 2017

Copyright 2017 Corey W. Flournoy

THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS 2
Acknowledgements

To paraphrase the book of Proverbs chapter 3, trust in the Lord with all your heart and
lean not to thy own understanding but in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy
paths. I thank God for enlarging my territory providing me with the intelligences, health and
strength to achieve such a milestone in my life. I am especially grateful for my mother Sarah Lee
Williams, who has always been there for me since the day she gave birth to me. I thank God for
blessing me with such a good caring mother who provided. Look at what we have accomplished!
I thank God for my grandmother Queen E. Williams, my sisters Pagie Williams and Shyama
Flournoy. Thanks to my siblings, family members and friends who support me.
Now that you are gone Cleophus Williams (grandfather) and John Baldwin (uncle), I
wish you were here to see the things I have done. I wish you were here to celebrate with me
because you would be so pride of your son.
I want to thank my committee members for providing me with a wealth of knowledge
and support. Dr. Melora Sundt, my chair and advisor thanks for walking me through this process
and helping me put things into perspective. Dr. Alan Green and Dr. Gerald Moore thanks for
sharing your knowledge. Thanks to Freddie Thomas, Charles Stapleton, Jerry Moore and my co-
workers at LASD and WLAC for your support.
To my entire church family at the historical Victory Baptist Church of Los Angeles,
thank you for your fervent prayers and encouragement. I thank God for everyone.
Now unto to the only wise God my Savior, who is able to keep me from falling and to
present me faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, be glory and majesty,
dominion and power both now and forevermore. Amen
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS 3
Table of Contents
List of Tables 6
List of Figures 7
Abstract 8
Chapter One: Introduction 10
Introduction to the Problem of Practice 10
Organizational Context and Mission 12
Related Literature 14
Importance or Significance of the Project 16
Description of Stakeholder Groups 17
Stakeholder Groups for the Study 18
Stakeholders’ Performance Goals 18
Purpose of the Project and Project Questions 19
Methodological Framework 19
Definition of Terms 20
Organization of the Study 21
Chapter Two: Literature Review 23
Social Imagery and the Historical Image of Black Males 24
Images of Black Men in Contemporary Society 28
Stereotypes 30
Stereotype Threats 32
Social Identity 33
Race and Racism 35
Faculty- Student Interaction 37
Personal Factors 38
Clark and Esters (2008) Gap Analytic Conceptual Framework 38
Stakeholder’s and Knowledge Skills 39
Knowledge Types 40
Stakeholder Knowledge Influences 41
Declarative Knowledge Influences 41
Procedural Knowledge Influences 41
Metacognitive Knowledge Influence 42
Motivation 42
Self-Efficacy Theory 43
Black Male Students’ Self-efficacy 44
Goal Orientation Theory 44
Black Male Student Goal Orientation 45
Organization 45
Conclusion 47
Chapter Three: Methodology 51
Purpose of the Project and Question 51
Conceptual Methodological Framework 51
Knowledge 53
Motivation 54
Organizational 54
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS 4
Assessment of Performance Influences 55
Knowledge Assessment 55
Motivation Assessment 56
Organization/ Culture/ Context Assessment 57
Participating Stakeholders and Sample Selection 58
Sampling 58
Interview Recruitment Strategy 59
Data Collection and Instrumentation 59
Survey 60
Survey Recruitment Strategy 60
Instrumentation 60
Interview 61
Sample 61
Interview Sampling Criteria 61
Instrumentation 61
Data Collection Procedure 62
Documents and Artifacts 62
Data Analysis 63
Credibility and Trustworthiness 63
Role of Investigator 64
Limitations 66
Summary 66
Chapter Four: Results 67
Introduction 67
Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes 68
Results and Findings for Motivation Causes 72
Results and Findings for Organization Causes 82
Summary 99
Chapter Five: Recommendations, The Integrated Implementation
And Evaluation Plan and Conclusions 105
Introduction 105
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences 106
Knowledge Recommendations 106
Introduction 106
Declarative Knowledge Solutions or Description of needs
or assets 109
Procedural Knowledge Influence Solutions or Description of
Needs or assets 109
Metacognitive Knowledge Influence Solutions or Description
of needs or assets 110
Motivation Recommendations 111
Introduction 111
Self-Efficacy 113
Organization Recommendations 115
Introduction 115
Cultural Setting 117
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS 5
Policies 117
Processes 118
Cultural Models 119
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan 121
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations 123
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators 123
Level 3: Behavior 124
Required Drivers 125
Monitoring 127
Organizational Support 127
Level 2: Learning 128
Learning Goals 128
Program 128
Components of Learning 130
Level 1: Reaction 131
Evaluation Tools 133
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach 134
Limitations 135
Future Research 135
Conclusion 137
References 141
Appendix A: Recruitment Script 157
Appendix B: Survey Questions 158
Appendix C: Interview Questions 160
Appendix D: Black Male Recruitment Flyer 162
Appendix E: Institutional Review Board 163
Appendix F: Information Facts Sheet for Exempt Non-Medical Research 165
Appendix G: Level 1 and Level 2 Evaluation Instrument 169

THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS 6
List of Tables
Table 1: Stakeholders’ Performance Goals 18
Table 2: Summary of Influenced Factors Contributing to the Academic
Achievement of Black Male Community College Students 48
Table 3: Summary of Assumed Knowledge Causes and how each will be Assessed 55
Table 4: Summary of Assumed Motivational Causes and how each will be Assessed 56
Table 5: Summary of Assumed Organizational Causes and how each will be Assessed 57
Table 6: Summary of Results and Findings for Assumed Knowledge Causes 72
Table 7: Results of the Motivation Survey 77
Table 8: Summary of Assumed Motivational Causes and Validation 81
Table 9: Summary of Assumed Organization Caused and Validation 93
Table 10: Results of the Organization Survey 98
Table 11: Assumed Causes and Findings Summary 101
Table 12: Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations 108
Table 13: Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations 113
Table 14: Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations 116
Table 15: Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes 124
Table 16: Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods and Timing for Evaluation 126
Table 17: Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors 128
Table 18: Components of Learning for the Program 132
Table 19: Components to Measure Reactions to the Program 134

THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS 7
List of Figures

Figure A: Conceptual Framework, Factors that influence the academic achievement
of Black males in a Community College. 52
Figure B: My Brother’s Keeper 132

THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS 8
Abstract
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS FOR BLACK MALE
STUDENTS AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE: A GAP ANALYSIS

The purpose of this project was to conduct a gap analysis from the perspective of Black
male students at a community college in the Los Angeles area to examine the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational elements that interfere with their graduation and transfer rates.
The analysis began by generating a list of possible or assumed interfering elements from the
research literature and then examining them systematically to focus on actual or validated
interfering elements.
The conceptual framework for this study illustrates the interaction of the knowledge,
motivational and organizational barriers Black male students experience that affect their academic
achievement. The academic attainment of Black males in higher education in the United States is
directly linked to political, economic, and cultural historical struggles faced in early years.
Research has indicated that Black male students have low academic performance rates and face a
negative rather than a positive educational experience. That negative experience is affected by
the disparate impact of racism, stereotypes, inequities in education and a lack of culturally diverse
opportunities affecting their academic success (Cuyjet, 2006). The conceptual framework of
Black males’ academic success in community colleges shows the interrelationships between
knowledge, motivational, and organizational factors and how they influence one another.
The participants in this study were Black males between the ages of 18-30, born in the
United States and currently enrolled in a community college in the Los Angeles area. 35
participants participated in the survey and 10 participants were randomly selected from the pool
of people that volunteered at the end of the survey to participate in the interview. In this study,
surveys, interviews and document analysis generated a meaningful body of data, which helped
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS 9
answer the research questions. The protocol for this study consisted of semi-structured interviews
using open-ended questions.
This study revealed that it is the college’s responsible to provide resources to address the
academic problems that pertinent to Black male students. The college must support Black male
students through the provisions of counseling, financial aid, mentoring, guided pathways,
personal development and a safe campus environment while building a caring relationship in the
community of learners. This study used the new Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick approach to
integrate organizational recommendations and evaluate the results by examining the academic
services for Black male students by creating a Black Educational Network and Development
Mentor program and a Black Male Guided Pathways that will support and help them become
academically successful in college.

THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

10
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the Problem of Practice
Research indicates that the persistent opportunity gaps that Black males often face in
higher education have led to diminishing achievement rates in community college. According to
the 2010 U.S. Census, the 1.2 million Black male college students made up 5.5% of all college
students, while the 5.6 million White males represented 27% of the student population (Toldson
& Lewis, 2012). Harper (2012) noted that 68% of Black men who enroll in college do not
graduate within six years, the lowest college completion rate among both genders and all ethnic
groups.
The national graduation rate for Black males in 2009–2010 was approximately 52%,
compared to 78% of White male students (Schott Foundation for Public Education, 2012).
Roach (2009) indicated that in the California Community Colleges (CCC) System, only 15% of
Black students compared to 18% of Hispanic, 27% of White, and 33% of Asian American
students earn a degree or transfer to a university within six years of enrolling in community
college. In addition, according to The State of Blacks in Higher Education California, less than
35% of Black male freshmen that entered in fall 2006 graduated by 2012 compared to 58% of
Whites.
Multiple factors contribute to the success or failure of Black male college students.
Research has shown that inequities explain a portion of Black male underrepresentation in higher
education and high school graduation rates (Harper & Kuykendall, 2012; Noguera, 2003).
According to the 2000 Census, 74.3% of 18- to 24-year-old Black males in the US population
were high school graduates, compared to 86.4% of White men and 80.2% of Black women in the
same age group. Noguera (2003) suggested that the underachievement of Black males is
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

11
evidenced by the different publications that underscore their educational inadequacy and
culturally unresponsive K–12 schools. Harper and Kuykendall (2012) contended that the
problem regarding Black males’ academic achievement does not end with K–12 public schools;
rather, it continues when they enter community college or university.
Community colleges in the United States have provided great opportunities to all, but
they have been especially helpful for socioeconomically and underrepresented citizens. The
National Center for Education Statistics found that 70.5% of Black males who attend public
higher education institutions entered via community college (Wood & Harris, 2012). Wood and
Harris (2012) further explained that of the Black males enrolled in community college, 54.4%
entered directly after high school, and of those individuals, 85.7% earned a high diploma and
entered community college. Compared to other ethnic groups, Black students are less likely to
graduate high school or to complete college preparatory courses to make them eligible to apply
to a California state university (Wood & Harris, 2012). Thus, community college is considered
one of the primary pathways for Black male students entering higher education, providing them
access to affordable tuition and pathways to transfer to a four-year university and into the
workforce.
The CCC System is the largest higher education system in the nation, with approximately
2.1 million students and 114 colleges throughout the State of California (CCC Chancellor’s
Office, 2016). The California higher education system has three segments, namely the
University of California (UC) system, the California State University (CSU) system, and the
CCC System. In the 2015–2016 academic year, over 150,322 Black students were enrolled in
CCCs (CCC, 2016). A report titled The State of Blacks in Higher Education California (2016)
indicated that California has the nation’s fifth largest Black population, with approximately 2.13
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

12
million Black residents. Therefore, the CCC education segment plays a critical role in the
education of Black students.
According to the CCC Chancellor’s Office, Black males are the lowest-performing
subgroup in terms of the percentage of degrees earned, persistence rates, and average cumulative
grade point average (Bush & Bush, 2005). It is important to address this problem of low
academic success or attainment rates among Black men because earning a college degree has
significant implications for future employment prospects, future earnings, and families and
society in the Black community. Analyzing the contributing causes to the underperformance,
low enrollment, and low degree completion rates of Black male students in higher education
institutions could help institutions in ensuring their success when they arrive.
Organizational Context and Mission
Victory Community College (VCC; a pseudonym), the site for this study, opened in 1955
and is a CCC. VCC is one of the 114 community colleges that make up the largest community
college district in the United States (“LACCD Colleges,” n.d.). According to the CCC State
Chancellor’s Office, the primary missions of the state college system are as follows:
transferring students to four-year universities, equipping them to be competitive in the
workforce, and providing basic skills and remedial education.
VCC has a student population of approximately 25,000 students, 200 full-time faculty
members, and over 250 adjunct instructors providing traditional campus classes as well as
hybrid and online educational methods of delivery (“Victory Community College,” n.d.). The
student demographics consist of 53% under the age of 25, and another 26% between 25 and
34 years old (“Victory Community College,” n.d.). The ethnicity of the college’s student body
is composed of 7% Asian/Pacific Islander, 32% African-American, 44% Hispanic, and 13%
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

13
White students (“California Community College,” n.d.). The student body gender makeup is
60% women and 40% men (“Victory Community College,” n.d.). The college’s mission
statement is as follows:
[VCC] provides a transformative educational experience. [VCC] fosters a diverse
learning community dedicated to student success. Through quality instruction and
supportive services, the College develops leaders who encourage excellence in others. A
Victory education enriches students with the knowledge and skills needed to earn
certificates and degrees, to transfer, to build careers, and to pursue a lifelong learning.
(“Victory Community College,” n.d.).
The mission statement articulates the college’s educational purpose and how it will
meet the needs of a diverse student population by offering degrees and certificates in 41
disciplines. VCC is a learning institution that prepares students to earn a traditional associate
degree or an associate transfer degree to a California state university as a pathway to reach
their educational and career goals. Therefore, the college’s vision is to serve as a gateway to
success for every student, which reveals the college’s long-term future goal that students will
graduate and transfer to a four-year university, where they will achieve academic attainment
(“Victory Community College,” n.d.).
Organizational Performance Goal
VCC’s goal is to achieve 100% graduation and transfer rates to four-year universities by
June 2018. The college’s Educational Master Plan Workgroup (EMPW) was created in Spring
2013, with members of the Academic Senate’s Educational Polices and Standards Committee
and Institutional Effectiveness Committee (“Victory Community College,” 2015). The EMPW
developed and established major goals, measurable objectives, and strategies to support the
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

14
College’s academic mission (“Victory Community College,” 2015). This workgroup provides a
foundation for the ongoing monitoring of student progress and improvement of institutional
effectiveness in student learning and programs to reach the college’s goal (“Victory Community
College,”2015).
Related Literature
Trends have shown that the number of Black males entering college increased
substantially during the 1960s, and it rose again during the 1980s and 1990s (Palmer &
Maramba, 2011). However, according to Jenkins (2006), in “1996, the graduation rates of Black
males at 300 of the nations’ largest colleges dropped 35%” (p. 128). Moreover, patterns show
that the performance of Black males at higher education institutions has flat lined (Harper, 2006).
In 2002–2003, Black males comprised only 4.3% of all students enrolled nationally at
institutions of higher education, the same as 1976” (Harper, 2006, p. vii). Moreover, as Harper
(2006) reported, “Between 1977 and 2003, Black male degree attainment increased by an
average of 0.2 percentage point, the most significant gains were at the associate degree level” (p.
vii). The academic achievement of Black males in the community college has been a topic of
interest in recent years (Bush & Bush, 2010).
Postsecondary academic achievement in the United States has shifted dramatically over
the past 30 years in terms of gender. The gender gap has grown among Black students, with
Black females earning 68% of associate degrees awarded to Black students, while Black males
earn 31% of these degrees (Knapp, Kelly-Reid, & Ginder, 2011). While 65% of Asian-
American men complete their goals within six years, less than 40% of Black (38.6%), Native-
American (37.8%), Hispanic (38.0%), and Pacific-Islander (37.8%) males do so (Harris &
Wood, 2014). The State of Blacks in Higher Education California (2015) noted that in 2013–
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

15
2014, only 37% of Black CCC students were awarded a degree or transferred within six years
compared to 51% of White students. The same report indicated that of the 82% of Black males
enrolled in the CCC System, only 36% obtained a degree or transferred within six years
compared to 49% of White males.
Historically, the literature, society, and institutions have considered students to be solely
responsible for their academic success (Wood, 2012). Referring to Tinto’s (1988), cited in
Wood, (2012) theory of student departure, Wood (2012) clarified that for students to succeed
academically, they must integrate individually. The theory was based the works of two
sociologists, namely Arnold van Gennep and Emile Durkheim. Tinto (1988) suggested that
before students can be academically integrated, they must first undergo a rite of passage in the
community into which they hope to be integrated.
Tinto (1988) also explored Durkheim’s (1993) theory of suicide. Tinto (1988) asserted
that some people face barriers to integrating and affiliating with a chosen society, lacking the
values of the society; such individuals frequently decide to take their own lives (Tinto, 1998). In
the context of education, Tinto (1988) viewed dropout from higher education institutions as a
way of committing suicide. This perspective takes the assumption that an individual’s likelihood
of committing suicide would be predicted by his level of integration into the fabric of society
(McCubbin, 2003). As a remedy to this, Tinto (1988) asserted that involvement in community
college could increase academic integration, thereby improving students’ experiences.
Tinto (1998) further suggested that academic integration in college is linked to
persistence. Practically, Tinto (1998) contended that the more a student is integrated into a
college environment, the more likely he will be to succeed, and conversely, the less likely he will
be to drop out. However, critics of Tinto (1998) asserted that it should not be the individual
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

16
student’s responsibility to ensure his transition into college (Maldonado, Rhodes, & Buenavista,
2005).
Maldonado, Rhodes, and Buenavista (2005) argued that social integrationists expect
students of color to conform to institutionalized norms that are often incompatible with their
values. According to these authors, “from such a perspective, it is hardly surprising that
culturally diverse students would depart colleges and universities at higher-than-average rates”
(Maldonado et al., 2005, p. 608). In addition, Maldonado et al. (2005) claimed that it is the
educational institution’s responsibility to partner with Black male students to ensure their
academic success. Following Maldonado et al.’s perspective, in this study, the focus was on the
student as stakeholder for the purpose of understanding the factors impeding Black male
students’ academic success and then making recommendations for ways the institution could be
more intentional about partnering with those students to reduce barriers and facilitate their
success.
Importance or Significance of the Project
It is important to solve the problem of low academic achievement among Black male
students in postsecondary education for a variety of reasons. In the context of VCC, if this
problem is not solved, the college risks losing funding. Funding assures that VCC can
support Black males. It is necessary to address this problem so that the college can attain its
goal of 100% graduation and transfer rates among Black males by June 2018 (“Victory
Community College,” n.d.).
In a 2012 report, the CCC Chancellor’s Office indicated that fewer than 4 out of 10
Black male students completed a degree or transferred to a four-year university after six
years. Little progress has been made to improve the educational pipeline for Black male
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17
students. Therefore, this study explored the issues hindering Black male students’ success at
VCC.
Description of Stakeholder Groups
Stakeholders contribute to and benefit from the achievement of VCC’s performance
goals. Here, the term “stakeholders” refers to anyone invested in the welfare and success of the
college and its students (“Hidden Curriculum”, 2014). Three stakeholder groups play distinct
roles in the college’s effort to achieve its goal of academic success. The three stakeholders for
VCC are students, faculty members, and counselors.
Students are individuals who are currently enrolled in college as freshmen or
sophomores. Student are the stakeholders most directly involved in this institutional goal.
Therefore, feedback from students is extremely important in helping the college reach its goals.
Faculty members are individuals in an educational institution that have academic rank
and who are content experts in a specific subject matter. Most instructors at VCC hold graduate
degrees and have at least seven years of professional work experience (Cuyjet, 2006).
Academic counselors are persons employed by the college with the responsibility of
providing ongoing academic and educational guidance to students attending VCC. Therefore, a
counselor’s role involves helping students in identifying academic issues and dealing effectively
with their career and personal counseling concerns. In addition, counseling faculty have the duty
of providing students with an educational plan and the necessary information to guide them to
become both academically and personally successful, thereby achieving their educational goals.
Counselors and faculty members at VCC work together to maintain up-to-date knowledge about
academic programs and transfer changes in the CSU and UC higher education systems.

THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

18
Stakeholder Groups for the Study
The joint efforts of all stakeholders will contribute to the achievement of the educational
goal of 100% of Black male students graduating and transferring to four-year universities. The
California Chancellor’s office for community colleges indicates that Black males are the lowest-
performing subgroup in terms of the percentage of degrees earned, persistence rates, and average
cumulative grade point average (Bush & Bush, 2005). The primary stakeholders of focus in this
study are all Black male students at a college. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to
investigate the knowledge, motivation and organizational factors that impede their academic
success, and identify strategies for the institution to better support these students.
Progress toward the goal was measured by examining the knowledge and skills,
motivation, and organizational elements that interfered with the achievement of VCC’s goal of
100% graduation and transfer rates of Black males by June 2018. The stakeholder group’s goal,
supported by the college mission statement, is for all Black male students to pass all basic skills
courses with a C or better in their first semester, understand the requirements for the Associate of
Science Transfer degree, pass all degree applicable courses, and establish an educational goal
plan in their first semester. Failure to accomplish this goal will result in low graduation and
transfer rates of Black males, which will cause a loss in funding. Below is Stakeholders’
performance goals are identity in table 1.
Table 1 Stakeholders’ Performance Goals
Organizational Mission
Victory Community College provides a transformative educational experience. Victory
Community College fosters a diverse learning community dedicated to student success. Through
quality instruction and supportive services, the College develops leaders who encourage
excellence in others. A Victory Community College education enriches students with the
knowledge and skills needed to earn certificates and degrees, to transfer, to build careers, and to
pursue life-long learning.
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

19
Organizational Aspirational Performance Goal
By June 2020 100% of Black male students will graduate and transfer to four-year universities.
Stakeholder 1 Goal
Black Male Students
Stakeholder 2 Goal
Faculty Members
Stakeholder 3 Goal
Academic Counselor

By June 2018 all
Black male students
will pass all basic
skills course with a C
or better in their first
attempt.
By June 2018, 100%
of faculty provide
mentoring by
guidance and support
all Black male
students
academically.
By June 2018, all
academic councilors
will create an
educational goal plan
for 100% of Black
male students within
their first semester.

Purpose of the Project and Project Questions
The purpose of this project was to conduct a gap analysis from the perspective of Black
male students to examine the knowledge, motivation, and organizational elements that interfere
with the graduation rates of Black men attending a specific community college in the Los
Angeles area. The analysis began by generating a list of possible or assumed interfering
elements from the research literature and then examining them systematically to focus on actual
or validated interfering elements. While a complete gap analysis would focus on all
stakeholders, for practical purposes, the stakeholder group considered in this analysis was Black
male students.
The research questions that guided this study were as follows:
1. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational elements that
interfere with the students’ performance of the goal of 100% graduation and transfer
rates of Black male students?
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

20
2. What are the recommended knowledge and skills, motivational, and
organizational solutions?
Methodological Framework
This study implemented a gap analysis (Clark & Estes, 2008). Clark and Estes’ (2008)
gap analysis is a systematic analytical method that helps to clarify organizational goals and
identify the gap between the actual performance level and the preferred performance level
within VCC. Anticipated interfering elements were identified based on personal knowledge
and related literature. Surveys, interviews, and document analysis were employed to validate
these elements. Following the analysis, comprehensive, research-based solutions were
recommended for the organization to better assist Black male students academically.
Definition of Terms
Achievement gap
Achievement gap is the persistent disparity in academic achievement between minorities
and underrepresented students (Porter, 2007).
Associate Degree
Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) Degree granted to
recognize a student’s satisfactory completion of an organized program of study consisting of a
minimum of 60 degree-applicable semester units including general education requirements and
specific major requirements (California Community College, 2016)
Associate Degree for Transfer
Associate in Arts (AA-T) or Associate in Science (AS-T) is awarded upon
completion of 60 semester transferable units to a CSU. The degree is designed to provide
students with a clear pathway to a CSU and to completing the remaining requirements for 120
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

21
units for a major or baccalaureate degree. Students awarded a transfer degree are guaranteed
admission with junior status or priority admission (California State University, 2016).
California Community College
The largest higher education system in the Unites States, which includes 113
colleges with enrollment of more than 2.1 million students (California Community College,
2016).
Certificate of Achievement
Certificates of Achievement are issued in State approved programs designed for
students who are looking for instruction with a high degree of specialization. Certificate
programs vary in length, but must have 18 or more semester units (California Community
College, 2016).
Skill Certificates
Skill Certificates are designed for those students who have limited time, or who
wish to limit their commitment to a particular field of study. Students may seek increased job-
related specialization, job advancement, or preparation for new employment (California
Community College, 2016).
Transfer
The completion of 60 units or more semester transferable units or earning an
Associate Degree for Transfer from a California Community College (California State
University, 2016).
Organization of the Study
Five chapters are used to organize this study. Chapter 1 provided concepts and terms
commonly used in discussions about the academic achievement of Black males in community
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22
college. The organization’s mission, goals, and stakeholders, as well as the initial concept of gap
analysis, were introduced. Chapter 2 will comprise a review of the current literature surrounding
the scope of the study. The chapter topic includes factors that influence the academic success of
Black male community college students. Chapter 3 will detail the methodology for validating the
influences, including the choice of participants, data collection, and analysis methods. The
influences were identified as knowledge, motivation and organizational factors. Chapter 4 will
present the findings from the data collection process, with recommendation to the organization to
be presented in Chapter 5.
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CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
The purpose of this literature review is to identify factors affecting Black male students’
academic achievement at a community college, with a focus on how social interactions influence
academic success. The present imagery of Black males in our culture has been negatively
associated with drugs, criminals, athletics, rappers, and uneducated people (Harper & Davis,
2012). The mischaracterization and stereotypical images of Black males in the United States
have had a tremendous effect on their socioeconomics and future educational prospects. The
underachievement, lack of inclusion, and backward progress of Black males in the United States,
particularly within the education and criminal justice systems, is a crucial problem in our society
(Jenkins, 2006). Few if any educators would argue that Black male students are not mostly
negatively affected by racism, stereotypes, disparities, and inequities in educational opportunities
(Howard, 2014).
A review of the literature revealed that social imagery and historical events, racism,
stereotypes, stereotype threats, cognitive and non-cognitive abilities, and institutional elements
affect the experience of Black males in community college. This review aims to understand
what factors contribute to the graduation success rates, associate degree attainment, and transfer
rates to four-year universities of Black males in a community college. The chapter ends with
utilizing the gap analysis dimensions of knowledge, motivation, and organization unique to the
academic achievement of Black male students in community college.

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Social Imagery and the Historical Image of Black Males
Oliver (1989) argues that the history of the United States proclaims that White Americans
impose negative images of Blacks and other people of color.
“A society’s ideology tells people about the nature of their society and about its place in
the world. In this sense, a society’s ideology gives structure to how group members
define themselves and their experiences and provides impetus for group action. All
Americans (Black, White, Hispanic, Asian and others) are exposed to pro-white
socialization messages disseminated by the school system, mass media, and religious
institutions” (Oliver, 1989, p. 18).
Social imagery is the way in which beliefs and attitudes about particular groups affect an
individual’s perspective of them (Howard, Flennnaugh, & Terry, 2012). Likewise, social
imagery in the United States has become an integral part of society and shapes the thinking of
generations about a specific reality or perceived reality. When this way of thinking is embedded
for a prolonged period, it becomes a social image (Howard et al., 2012).
Howard (2014) suggests five depictions that plague Black male students in shaping their
public perception and school experiences. The five depictions are (1) the physical brute and anti-
intellectual, (2) the shiftless and lazy, (3) hypersexual, (4) the criminal–minded, and (5) the
slicker-pimp/gangster (Howard, 2011, p. 31). Many of the five depictions have contributed to
the academic, emotional, and cultural well-being of Black males.
Additionally, one of the most noteworthy and authoritative events is the image of Black
males during the period of slavery in the United States. Clarks (1973) contends that Blacks were
not brought to the United States to be educated or to be given an education; “they were brought
to this country to serve, to labor and to obey” (p. 17). If a servant was to be educated, he was
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25
educated about how to serve and not to share in the same power as a citizen, “thus planting the
seeds of our present-day educational crisis” (Clark, 1973, p.17). According to Schneider and
Schneider (2001):
Slaves were stripped of their statuses, their names, their families and friends, and their
customs and culture. Slaves were surrounded by fear, distrust, and sometimes hatred.
Slaves stood naked to misery, not knowing what would happen to them (p. 81).
Undoubtedly, the current reality of Black males is as chaotic as history shows. Jenkins
(2006) notes that the experience of Blacks became chaotic roughly during 1641 when the
Virginia court made a clear distinction between Black slaves and Whites, and New York and
New Jersey acknowledged slavery as a legal institution. Many of the images of Black males are
rooted in slavery and old age racism that limit and depict them as subhuman, criminals, absent
minded, ignorant, docile, and groveling (Howard, 2014). Blacks were viewed as inferior, labeled
as coons, toms, called Negros and niggers. Therefore, Blacks were mistreated and not
considered as human beings but as sources of profit.
The “Negro Act,” passed by South Carolina legislature, prohibited slaves from raising
money, food or learning to read English (Jenkins, 2006, p. 131). White slave owners regarded
Black males as powerless and as perfect slaves. However, post-Civil War reports of a great
rebellion troubled Whites who viewed Black men as menacing and dangerous. According to
Alexander (2011), the current racial imagery of Black males as aggressive, unruly predators can
be traced back to this period of the Civil War.
After the Civil War (1861-1865), the educational plight of Black people in the United
States, along with the struggle for freedom and social justice, was a long and agonizing struggle
(Jenkins, 2006). Most of the southern states made it illegal for a slave to learn and to teach a
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26
slave child how to read or write (Howard, 2014). Many of the slave plantation owners believed
that educating Negros would put an end to slavery (Howard, 2014). The famous abolitionist,
Frederick Douglass, believed that the ability to read and write was the first step towards freedom
but for hundreds of years in the United States, Black slaves were not given a formal education
(Douglass, 2000).
Since the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, equal educational access for Blacks has
been a challenge. In 1864, the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution formally ended slavery
in the United States. The Civil Rights Bill of 1875 required equal treatment in public facilities
regardless of race, or color (Howard, 1997). The bill empowered Blacks to purchase property,
hold jobs, and to vote.
However, the majority of Whites felt that Blacks had gained too much power and had too
much freedom (Jenkins, 2006). This lead to the landmark United States Supreme Court case
(Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896), which the court ruled against the equal protection clause of the 14
th

Amendment to the Constitution and established the doctrine of “separate but equal” (Alexander,
2011; Howard, 1997). Thus, schools, libraries, hospitals, and even public transportation
remained segregated.

Many years after the emancipation, Blacks continued to fight for educational equality and
civil rights. The Black community vigorously turned inward, taking action when no help was
coming from the government (Phillips, 2001). Booker T. Washington encouraged Blacks to
concentrate on education and economic achievements (Jenkins, 2014).
The momentum of the Civil Rights social movement (1955-1968) picked up when
millions of Blacks and Whites took part in protest throughout the United States (Jenkins, 2014).
A transformational leader by the name of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who in 1955 led
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27
the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, spearheaded the Civil Rights movement. In 1963,
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said the Emancipation Proclamation promise was never
fulfilled “instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad
check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds” (King, 1963, p. 3).
Black History has well documented the struggle of Black males in their quest for quality
education and for social justice (Wood, 2010). Although Black males’ educational experience
has been hindered from the beginning and has continued for hundreds of years, they continue in
their pursuit of education. The academic achievement of Black males is a major contributor to
their educational success and social status in the United States (Bush & Bush, 2005). The efforts
of the civil rights movement made it evident that race could not be a theme or legal reason to
accommodate inequality in the United States.
Numerous United States Supreme Court rulings during the civil rights movement helped
changed the racial inequalities Blacks endured. In 1954, in a historic court case, Brown v. Board
of Education (1954) that challenged the state racial segregation policies of separate schools for
Black and White students in public education was ruled unconstitutional. According to Howard
(1997), ten years later, after the murder of President John Kennedy, the Civil Rights Act of 1964
was passed.
Part of the Civil Rights Act, Title II, prohibited racial discrimination in public
accommodations. Another part, Title VI, barred discrimination in educational institutions
receiving federal monies. In addition, Title VII provided a federal cause of action for plaintiffs
alleging discrimination in employment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) was created to administer Title VII (p. 28).
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28
Racism and discrimination against Blacks in the United States still exist throughout the
education pipeline and the workforce. Proposals have been initiated in an attempt to bring about
change but were met with resistance (Jenkins, 2014). For example,
The state of California, in 1996, elected California Proposition 209, also known as
California Civil Rights Initiative, as an amendment to the state constitution to prohibit its
public institutions, including public colleges and universities, from considering race, sex,
or ethnicity as a factor in its admissions process. Supporters of Proposition 209 argued
that existing affirmative action programs allowed public employers and universities to
reject applicants based on their race, and that Proposition 209 would uphold the integrity
of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. However, opponents claimed that it would end affirmative
action practices. The legislature eventually passed. Since its passage, some studies show
that while graduation rates among Black students in California schools increased, the
enrollment rates dropped significantly (California Proposition 209, 2016).
Contrarily, in 2008, Geshekter, professor at California State University, published a
research on the effects of Proposition 209, which showed the numbers of Black undergraduate
students and graduates in the University of California school system rose steadily from 1998 to
2006. However, Geshekter’s (2008) study revealed a significant drop in the numbers of Black
students at University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Los Angeles
(Geshekter, 2008).
Images of Black Men in Contemporary Society
The experience of Black male students in American society is best understood by
examining their present situation as well as their historical background. The most forceful
negative images of Black males in our society have been as criminal-minded (Howard, 2014).
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29
The media for many years has linked Black males to being violent individuals who become
entrenched in a criminal lifestyle (Jackson & Dangerfield, 2004).
The media’s influence is such that Black males are likely to appear to be criminals on the
news, which suggests that social ideology has been negatively tainted. Welch (2007) noted that
empirical studies of the news stories on Black males and crime found their reports negatively
portrayed Black males. Scholars also pointed out that the violent images of Black men in the
news are often misguided and unjustly framed and tend to reinforce racial stereotypes (Jackson
& Dangerfield, 2004).
Unfortunately, Black males continue to be treated as second and even third class citizens
through the media. For instant, Jackson and Dangerfield (2004) noted an analysis of a local TV
news program in Los Angeles that revealed Black males were 2.5 times more likely than White
males to be portrayed as felons. However, the reality in Los Angeles County and Orange County
was that Black males were arrested less frequently than White and Latino males. Now because
Black male students are confronted with negative images so much through the media, they are
likely to embrace them as a part of their life (Fries-Britt & Tuner, 2001).
According to Hook (2001), although laws forced society to discontinue direct racial
prejudice, television is the new medium to disseminate stereotypical perspectives. Jenkins’
(2006) analysis of the stereotypes of Black males concluded that more than in any other time in
history, Black male students are confronted with multimedia outlets and unable to avoid negative
societal imaging. These historical events are important to consider as they are directly related to
the consequences of the higher education experience Black male students continuously face in
college.

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Stereotypes
Another factor influencing the academic success of Black male students in community
college is negative stereotypes. Cardwell (1996) defines stereotype as “a fixed, overgeneralized
belief about a particular group or class of people” (p.236). Most people in society are aware of
the many negative stereotypes associated with Black males. These negative beliefs degrade, and
stigmatize Black males, creating insecurities, and a society fearful of Black men (Jackson &
Dangerfield, 2004).
For many years, Black men have been labeled as violent animals and a menace to society
(Howard, 2014). These negative images are conveyed to the public through music, videos,
reality television, and other entertainment outlets. The typical roles of Black males in the media
are either not positive or are narrowly constructed; they are viewed as comedians, athletes, a
ladies’ man, absentee father, drug dealer, or a gangster (Smith, 2013). Palmer and Maramba
(2010) noted that many cable television outlets such as MTV, VH1 and particularly Black
Entertainment Television (BET) endorse many of the negative criticisms because of the shows,
movies, and so called reality TV shows they air.
Fiske (1993) further pointed out that there is a relationship between stereotyping and
controlling a particular group. Stereotyping is descriptive. Stereotyping describes how people in
the group supposedly behave. It therefore claims that Black male students are good athletes but
uneducated and criminals.
In contrast, controlling is prescriptive. It tells a group how they should act, think, feel
and behave. Stereotyping can, therefore, be viewed as an anchor and a fence, which controls and
limits a group or individual. Hence, power is control and stereotypes are one way to exert it,
both social and personal.
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31
Harper (2009) supports Fiske’s (1993) claim by asserting that Black male
undergraduates, similar to other racial minority students at predominantly white institutions,
habitually encounter racist stereotypes and racial micro-aggressions that weaken their
achievement. The academic self-concept of Black male students is negatively affected when
they believe the stereotyped expectations are evident. Even when triggered unintentionally, and
often by people attempting to be helpful, stereotyping can negatively affect academic
performance (McGlynn, 2015).
Past research suggests that negative stereotypes impugning Black students' self-concepts
and intellectual abilities play a role in academic underperformance (Aronson, Fried, & Good,
2002). Stereotypes are harmful when internalized by students. Internalization leads to what is
referred to as disidentification, a psychological disengagement from academic matters and
achievement pursuits, and is associated with lowered self-esteem to cope with stereotypes in
academic settings (Wood, 2014). According to Jenkins (2006), negative stereotypes can limit the
academic performance of any ethnic group when they are confronted with such degrading
characteristics. No one wants to be stereotyped because it limits his freedom and constrains their
outcomes, and this is the challenge Black male students are confronted with in our educational
institutions.
The academic self-concept of Black male students begins in their pre-adolescent stage,
the period when their self-identity and social interactions are being developed. Research has
well documented the unique problems that hinder Black males from successfully completing
high school, which predicts their future college competition rates (Wood, 2014). In fact, it is in
K-12 and higher education environments that Black male students are most likely to be
negatively stereotyped, most likely to be harshly punished and unfairly labeled as troublemakers
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32
(Scott, Taylor, & Palmer, 2013). These negative racial stereotypes challenge Black students’
intellectual abilities and play a tremendous role, negatively affecting their academic success.
Fries-Britt and Turner (2001), McGlynn (2015), and Steele, Spencer, and Aronson (2002) noted
Claude Steele’s examination of how stereotypes can “function in the academic environment for
Blacks and affect their ability to achieve particular academic tasks,” which he identified as
stereotype threats (p. 421).
Stereotype Threats
The phenomenon labeled “stereotype threat” is another barrier to the academic success of
Black male students. Steele (1999) defined stereotype threat as “the risk of being viewed
through the lens of a negative stereotype or the fear of doing something that would inadvertently
confirm it” (p.3). Stereotype threats are psychologically embedded in America’s image that
Black males are intellectually inferior (Steel & Aronson, 1995). In addition, the psychological
distress Black male students experience from being the target of stereotypes threats contributes
to their academic underachievement (Aronson, Fried, & Good, 2002; Fries-Britt & Turner,
2001).
Steele and Aronson’s (1995) research explored how stereotype threats could interfere
with Black male students’ abilities to score high on standardized tests that measure intelligence
or aptitude. However, Steele and Aronson’s (1995) research did not take into account the
“internalization of inferiority images or their consequences but examined the immediate
situational threat derived from the broad dissemination of negative stereotypes about one’s group
threat of possibly being judged and treated stereotypically, or of possibly self-fulfilling such a
stereotype” (Solorzano, Ceja, & Yosso, 2000, p. 62). Solorzano et al. (2000) argue that negative
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33
stereotype threats can undermine Black male college students’ performance, affecting their
academic achievement, and contribute negatively to their collegiate racial climate (p. 62).
Social Identity
As a result of stereotypes and stereotype threats in higher education, many Black males
struggle to establish their identity. Social identity is a person’s sense of who he is based on his
associations (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). “The concept of identity is a complex one, shaped by
individual characteristics, family dynamics, historical factors, and social and political contexts”
(Tatum, 2000, p. 1).
W.E.B. DuBois in his 1903 book The Soul of Black Folk best described the identity
struggle as the “double consciousness.” For example, Blacks view themselves from the White
dominant culture and from their Black culture, and that often creates a challenge. Identity shapes
an individual’s view of himself and the manner in which he will perform in an academic setting
(Tajfel & Turner, 1979). DuBois (1903) contends that the ultimate goal is to become the true
self and not double self.
Furthermore, Steele (2010) talks about the salience of identity contingencies or social
markers that are carried out by many groups in society. According to Howard et al. (2012), “the
contingencies, or the things that one has to deal with because of his group membership can take a
tremendous toll on stigmatized groups” (p. 93). Social science research has historically
portrayed Black males by focusing on the deficiencies resulting in “psychic damage” (Scott,
1997).
Steele (2010) contends that the repeated messages about Black males being hostile,
incompetent, lazy, criminals, and uneducated can lead to the internalization of a negative identity
of the self. As a result of negative identity, an individual can develop “lack of motivation, low
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34
self-esteem, and lack of confidence. These factors can affect behavior and performance in
school” (Howard, Flennaugh, & Terry, 2012, p.93).
As previously mentioned, Black males were called a Negro or Nigger. Harper (2009)
noted that Harvard Law School professor, Randall Kennedy, explains the historical and current
use of the word, “Nigger.” During slavery, the word Nigger was used to insult slaves and has
multiple meaning (Harper, 2009). However, the word Nigger is mostly used derogatorily
(Harper, 2009). Malcolm X (1964) argued that the worst trick of all was when the White slave
owners named Blacks “Negros” or “Nigger.” According to Harper (2009), Blacks use the term
in a way that reminds themselves and others where they “perceived themselves as standing in
American society-- the message being always, “Remember, you’s a Nigger,” (p. 628). Malcolm
X (1964, p. 20) suggests,
“One of the main reasons we are called Negro is so we won’t know who we really are. In
addition, when you call yourself that, you don’t know who you really are. You don’t
know what you are, you don’t know where you came from, and you don’t know what is
yours. As long as you call yourself a Negro or Nigger, nothing is yours.”
Additionally, Harper (2009) suggests that a Black male can be “niggered” in various
ways. In other words, a Black male can be told that he will not accomplish anything in life, that
his life is worthless and “that being successful in school is an anomaly for people like him,”
(p.698). Harper (2009) contends that Black males are niggered on many college and university
campuses.
Harper (2009) gave an example, that when Malcolm X told his White teacher he aspired
to pursue a career in law, the teacher encouraged him to consider a more appropriate profession,
one that was more accessible for niggers. Harper (2009) asserts that Malcolm X and many Black
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35
males were niggered through others’ low expectations of them. For instance, Ladson-Billings
(2011) noted,
that we see Black males as “problems” that society might find ways to eradicate. We
regularly determine them to be the root cause of most problems in school and society.
We seem to hate their dress, their language and their effect. We hate that they challenge
authority and command so much social power. While society apparently loves them in
the narrow niches and specific slots –music, basketball football, and track –we seem less
comfortable with them in places like National Society, the debate team, or computer club.
Black male students enter college unaware of the low expectations of academic culture.
Race and Racism
In the context of education, scholars indicate race and racism as major factors that
contribute to the low academic achievement rates of Black males in higher education (Cuyjet,
2006). Researchers defined race as “physically, socially, legally, and historically constructed
(Alexander, 2011, p. 168).” The idea of race came as a means of reconciling slavery and the
notion of racial difference, specifically the idea of white supremacy (Alexander, 2011).
According to Nakkula and Toshalis (2006),
There is no biologically sustainable reason for establishing “races” as distinct subgroups
within human species. Race is a concept created in modern era as a way of drawing
distinctions between people such that some might benefit at the expense of others. (p.
123)
Merriam-Webster defines racism as a belief that race is the primary determinant of
human traits and capacities and that racial difference produce an inherent superiority of a
particular race. On the other hand, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. defined racism as
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36
a philosophy based on a contempt for life. It is the arrogant assertion that one race is the
center of value and object of devotion, before which other races must kneel in
submission. It is the absurd dogma that one race is responsible for all the progress of
history and alone can assure the progress of the future. Racism is total estrangement.
Racism separates not only bodies, but minds and spirits. Inevitably racism descends to
inflicting spiritual and physical homicide upon the out-group. (Burrow, 2014, p. 234)
Racism has been expressed in many ways and has impacted different groups over the years in the
United States. However, arguably, no other group has been most belittled by racial animosity
and hatred than Black males in the United States (Polite & Davis, 1999). For Black males in the
United States, experiencing racial discrimination is a common theme (Sellers, Copeland-Liner,
Martin, & Lewis, 2006). Black male students in particular, are more likely to experience
discrimination than any other ethnic group (Alexander, 2011).
Racial discrimination affects the psychological and sociological functioning of Black
male students in the United States. In fact, scholars and activists deem racism as a life-
threatening illness (Chavez, & French, 2007). Black male students who experience racial
discrimination display lower levels of subjective well-being and higher levels of psychological
distress (Sellers at el., 2006). Hence, the racial stigmatization has dogged Black males for many
centuries and lingers in the present 21
st
century (Madhubuti, 1990).
“But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free; one hundred years later, the life
of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of
discrimination; one hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in
the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity; one hundred years later, the Negro is still
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37
languished in the corners of American society and finds himself in exile in his own land”
(King, 1963).
Faculty-Student Interaction
Scholars suggest that there is a racial difference in faculty-student interaction on college
campuses. Harper (2009) noted that Black students tended to interact more with faculty on
course related material more than any another ethnic group. However, Black students are less
likely to collaborate with faculty regarding research and other educational experiences (Harper,
2009). Bush and Bush (2010) noted that lower engagement is particularly troubling given that
Black males are among those most in need of faculty student interaction. Students who
frequently interact with faculty are more likely to be content with their college experience
(Harpers, 2009).
Cuyjet’s (2006) work revealed White faculty members who implied that the reason Black
students are in the classroom is the result of affirmative action and that they were not expected to
achieve the same level as their counterparts. Moreover, Cuyjet (2006) contends that some White
faculty assume that Black male students are academically inferior, underachievers and poorly
motivated. Consequently, Black male students are less likely to engage with faculty in an
institutional climate that is negatively influenced by racism and stereotypes than their
counterparts (Bush & Bush, 2010; Harper, 2009).
The negative image of Black male students has affected their interaction with faculty and
is correlated with their outcomes in college (Bush & Bush, 2010). Thus, when a student suspects
his ability has been prejudged, he is likely to believe that he will experience being stereotyped in
future interaction with faculty. The factors discussed so far that affect Black male academic
success (i.e., social image, racism, stereotype threat, and faculty-student interaction) are shown
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

38
in Table 1.
Personal Factors
Per Wood (2010), personal factors such as family support, finances, employment, and
peer support contribute to Black males’ academic success in community college. Family support
positively affects students and inspires them to excel academically. Wood (2010) contends that
finances create a personal barrier for many students. Wood (2010) noted that the lack of
financial aid funding and financial instability is a distraction to students, which requires Black
male students to work while attending college.
However, employment plays a negative role for most students because the demand to pay
their college tuition takes away from their study time (Wood, 2010). Additional personal factors
can extend to personal goals and study habits as academic barriers for Black male community
college students. The next section of this chapter will examine additional factors related to the
knowledge and skills, motivation and organizational assumed barriers that contribute to the low
academic of achievement of Black male students in community college.
The Clark and Estes (2008) Gap Analytic Conceptual Framework
The first part of this literature review focused on historical factors that could serve as
barriers or facilitators to Black male students’ academic success. In this section, the researcher
will review additional assumed barriers and facilitators derived from the educational psychology
literature. Clark and Estes (2008) identify three causes of performance gaps: the stakeholder’s
knowledge and skills, his motivation to achieve the performance goal, and organizational barriers
that keep him from achieving his goal.

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39
Stakeholder’s Knowledge and Skills
The purpose of this section is to review the knowledge and motivation literature relevant
to the academic achievement of Black male students at a community college. The literature will
focus on research of Black male students in higher education and on the knowledge and skills
they will need to be successful at a college. The organization stakeholder’s goal is that by June
2018, 100% of Black male students will graduate and transfer to four-year universities.
Anderson (2005) defines knowledge as the process of recalling or content that is recalled.
Knowledge is the ability to recall specifics, methods, procedure or structures, and the capacity to
recall theories. Two of the most important goals of education are to promote retention and
transfer. Retention compels students to recall what they have learned, whereas transfer compels
them not to recall but to make sense of and can use what they have learned (Mayer, 2002).
Black male students are concerned about their own education despite the racial
stereotypes and how policies unfairly disadvantage them. Harper and Davis (2012) were asked,
if Black male students care about their education, why are their achievement rates the lowest
among any other ethnic group? Harper and Davis’s (2012) research revealed that the
underachievement was more related to culturally unresponsive curricula, low teacher
expectations, lack of Black male teachers, racist postsecondary environment, and regressive
education policies, rather than an intentional opposition to education. If the curricula and the
method and practice of teaching were culturally responsive and more aligned with the
educational needs of Black male students, the literacy and ability to understand and work with
numbers would improve, and their academic success rates would increase (Harper & Davis,
2012).

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Moreover, scholars have suggested that Black male students are not as prepared for the
rigors of college academic work paralleled to other racial groups (Bonner & Bailey, 2006).
Harper (2004), in contrast to their female counterparts, Black male students take fewer notes in
class, spend less time writing papers and completing class assignments, and report lower grades.
Harper and Davis (2012) suggest that the academic disappointment of Black male students starts
in elementary school, impinging upon the likelihood that they will graduate high school. Cuyjet
(2006) indicated that the experiences of Black male students are portrayed by poor retention and
completion rates.
Knowledge Types
Researchers have revealed that at least four different knowledge types affect student
success. According to Krathwohl (2002), factual knowledge is defined as the basic elements that
student must know to be acquainted with a discipline or solve problems in it. Conceptual
knowledge is viewed as the interrelationships among the core elements within a large structure
that enable them to function together. Procedural knowledge is how to do something: methods
of inquiry, and criteria for using skills, algorithms, techniques, and methods. Procedural
knowledge is defined as step-by-step procedures implemented in a specific sequence (Hiebert,
2013).
Metacognitive knowledge is defined as the awareness of one’s knowledge of condition in
general as well as awareness, knowledge of one’s cognition and the ability to use prior
knowledge. Metacognitive knowledge is the capacity to use prior knowledge to plan a strategy
for approaching learning task by taking the necessary steps to solve the problem. Metacognitive
knowledge refers to what individuals know about themselves as cognitive processors, about
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41
different approaches that can be used for learning and problem solving, and about the demands
of a particular learning task (Why Teach, 2012).
The literature review will next examine the different types of knowledge influencing
retention, graduation rates, and transferring to four-year universities. Declarative knowledge is
knowing that something is the case. Further, declarative knowledge is information that can be
conveyed in words, orally or in writing; that is, a knowledge that can be declared. Procedural
knowledge will examine what Black male students need to know to follow the necessary steps;
and understanding concepts, and applying rules that govern relationships to achieve academic
success.
Stakeholder Knowledge Influences
Black male students should be familiar with a Student Educational Plan (SEP). A student
and a counselor meet to discuss his academic goals, creating a SEP. The SEP outlines suggested
classes based on major, educational objective, and sequence of classes. SEP allows the student
and the educational institution together identify education objectives for a student to be
successful academically. Hence, it is the counselor’s role to meet with the students to provide
and discuss the necessary information to guide them on their educational journey.
Declarative knowledge influences. Declarative knowledge is factual knowledge. For
example, Black males need to know the right courses to take, information that gets entered into
an SEP. If Black males lack an SEP, that could result in low achievement rates. The SEP can be
considered as a guide to help students register for a subsequent semester. SEP is designed to
help students in developing a comprehensive plan to complete their degree and major
requirements in a timely manner.
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42
Procedural knowledge influences. Procedural knowledge is the steps or actions that
Black male students must take to reach their academic goals. Procedures can be a sequence
appropriate to achieve or solve a problem of practice (Hiebert, 2013). For example, the research
suggests that Black male students who enter college lack information about how to
develop and implement not just with their academic plan but also their career plan because of the
lack of information and exposure to a college environment contribute to their vulnerability
(Hertel, 2002). Wood (2010) suggests that Black male community college students have poor
study habits, do not regularly attend class and utilize academic support services, which leads to
their low academic performance.
Metacognitive knowledge Influence. Metacognitive knowledge is the awareness of an
individual cognition about a particular cognitive process. Rueda (2011) defines metacognitive
knowledge that allows individuals to know when and why to do something as fundamental
aspect of strategic behavior in solving problems. In the classroom, metacognitive knowledge
allows Black male students to become aware of what they know and what they do not know (Cao
& Nietfeld, 2007).
Metacognitive knowledge allows a student a baseline to plan for learning and allocating
time and effort to study (Cao & Nietfeld, 2007). For Black male students, monitoring their own
study habits and academic performance knowing when to seek help would be an indicator of
metacognitive knowledge. Black male students do not know how to plan their approach to
studying to fulfill an education plan to be successful in college.
Motivation
Motivation originated from the Latin word mover, which means to “move” (Pintrich,
2003). Clark and Estes (2004) suggest that human beings are made up of two distinct
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43
cooperating psychological systems, which are knowledge and motivation. Motivation is defined
as the push that gets us going, keeps us moving, and lets us know how much effort to spend
trying to accomplish a goal (Clark & Estes, 2004). Motivation is what drives or energizes and
gives an individual self-determination to reach his full potential. It is the inner or outer drive to
meet a need or goal that one has set out to accomplish.
Pintrich (2003) suggested that the central question of what individuals want and basic
needs define what they want to accomplish. According to Pajares and Urdan (2006) and other
researchers in the area of social cognitive theory, self-efficacy beliefs are the foundation for
human motivation, well-being, and personal accomplishment. Stereotypes are harmful when
internalized by students. This results in what is referred to as misidentification; a psychological
disengagement from academic matters, achievement pursuits, and lowered self-esteem to cope
with stereotypes in academic settings (Wood, 2014).
Motivation pushes students to involve their learning process aggressively. Many internal
and external factors can drive students to involve their learning process. Motivation is essential
in keeping Black male students engaged in their learning process. Black male students are
motivated through their internal self-perception; experiences and background can shape their
motivational influences.
According to Eccles (2006), attainment value is determined by how well a task fits into an
individual's goals and plans or to refer to the link between tasks and his own identities and
preferences. As individuals grow up, they develop an image of whom they are and what they
would like to be. Utility value is determined by how well a task fits into an individual's goals
and plans or fulfills other basic psychological needs. Black male students need to see the value
in meeting all academic requirements to graduate and transfer to four-year universities.
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44
Self-efficacy theory. Self-efficacy is defined as the belief that one can succeed in a
situation (Eccles, 2006). Pajares and Urdan (2006) contend that self-efficacy beliefs can be
defined as the judgments that individuals hold about their capabilities to learn or to perform
specific courses of action at designated levels. The major interest of the study was how Black
male students’ perceptions of their academic ability and sense of career efficacy contributed to
their academic success. The academic self-concept of Black male students is negatively affected
when they believe the stereotyped expectations are evident.
Black male students’ self-efficacy. The literature review revealed that Black male
students must believe that they are competent to complete the required basic skills courses (i.e.,
math and English) to graduate and transfer. According to Steel (1992), there is a significant
relationship between self-efficacy and academic achievement, which Black males have an
academic dis-identification and display low levels of motivation to succeed. People with low
self-efficacy might believe that things are tougher than they appear to be, a belief that fosters
anxiety, stress, depression, and a narrow vision of how best to solve a problem (Pajares & Urdan
(2006). Hodges (1998) suggests that when perceived self-efficacy for certain task matches how
much a task demands, individuals focus on completing the task. An individual can accomplish
any given task no matter the aversive experiences only if he believes that he can complete a task.
Goal orientation theory. Goal orientation motivational theory is a social cognitive
theory of achievement motivation (Anderman, & Young, 1994). A framework of academic
motivation in late 1980, goal orientation became the most relevant theoretical framework.
According to Anderman and Young (1994), there are two major types of goal orientations. The
first is called mastery goals. The second is performance goals.
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45
Mastery orientation is the desire to acquire additional knowledge or master a new skill.
Performance orientation is the desire to demonstrate high ability and make a good impression on
others. The focus of this section is the importance of mastery-oriented goals of Black male
students in community college.
Black male student goal orientation. Black male students need to establish a set of
personal, academic, and career goals. Goals will ensure that students are committed to obtaining
their degrees and will drive them to persist and reach academic success in higher education.
Black male students focus on learning, mastering the task of academic success by self-set
standards, or self-improvement. Therefore, Black male students must set goals to engage in all
required academic courses and maintain grade point average (GPA) to achieve academic success
to graduate and transfer to four-year universities (Cuyjet, 2006).
Table 3 shows assumed motivational influences and how they will be assessed. Research
has revealed that Black male students care about their education, but most feel that the school
does not care for them (Howard, 2008). Improving self-efficacy of Black male students include
specialized programs that achieve student success based on group activities to strengthen self-
efficacy and provide encouragement to increase self-confidence and in academics.
Organization
Culture setting and culture model can affect an organization’s performance (Gallimore &
Goldberg, 2001). Cole (1996) notes that culture models are the shared interaction processes of
an organization, whereas the cultural settings are the physical environments in which the process
occurs. The overall focus of this review is to identify what organizational policies; support
services and resources affect the academic achievement of Black male students.
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46
The educational outcomes for Black male students have remained stagnant, or in some
areas have decreased, over the years. Per Credie and Dean (1991), it is imperative that faculty,
staff, and administrators in higher education understand the needs, backgrounds, and
environments of students to help them succeed in the academic setting. The academic
achievement, graduation and transfer rates of Black male students will not change without strong
leaders in the community college system.
Unfortunately, policymakers have not been at the forefront of conversation, and
significant efforts focused on improving Black men’s college outcomes and increased their post-
secondary degree attainment rates. Additionally, community colleges have neglected minority
students and turned the open-door policy into a revolving door, which means it is easy to enroll
and to drop out (Cuyjet, 2006). Community colleges are faced with developing practices that
will best improve the achievement gap of Black male students.
For Black male students enrolled in community college, many negative culture settings
affect their academic achievement. Organizational factors such as a destructive racial campus
environment, insufficient financial aid, lack of college funds for intervention or mentoring
programs, lack of minority faculty and staff, and lack of social and cultural activities negatively
affect Black male college student include (Opp, 2002). Furthermore, Berger and Heath (2005)
contend the negative college environment that Black male students experience on a college
campus can be internalized. Thus, the negative college environment that Black male students
experience can interrupt their involvement in the campus environment.
Many Black male students have self-doubt regarding their presence on campus that has
led to a high degree of unwillingness to participant in the campus environment (Cuyjet, 2006).
In addition, college campuses with fewer Black male students and a lack of Black faculty and
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47
staff result in students of color feeling more isolated and have little involvement in the campus
environment (Berger & Heath, 2005; Cuyjet, 2006). To create a positive academic climate that
fosters the success of Black male students, community colleges must examine the many barriers
that affect their success (Berger & Heath, 2005). Theses organizational factors include faculty-
student relationships, academic support programs, and the institutional commitment to improve
academic outcomes for Black male students.
Conclusion
The academic success of Black males in higher education is directly linked to early
struggles in the United States. A conceptual framework was developed to exemplify the factors
associated with the experience of Black males’ higher education. The literature review has
indicated that Black male students have low academic performance rates, and have faced a
negative rather than a positive higher educational experience. Additionally, scholars suggest that
the college experience of Black male students is negatively affected by racism, stereotypes,
disparities, and inequities in educational opportunities affecting their academic success.
It is important Black males be prepared and well educated so that they can contribute to
society in all aspects. Knowledge has been identified as an important variable that may affect
Black male students’ importunity and academic achievement in higher education. Individual
Black male students are often motivated through internal of their own self-perception;
experiences and background can shape motivational influences. Therefore, it is important for
educational leaders to be accountable for the academic achievement of students and informed
about the concerns cultural differences among them. Higher educational intuitions must create
programs that meet the needs of Black male students.

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48

Table 2

Summary of Influences Factors Contributing to the Academic Achievement of Black
Males Community College Students

Influences Literature
Knowledge
Black male students need to know how to
take notes in class and engage with other
classmates (facilitator).

Black males need to know the right courses
to take while in college.

Black male students need to continue their
pursuit of education despite the barriers
that hinder them. (facilitator)

Black male students do not know the
interrelationship between what is required
to graduate and transfer.

Black male students do not know what
college recourses available to assistance
them in an academic setting.

Black male students do not know how to
plan their approach to fulfilling an
education to plan to be successful.

Motivational
Black male students are motivated to
succeed by their desire to create a better
future for themselves, their families, and
their aspirations to be a role model to
others, disproving the negative perceptions
of Black males.

Black male students need to value their
college education.

Black male students need to believe in their
own self-concept.

Aronson at el., 2002; Fries-Britt & Turner,
2001; Jenkins, 2006; Solorzano at el.,
2000; Steel, 1999; Steel & Aronson,1995;
Wood, 2014

Aronson et al., 2002; Bush & Bush, 2010;
Fries-Britt & Turner, 2001.

Alexander, 2011; Howard, 2014; Howard
& Flennaugh, 2011; Phillips, 2001

Cuyjet, 2006; Harper, 2009; Howard, 1997

Aronson et al., 2002; Fisk, 1993; Fries-
Britt & Turner, 2001; Harper, 2009;
Jenkins, 2006; McGlynn, 2015

Bush & Bush, 2010; Harper & Davis,
2012; Hiebert, 2013; Pajares, 2006

Anderson, 2005; Bonner & Bailey, 2006;
Cuyjet, 2006; Harper, 2004; Harper &
Davis, 2012; Mayer, 2002;

Bush & Bush, 2010; Eccles, 2006; Wood,
2014

Bush & Bush, 2010; Cuyjet, 2006

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49
Black male students need to have
confidence in their ability to succeed in
college despite stereotype threats.

Black male students need to be involved in
motivating their own learning process.
(facilitator)

Organizational
Black male students need an educational
environment that supports engaging
faculty-student interactions (facilitator)

Black male students need a college culture
setting that is free from racial
discrimination on campus (barrier)

Black male students may fear doing
something that would confirm a negative
stereotype. (barrier)

White faculty assume that Black male
students are academically inferior,
underachievers and poorly motivated.
(barrier)

Black male students need access to
institutional services to help support them
academically.

Black male students need faculty members
who are adequately trained to understand
microaggressions and made aware of
common stereotypes specific to Black
males.

Black male students need faculty who can
culturally relate to them on campus, which
makes them feel less isolated.

The negative image of Black male students
affects their interaction with faculty and
students, which is connected with their
outcomes in college. (barrier)

Bush & Bush, 2010; Cuyjet, 2006; Harper,
2009; Howard & Hammond, 1985; Wood,
2014

Bush & Bush, 2010; Cuyjet, 2006

Alexander, 2011; Madhubuti,1990; Polite
& Davis, 1999; Sellers at el., 2006

Aronson at el., 2002; Fries-Britt & Turner,
2001; Jenkins, 2006; Solorzano at el.,
2000; Steel, 1999; Steel & Aronson,1995;
Wood, 2014

Bush & Bush, 2010; Cuyjet, 2006; Harper,
2009

Bush & Bush, 2010; Cuyjet, 2006; Harper,
2009; Howard & Hammond, 1985; Wood,
2014

Bush & Bush, 2010; Clark & Estes, 2004;
Eccles, 2006; Wood, 2014

Bush & Bush, 2010; Cuyjet, 2006; Harper,
2009; Howard & Hammond, 1985; Wood,
2014

Alexander, 2011; Bush & Bush, 2010;
Cuyjet, 2006; Harper, 2009; Harper, 2009;
Harper & Harris, 2012; Howard, 2014

Cuyjet, 2006; Howard, 2014; Steel &
Aronson, 1995.

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50
There is a lack Black male college faculty
that students can culturally relate to on
campus, which makes Black male students
feel isolated.

Black males need institutional services to
help them succeed in an academic setting.

Black male students experience
stereotypical beliefs from faculty or staff
(barrier)

Bush & Bush, 2010; Cuyjet, 2006; Harper,
2009.

Bush & Bush, 2010; Cuyjet, 2006; Harper,
2009; Howard & Hammond, 1985; Wood,
2014.

Bush & Bush, 2005; Cuyjet, 2006; Harper
& Harris, 2006.

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CHAPTER THREE: METHODLOGY
Purpose of the Project and Questions
The purpose of the study was to identify factors perceived by Black male students in a
Community College that hinder their academic achievement. The following research questions
guided the study:
1. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational elements that
interfere with the students’ performance goal of 100% graduation and transfer
rates of Black male students by June 2018?
2. What are the recommended knowledge and skills, motivation, and
organizational solutions?
Conceptual Methodological Framework
Chapter 2 focused on historical factors that could serve as barriers to or facilitators of the
academic success of Black male students. In this section, the researcher used the Clark and
Estes’ (2008) problem solving approach to confirm which, if any, of the causes of performance
gaps the students see as keeping them from achieving the goal. The three performance gap
causes categories are: the stakeholder’s knowledge and skills, his motivation to achieve the
performance goal, and organizational barriers.
A conceptual framework is defined as part of the research problem (Maxwell, 2013).
Formulating the research problem is a key element in the design of the study (Maxwell, 2013).
According to Merriam (2009) and Maxwell (2013), a conceptual framework helps the researcher
examine the literature to establish how the problem came into existence. Maxwell (2013) noted
that Miles and Huberman (1994) describe a “conceptual framework as a visual or written
product, one that explains, either graphically or narrative form, the main things to be studied, the
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52
key factors, concepts, or variables and the presumed relationships among them” (p. 39). Figure A
below illustrates the conceptual framework.

Figure A. Factors that influence the academic achievement of Black males in Community
College.

Academic Success of Black Male in Community College
Organizational Factors

➢ College recourses
➢ Support services
➢ Faculty –Student
Engagement
➢ Campus Environment
➢ Social Involvement

Motivational Factors

➢ Establishing personal Goals
➢ Persistence despite
stereotype threats
➢ Academic Confidence

Knowledge Factors

➢ Academic culture
➢ Interrelationship to transfer
and graduate
➢ Historical imagery
➢ Disparities and inequities

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The conceptual framework illustrates the interaction of the knowledge; motivational and
organizational barriers Black male students experience that affect their academic achievement.
The academic attainment of Black males in higher education in the United States is directly
linked to political, economic, and cultural historical struggles faced in early years. Research has
indicated that Black male students have low academic performance rates and face a negative
rather than a positive educational experience. That negative experience is affected by the
disparate impact of racism, stereotypes, inequities in education and a lack of culturally diverse
opportunities affecting their academic success (Cuyjet, 2006). The conceptual framework of
Black males’ academic success in community colleges shows the interrelationships between
knowledge, motivational, and organizational factors and how they influence one another in
Figure A.
Knowledge
The research literature reviewed in Chapter 2 revealed several possible barriers for Black
male community college students. The first barrier for Black male community college students
was campus involvement. Black male students entering community college are unaware of the
expectations of the academic culture. Black male students’ experiences can be even more
painful because of their internalization of societal perceptions of them as marginal to the general
campus community (Cuyjet, 2006).
In addition, Black males face unique challenges related to their academic and social
integration at all levels of higher education (Tinto, 1993). Black males may not know the right
courses to take if they lack a student educational plan, which contributes to low achievement
rates. Tinto (1993) contends that a student’s personal background as well as their education goal
are strong predictors of academic success. Black males must have the ability to integrate
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54
academics and social activities into their college environment.
Motivation
Self-efficacy refers to the confidence in one’s own ability (Harper & Wood, 2015).
Wood (2010) suggested that Black male students perceive a lack of confidence in their academic
abilities as a barrier to their achievement and persistence in higher education. Black males
establishing personal, academic, and career goals to guide their higher education journey is a
motivational factor for academic achievement. Many motivational theories indicated that people
who aspire tend to stay more focused and prepare for success (Whiting, 2006). Whiting (2006)
noted that students setting realistic goals likewise, “recognize the importance of high grade point
average, excellent school attendance, and participation in challenging courses as helpmates to
reaching their dreams” (p. 94).
Organizational
The conceptual framework indicates that the organization must make an unequivocal effort
to provide student support and faculty-student engagement, and to ensure that the quality of the
campus environment is positive. Cuyjet (2006) suggested that colleges must make an effort to
identify barriers in the campus culture that will impede Black male students’ ability to have a
positive college experience.
The research literature suggested that mentoring for Black male students is necessary at
Victory Community College because the students need support to help navigate the process of
obtaining a degree. Without mentoring, there will be low graduation and transfer rates of Black
males. Tinto (1993) noted that it is critical for educational institutions to help students believe
that they are a part of the campus environment, and that belief can lead to their academic
success.
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Assessment of Performance Influences
Chapter 2 identified several assumed knowledge, motivational, and organizational factors
that influence the academic success of Black male students. Black male students’ perspective on
these assumed knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences was assessed using a
combination of surveys and interviews described in the remainder of the chapter.
Knowledge Assessment
The literature revealed a total of four possible knowledge influences as displayed in
Table 3. Three of these represented factual knowledges and were assessed through interview
questions. One was procedural knowledge and was also assessed through interview questions to
understand Black male community college students’ level of knowledge.
Table 3
Summary of Assumed Knowledge Causes and how each will be Assessed

How Will It Be Assessed?
Black male students need to know how to take notes in
class and engage with other classmates (facilitator).

Interview
Black males need to know the right courses to take while
in college.

Interview

Black male students do not know the interrelationship
between what is required to graduate and transfer.

Interview

Black male students do not know what college resources
are available to assist them in an academic setting.

Interview

Black male students do not know how to plan their
approach to fulfilling an education to plan to be
successful.
Interview

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Motivation Assessment
An assumed motivation problem would be attainment value and self-efficacy, as
displayed in Table 4. Motivation is fundamentally what drives or energizes and gives an
individual self-determination to reach his full potential. Black male students are often motivated
internally by their own self-perception; experiences and background that can shape motivational
influences. The self-efficacy influence was assessed through a survey to understand Black male
students’ view about their level of motivation in higher education. In addition, the self-efficacy
influence was assessed by interview questions to understand Black male students’ view about
their strengths and weakness in higher education.
Table 4
Summary of Assumed Motivational Causes and how each will be Assessed
Assumed Motivational Causes How Will It Be Assessed?
Black male students are motivated to succeed by their
desire to create a better future for themselves, their
families, and their aspirations to be a role model to
others, disproving the negative perceptions of Black
males.

Survey
Interview
Black male students need to value their college
education.

Survey
Interview
Black male students need to believe in their own self-
concept.

Survey
Interview
Black male students need to have confidence in their
ability to succeed in college despite stereotype threats.

Survey
Interview
Black male students need to be involved in motivating
their own learning process. (facilitator)

Survey
Interview

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Organization/Culture/Context Assessment
Through the literature review, possible organizational influences were identified, as
displayed in Table 5. The overall focus in reviewing the culture and setting in an organization is
to identify the resources, policies and practices that affect the academic achievement of Black
male students in community college. In reviewing the setting and culture of Victory Community
College, there appears to be a lack of instructional resources and programs, financial and
otherwise dedicated programs and student organizations that strive to retain Black male students.
To validate these assumed causes, Black male students were asked to identify campus diversity,
student-faculty relationship, instructional programs and student service programs that were
available on campus. The assumed causes were assessed using surveys and interviews to ask
about Black male students’ understanding of the identified campus diversity, student-faculty
relationship, instructional programs and student service programs on campus to help meet their
needs.
Table 5
Summary of Assumed Organizational Causes and how each will be Assessed
Assumed Organizational Cause How Will It be Assessed?
Black male students need an educational
environment that supports engaging faculty-
student interactions (facilitator)
Interview
Survey

Black male students need a college culture
setting that is free from racial discrimination on
campus (barrier)
Interview
Survey
Documents

Black male students may fear doing something
that would confirm a negative stereotype.
(barrier)
Survey
Interview
White faculty assume that Black male students
are academically inferior, underachievers and
poorly motivated. (barrier)

Survey
Interview
Document Analysis

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58
Black male students need access to institutional
services to help support them academically.

Survey
Interview
Black male students need faculty members who
are adequately trained to understand
microaggressions and made aware of common
stereotypes specific to Black males.

Survey
Interview
Black male student need faculty who can
culturally relate to them on campus, which
makes them feel less isolated.

Survey
Interview
The negative image of Black male students
affects their interaction with faculty and
students, which is connected with their outcomes
in college. (barrier)

Survey
Interview
There is a lack of Black male college faculty that
students can culturally relate to on campus,
which makes Black male students feel isolated.

Survey
Interview
Black males need institutional services to help
them succeed in an academic setting.

Survey
Interview
Document Analysis
Black male students experience stereotypical
beliefs from faculty or staff
(barrier)
Survey
Interview
Participating Stakeholders and Sample Selection
Sampling
The participants for this study were selected through purposeful sampling. In a
qualitative study, purposefully selecting and deciding on participants and places, which include
(a) the setting, (b) the actors, (c) the events, and (d) the process, helps researchers obtain rich
information to address the study questions (Creswell, 2014; Merriam, 2009). The participants
for this study met certain criteria to participate in the study. The qualitative phenomenon study
purposefully sampled individual participants using the criteria below.
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59
For this study, there were two forms of non-probabilistic sampling techniques to
consider: convenience sampling and snowball sampling. Convenience sampling involved the
participants who were available (Merriam, 2009). The most common form of purposeful
sampling is snowball interviews of key participants, during which they refer other students to be
interviewed (Merriam, 2009). Snowball sampling generated the interest from Black males on
campus who, at first, might not have been interested in sharing their personal experiences.
Criterion 1. Identify as a Black male between the ages of 18-30, born in the United
States.
Criterion 2. Black male students enrolled in community college in the
Los Angeles area. Participants were enrolled fulltime at the time of this study.
Criterion 3. Black male high school graduate. The focus of the study was to examine
the experience of community college students, not including dual-enrolled high school students.
Interview Recruitment Strategy
The second phase of data collection involved interviews. The participants were asked
questions related to their college experience and their experience with the barriers and facilitators
identified in the literature. A purposeful sample was drawn from the students who completed the
survey and were willing to be interviewed. A semi-structured interview was conducted including
open-ended questions to obtain a description from the participant’s viewpoint.
Data Collection and Instrumentation
In this study, surveys and interviews generated a meaningful body of data, which helped
answer the research questions. Merriam (2009) affirms that in a qualitative study most data is
collected through interviews. The protocol for this study consisted of semi-structured interviews
using open-ended questions.
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60
Survey
Criterion sampling was utilized. Criterion sampling is most appropriate for exploring the
academic success of Black male students in community college. According to Creswell (2012)
“criterion sampling works well when all individuals studied represent the people who have
experienced the phenomenon” (p. 155). The participants were selected purposefully based on
the criteria set for the target population.
Survey recruitment strategy. The survey was administered to Black male students
from Victory Community College using the selection criteria above. In order to obtain the
participants for this study, the researcher passed out flyers and posted them in the campus café,
student center and other popular student hangouts on campus (Appendix D: Black Male
Recruitment Flyer). An email was sent to students whom the admissions and records office
identified as Black males to recruit survey participants for the study (Appendix A: Recruitment
Script). The recruitment process continued until a rich sample size was obtained. The
Institutional Review Boards at the University of Southern California (Appendix E:Institutional
Review Board) and the Los Angeles Community College district approved the recruitment
methods for the study.
Instrumentation. The survey was designed to assess the knowledge, motivation and
organizational factors assumed to affect the academic achievement of Black males. The survey
was comprised of twenty items and was developed to ascertain the validity of the outlined
assumed influences. Completing the survey took no longer than approximately ten minutes. The
survey items (Appendix B: Survey Questions) were created based on existing research and
knowledge about the context of the study.

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61
Interviews
The researcher for the study served as the interviewer of 10 Black male community
college students from whom he obtained perspectives about their college experiences related to
academic achievement. According to Merriam (2009), interviewing is more opened-ended and
semi-structured in order to solicit focused responses from the selected participants, which allows
the researcher to respond to the situation at hand, to the “emerging worldview of the respondent
and to new ideas on the topic” (p. 90).
Sample. Interviews for the study were chosen to offer rich descriptions and deep insight
into the individual perspectives of Black male students (Creswell, 2014). The population for the
interview was Black male students enrolled at Victory Community College who had indicated in
survey responses their willingness to be interviewed. Participants met the following criteria.
Interview Sampling Criteria
Criterion 1. Black male between the ages of 18-30 born in the United States.
Criterion 2. Black male student enrolled in community college at least at the
level of freshman or a sophomore in the Los Angeles area. Currently enrolled full-time at the
time of this study with plans to graduate or transfer.
Criterion 3. Black male high school graduate. The focus of the study was to examine
the experience of community college students, not including dual-enrolled high school students.
Instrumentation. Patton (1987) contends that a protocol (Appendix C: Interview
Questions) is necessary to ensure the validity and reliability of the interview questions. The
interview protocol was comprised of ten questions, with a number of probing questions
associated with each interview question. The questions were intended to understand Black male
students’ perspectives on the knowledge, motivation, and organization factors that influence
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62
them academically. The interview protocol was created to phrase the questions in such a way
that the participants would be likely to understand and respond to them, while ensuring the
interview questions were aligned with the research questions for the study.
Data collection procedure. The interviews took place in the office of the researcher for
the convenience of the student and to ensure the privacy of the conversation. The interview
questions for the study were open-ended with the flexibility for follow-up questions. Individual
interviews began with a discussion of the purpose of the study and the participant’s rights, and
continued after the signing of a consent form. Each interview was about 30 minutes in duration.
The interviews were audio recorded with the participants’ permission.
According to Patton (1987), recording allows the interviewer to have less need to depend
on handwritten notes. The researcher utilized the respondent validation strategy. Therefore, the
participants responded to the interview questions.
The researcher summarized or restated the information provided by each participant to
ensure accuracy. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) noted that this method helps to affirm accuracy
and correctness. For this study, the researcher followed a script that promoted a semi-structured
interview focusing on the experiences of the academic achievement of Black males in
community college.
Documents and Artifacts
Documents and artifacts are other means to collect ready-made qualitative data in an
unobtrusive manner and can be collected in both physical and online/electronic formats
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2009). Most of the documents and artifacts were collected from various
locations on campus and included flyers about resources, college campus activities, orientations,
and college workshops. These announcements informed students about academic support
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services and instructional services. The documents allowed the researcher to understand why
Black male students had knowledge and motivational barriers and to observe what steps the
organization was taking to provide academic and instructional support to promote academic
success.
Data Analysis
The researcher conducted descriptive statistical analysis. The researcher presented
frequencies. In addition, the researcher presented the mean and standard deviation.
After the researcher transcribed and coded the recorded interviews, he looked for codes.
A second phase of analysis was conducted. Pattern codes and themes were identified. The
researcher analyzed documents were analyzed.
Credibility and Trustworthiness

Creswell (2009) contends that, in qualitative research, the researcher has the potential to
have influence over the study results when he is involved in carrying out the data collection and
analysis process. To increase the credibility and trustworthiness of this study, the researcher
applied multiple strategies. The researcher focused on conducting interviews with participants
who had some college experience at VCC to obtain rich data from the interviews. This method
provided data that could generate an image of what Black males experience in community
college (Maxwell, 2013).
The researcher incorporated member checking and triangulation between surveys,
interviews, and documents and artifacts to ensure accuracy in the findings and to avoid potential
researcher bias. Survey items were selected based on existing valid and reliable instruments.
The researcher assured anonymity (survey) and confidentiality (interviews).

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Role of Investigator
According to Merriam (1998), in qualitative research, the researcher serves as an
instrument. It was important for the researcher of the study to identify his background and
personal connection to the study topic. In this study, the researcher was a Black male doctoral
student at the University of Southern California, and an educator. The researcher was also a
youth and young adult pastor in the Los Angeles area. Furthermore, as a community college
professor for over 10 years in the greater Los Angeles area, the researcher has developed a deep
passion based on his own experiences and working with students of color, particularly Black
males. The researcher’s career as an educator and community leader has afforded him the
opportunity to work with underachieving Black males in the Los Angeles area.
The researcher is an educator; it is his desire to help other Black males. This passion has
not diminished but continues to burn because of the low academic achievement of Black males
in higher education. As Black male, the researcher is aware of the biases that he possesses. The
researcher has constantly witnessed students enroll into a community college, struggle to
complete courses, and not transfer or graduate.
Lastly, as a former law enforcement officer, the researcher has witnessed the negative
stereotypes and injustice that Black males are challenged with daily. However, as the researcher,
one should seek out areas of subjectivity during the study to avoid falling into one’s own biases
during the data analysis (Peshkin, 1988). Due to his employment status with the institution
attended by the students in the study, he had familiarity with some of the research participants. It
was his goal as the researcher of this study and as a Black male educator to gain the trust of the
participants.
The researcher explored the academic achievement of Black males at a community
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college and how knowledge, motivational and organizational influencers affected their academic
success. The participants were provided a consent form prior to the interview authorizing their
participation in the research study. According to Glesne (2011), participation should always be
voluntary in a study like this and informed consent is necessary.
The completed consent forms remained in a secured locked file cabinet in the
researcher’s office with no one else having access. Each participant received a copy of his
consent as a research participant and had a right to review any data pertaining to him during the
study. At any point, the participant was free to withdraw from the study without any penalty.
To ensure the safety of the participants, the researcher submitted the study proposal to the
University of Southern California Institutional Review Board (IRB) and adhered to their rules
and guidelines regarding the protection of the rights and welfare of the participants. In
compliance with IRB guidelines, the participants were reminded that their participation in this
study was voluntary, and their identity was kept confidential. Confidentiality was extremely
vital for the study; therefore, the researcher respected the participants’ wishes if at any time, they
decided to withdraw. If they terminated their participation in the study, their information was
removed from the dataset. Steps were in place to preserve the anonymity of all participants. The
researcher avoided situations where he had access to students’ identifying information.
Prior to the interviews, permission was obtained to create audio recordings. After the
interviews, participants were provided with transcripts to allow them the opportunity to ensure
their words were accurately documented. The researcher refrained from providing any
incentives so as not to pressure participants. At the conclusion of the study, participants were
sent a thank you card with a small monetary gift card as a token of appreciation for participating
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in the study. This served as a way to thank participants for their time and for sharing their
experiences.
Limitations
As with all studies, there were certain limitations. The study was confined to one
medium-size college in the Los Angeles area. Known limitations associated with the study
included a limited number of participants available for selection and participation. The
limitations applied to both the survey and interview contexts. The study was also limited by the
assumption that the survey and interview questions would be understood in the manner intended
by the researcher. In addition, surveys were conducted online and there was a chance that
participants might have asked someone to complete the survey for them.
Summary
Chapter 3 provided an approach for identifying factors of academic success perceived by
Black male students in community college in the Los Angeles area. The influences were
identified as knowledge, motivation and organizational factors. Chapter 4 will present the
findings from the data collection process, with recommendation to Victory Community College
to be presented in Chapter 5.

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CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS
Introduction
The purpose of the study was to conduct a gap analysis to examine the knowledge,
motivation, and organizational elements that interfere with the graduation and transfer rates of
Black male students attending a college in the Los Angeles area. The researcher generated
assumed knowledge, motivation, and organizational causes from a review of literature. The
researcher narrowed and validated the possible causes by conducting a gap analysis. Multiple
sources of quantitative and qualitative data were collected to validate the assumed causes.
Specifically, survey, interview, and document analysis were collected to test the research
questions.
This study took place during the spring semester of 2017. The participants were Black
males between the ages of 18-30, born in the United States and currently enrolled in a
community college in the Los Angeles area. 35 participants participated in the survey and 10
participants were randomly selected from the pool of people that volunteered at the end of the
survey to participate in the interview. Surveys were conducted first to provide baseline info and
a context for the interviews. The survey was designed to assess the knowledge, motivation and
organizational factors assumed to affect the academic achievement of Black males. The survey
comprised of twenty items and was developed to ascertain the validity of the outlined assumed
influences.
A document analysis was conducted by walking the campus looking for documents that
help Black males students achieve academic success, checking the campus websites, and locating
documents suggested from feedback from the participants interview responses.
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For a cause to be considered validated, evidence of the assumed cause needs to have been
found in the data, meaning that a simple majority of the participants gave evidence across all
three data sources that the cause existed. If the cause was not validated, the assumed cause was
either absent, or 50% or below of the participants’ responses noted the cause. Interventions are
not recommended for those invalidated causes. In cases where findings were inconsistent across
the data sources, the researcher gave a finding of “not validated” if the data from the three
sources were conflicting. The researcher gave a finding of “unable to validate” if the data were
not conclusive within a single data source and could not be confirmed through the remaining
data sources (e.g., the interview or the survey).
The research questions addressed by this evaluation study were:
1. What are the knowledge and skills, motivation, and organizational elements that
interfere with the students’ achievement of the goal of 100% graduation and transfer
rates of Black males by June 2018?
2. What are the recommended knowledge and skills, motivational, and
organizational solutions?
In Chapter 4, findings are organized by the 3 gap analysis categories, and within those by
assumed influence. The researcher presents recommendations for future study in Chapter 5 that
could clarify the status of that cause.
Results and Findings for Knowledge Causes
The researcher determined if the assumed knowledge cause was validated by analyzing
the data derived from the interview questions, surveys, and the documents. The findings are
organized within this section by knowledge type. The assumed knowledge influence is described,
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the conclusion regarding if the data validated the influence given, and then the findings are
provided.
Factual Knowledge - Assumed Knowledge Influence 1: Black male students know what
college resources are available to assist them in an academic setting
Factual knowledge refers to the basic knowledge that an individual must know about a
subject area to achieve the goal (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). The assumed factual knowledge
gap in the study was that most of the Black male students do know what college resources are
available to assist them in an academic setting. To measure Black male students’ factual
knowledge, the participants in this study were interviewed and the finding suggest that only six
out of ten Black male students know what college resources are available to assist them in an
academic setting. Hence, the participants’ responses validated the assumed cause that Black male
students do know what college resources are available to assist them in an academic setting.
Results from interviews. During the interview session, six participants knew what
college resources were available to assist them in an academic setting. Participant #6
commented, “I saw that we have a Black student union or Black student organization, a transfer
center and Project Learn.” He saw the billboards and the posters around the college campus. The
participant noted that the student union activities are always at an “inconvenient time for me.”
Participant #5 noted that he knew about the Project Learn and the campus transfer center located
in the student services building.
Participant #2 agreed with the others. He said, “Well, I know the college has events
sometimes, like events for scholarships, I know we have that.” He reflected on one of his
experiences he had with a Black female professor and how she did a lot of things to engage
Black students. He commented, “I cannot pinpoint the exact events and when they are, but I
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know the college pushes Blacks to go further in their education and provides some guidance at
times.”
Partici It should be noted that Participant #1 did not agree with the others. He indicated that he
did not know what college resources were available to assist him in an academic setting.
Participant #1 said, “I am not into any campus association so I do not know what clubs the
college offers. The way my schedule looks like, I come to school and at the end of my classes, I
just go home or to work immediately.” Participant #10 agreed with Participant #1. He had not
seen any support that was specifically geared towards Black males on campus.
Conceptual Knowledge - Assumed Knowledge Influence 2: Black male students know the
interrelationship between what is required to graduate and transfer.
Conceptual knowledge is viewed as the interrelationships among the core elements. To
establish Black male students’ conceptual knowledge, the participants were interviewed. The
findings from interviews indicated that half of the participants in this study do not know the
interrelationship between what is required to graduate and transfer from a community college.
Results from interviews. According to three participants in this study they thought if
they worked hard by putting forth an effort to achieve academic success they would graduate and
transfer to a four-year university. Participant #9 described what he had to overcome as a student.
Participant #9 overcame academic struggles, falling off at one point towards the beginning, and
had to turn things around in his life to get focused on what was required. Participant # 8 agreed
with Participant # 9. Participant # 8 commented,
Do not ever stoop down to what everybody says that you are. You know, you may be a
Black male, but you are in power to achieve academic success at its highest. And you
have the power to do anything that you are capable of -- taking the right courses and
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passing them with a C or higher and meeting with an academic advisor, which will lead
to me transferring to a university in two years. You are put on this planet for one purpose
and that is to be a soldier and be the best man you can be. And you are going have to
fight on.
Participant #6 needed to get help to graduate and transfer to a university and understand
what was required to graduate. Participant # 6 commented,
We need to help each other, and stop whatever is going to hinder our process. A lot of
kids are still coming here and playing with school. They are gang members and acting
like they are in the 13th grade. I know I must follow all the educational requirements so
that I can transfer in a timely manner. Others, they were just from regular high schools
but they need to stop playing and get this education thing down. We need to come to
school and work hard together so that we can take that one giant step forward, and bring
our level up, our status up to where it needs to be instead of being below the profit line.
We need to be above it, to where we can, and not just superior at sports but also in
academics. We have athleticism up here. Academics is down here and that is why we
need to know what is required of us in school.
Participant #1 thought that he needed mentors who could help him graduate and transfer
to a university. Participant #1 commented, “Sometimes we may not know what to do, what is
required or sometimes we will be looking for what we need in all the wrong places. We just need
that guidance and I have learned to seek guidance because I do not know everything.”
Therefore, Black male students possess factual and conceptual knowledge. The data for
this study revealed the participants know (1) what college resources are available to assist them
in an academic setting, and half of the participants knew (2) the interrelationship between what is
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required to graduate and transfer. The next section will discuss the study results for Motivation
assumed influences.
Table 6
Summary of Results and Findings for Assumed Knowledge Causes

Assumed Knowledge Cause* Results Explanation
Black male students do not
know the interrelationship
between what is required to
graduate and transfer.

Validated Interview: Only five out 10 Black
male students knew what was
required to transfer or graduate
from college.

Black male students do not
know what college resources
are available to assist them in
an academic setting.
Not Validated Interview: Only six participants
knew what college resources were
available to assist them in an
academic setting.

Results and Findings for Motivation Causes
The researcher validated the assumed motivation causes by utilizing a survey, interviews,
and document analysis. Motivation is what drives or energizes and gives an individual self-
determination to reach their full potential. It’s the inner or outer drive to meet a need or goal that
one has set out to accomplish. Motivation results and findings are categorized and presented
according to the psychological and environmental factors that the researcher included in the
surveys, interview and document analysis protocols.
Assumed Motivation Influence 1: Black male students do not have confidence in their
ability to succeed in college because of stereotypes threats.
To assess the factors influencing Black male students’ motivation, the students were
interviewed. The results suggest that the six Black male students do not have confidence in their
ability to succeed in college. The results from interviews validated the assumed motivation
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cause that Black male students do not have confidence in their ability to succeed in college
because of stereotypes threats.
Results from interviews. Six students talked about their bad experiences in community
college. Participant # 9 shared his bad academic experiences saying that he had “lagged off.” “It
went bad.” Things got so bad that he had to drop classes or accumulate bad grades on his
transcripts.
Participants # 6 and #7 agreed with Participant #9. Participant # 6 added, “I had one
bad experience last semester with a professor in my classroom. My professor treated me badly.
He tried to downplay me as a kid but I spoke to him as an adult, and he still decided to say
something to me that was degrading as, “you’re stupid.”.
It should be noted that two participants disagreed with the others. They did not agree
because they had not had the worst experiences. Participant #1 said, “College has been fun. I
communicate with people and do my best.”
Assumed Motivation Influence 2: Black male students are involved in motivating their own
learning process.
To measure Black male students’ involvement in their own learning process, the
participants were interviewed. The results, described below, suggest that Black male students are
involved in motivating their own learning process, which validated this assumed motivation
influence. Motivation is essential in keeping Black male students engaged in their learning
process.
Results from interviews. Three participants in this study thought that the right support
system was important to motivate their own learning process. Participant #2 commented,
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Do not let one little thing ruin your feelings about school or your success. I let a couple
of things get in the way of what I am supposed to be doing. You are going to have the
right people behind you. The right people pushing you… The right support system is ...
People don't like to say it, but it is always going to be about money. You are going to
have to have some type of money, whether it is financial aid, whether it is out of your
pocket, whatever it is out of your mom's. You still must have some type of money to
further your education. Support systems, money, and just staying focused…. Don't let
anything distract you because you got to work even harder just because the color of your
skin.
Participant # 10 agreed with Participant #2. He noted, “There should be a program where they
relate to people others who have gone through the same things.”
Two participants tried to move forward and prosper. Participant # 7 commented,
“More Black males are like-minded. On this college campus, you have some people that are
here for the 13th grade. You have some people that are here to get an education, to move forward
and to prosper. I believe if we have more people who are trying to move forward and prosper, we
would see more of a success happen.”
Participant # 9 agreed with Participant #7. He said, “I feel like academic success comes
with you wanting it. I feel like you cannot force it onto somebody. I feel like they have to want
it. There is tutoring on campus. Teachers are offering to help. It is not like you cannot achieve
it. If you really want it, there are options there for you to achieve it.”
Participant # 6 wanted more Black professors to help him feel more motivated about his
own learning process. Participant # 7 said,
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We need more black professors who are engaging, stepping up to the plate, engaging with
the students, and making eye contact. They are not monotone, just sitting there. "Here is
a 600-page book. Read it, and then do not discuss it." There needs to be more. There
needs to be more professors who also want to be mentors to students, to help them gear
towards wherever they want to go.
Participant # 1 thought that he was responsible for motivated his own learning process.
He said, “Me personally… Nobody can force you to do better. That is something you have to
want for yourself.”
It should be noted that Participant # 5 did not agree with the others. He did not agree
because he felt that racism and slavery prevented him from being more motivated about his own
learning process. He said,
Black males in America have gone through racism and slavery. Their parents also have a
great role to play in the success of a young Black male in America. Most Black males in
America move around with a lot of hatred.
Assumed Motivation Influence 3: Black Male Students are motivated to succeed by their
desire to create a better future for themselves, their families, and their aspirations to be a
role model to others, disproving the negative perceptions about Black males.
To assess the assumed motivation factors impacting Black males, the researcher surveyed
and interviewed the participant for this study. The findings suggest that Black male students are
motivated to succeed by their desire to create a better future for themselves, their families, and
their aspirations to be a role model to others, to disprove the negative perceptions of Black
males. Therefore, this assumed influence was validated by the participants in this study.
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Results from interviews. During the interview session, the participants in this study
focused on positive opinions. The most important theme was that they wanted to pursue higher
education by graduating and transferring to a four-year university. Hence, six of the participant
in this study wanted to graduate and transfer. Participant #5 noted, “I want to obtain a certificate
in college, and transfer to a university that will give me a Bachelor’s degree. I want to have a
Bachelor’s degree.” Because he planned on majoring in criminal justice and a career in law
enforcement, more specifically with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, he was working
towards transferring and completing a four-year degree.
Participants # 3 and #10 agreed with Participant # 5. Participant #3’s goal was to
transfer, graduate and to get job. He added,
I always tell people if you do not have anybody around you who is telling you, ‘This is
what you should be doing,’ then it is easy to make a mistake. It is easy to walk off the
path, especially if you have never walked down the path before. That is why I have to
break the chain and be an example for my family. As Black males, we have to change
how people view us in society. One of my goals is to try and disseminate information as
much as possible to others in my family and community. It is not based on ethnicity. A
good friend of mine, Aaron, is Hispanic. I told him, ‘Man, you got to go to these
counselors, you got to talk to them, and make sure that you get what you need. You got
to do these things that you have to do.’"
Participant # 7 wanted to go to an Ivy League school. He said,
One goal I have set is to set a precedent in my family by going to a major Ivy League
school like Harvard. I would like to get into Harvard Law. That is basically my goal. If
I do not get into Harvard Law, my second goal would be to get into Yale Law. Either
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way goes, just long as I can get into a high-end Ivy League School. That would make me
feel a lot better as far as me going to school and achieving something.
Participant # 2 set a goal to pass all his classes. Participant # 2 said,
Have good grades and pass my classes. Have a better than average GPA and I am on
time to classes gives a different perception of Black males. I actually studied this time
around on my midterms, and my finals.
He noted, “My major is computer science. Going to college is going to help me apply for all
these important company jobs.” He wanted to intern for Sony Snapchat because that was where
he wanted to work in the next five years.
Survey Results. The researcher asked participants in this study to rate the degree to
which they felt motivated to do well in college. Question 20 (I am motivated to do well in
college) had a mean of 1.46 and standard deviation of 0.65 (Table 7). 97.14% felt motivated to
do well in college (Table 8). The survey results align with the findings from the interviews,
therefore, Black male students in this study were motivated to succeed by their desire to create a
better future for themselves, their families, their aspirations to be a role model to others, and to
disprove the negative perceptions of Black males.
Table 7
Results of the Motivation Survey

Statement/Type of Motivation Mean SD
Question 20 (I am motivated to do well in
college.) (E)
1.46 0.65

Assumed Motivation Influence 4: Black male students need to value their college education.
The assumed motivation influence was that Black male students need to value their
college education. To measure Black male students’ assumed motivation factors in this study, the
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participants were interviewed. The results suggest that Black male students value their college
education.
Results from interviews. Three participants in this study thought that academic success
was important to their future. Participant #1 said,
Basically, just building a foundation, a stepping-stone for your future. Not only that, just
one day when you think about having kids. Showing them that going to school is a good
thing. It is actually something that you need versus what you want to do. You do not
want to go out, step into life, and not have academic background. People look at that and
they frown upon that. All they are going to ask is, "What have you been doing with the
time that you have been out of high school?"
Participant #5 agreed with Participant #1. Participant #5 added,
To me, academic success is like if you go to school, you obtain your goals of going to
school. At the end, you are able to come out with a certificate or degree for going to
school, this is success. You have succeeded in one way or the other. At the end of the
day, we all go to school because we want a better future. We want to make better money
and live a better life, and that motivates me to feel like going to school. My aim is to have
a certificate that gives me the type of job that I want.
Two participants wanted to be academically successful.
Participant #10 commented,
I think about school and being successful. I think about doing something good and
accomplishing something, going to school and getting a degree and being successful…
Participant #8 agreed with Participant #10. He added,
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Academic success means fulfilling all goals put in front of you as to where you set your
goal as to getting your Bachelor's, getting your doctorate. Your academic success is
putting a title behind your name or in front of your name, as to speak. You have the
Master's. You have your Bachelor's. It is getting that title behind your name. So, it is
just putting forth the effort and getting that title.
Two participants in this study had pushed themselves beyond the limits that they thought
that they could go because they valued their college education. Participant #6 had a high school
diploma, and felt that, with just that diploma, his abilities in life were limited. He had had people
tell him that he would never succeed in college. He almost proved them right 10 years ago when
he dropped out of school. He said,
I am a mature adult now. I strive to prove that everybody who has ever told me that was
wrong, and to see the joy in everybody that told me that I will do it and I will complete it,
to see them happy, and also myself, because my first time coming back to college, I am a
bit nervous.
Two participants wanted to get good grades and transfer because they valued their
college education. Participant #3 added,
In college, academic success for me would be two things - getting good grades, AS, BS
as well as transferring. It is not just good enough that I take a bunch of classes getting
good grades, but transfer and go to the next level of education.
Assumed Motivation Influence 5: Black male students need to believe in their own ability.
The assumed motivation influence was that Black male students need to believe in their
own ability. The results suggest that only five Black male students believe in their own ability. It
did not validate the assumed motivation cause.
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Results from interviews. Only five out ten students thought that they were doing well.
Participant #1 said, “I would say I'm doing pretty decent. I could be doing better, but it all
depends on me and the effort that I give. I'm doing good as far as passing. I could be doing a
whole lot better. That will tell when I start my major. I will put more of my focus and energy
into that. Right now, I am just working on getting my AA. I just want to get that so I can start
my major and be done.
Partici Participant # 9 agreed with Participant #1. He said, “Right now I feel like I am doing
pretty good. I got 3.2 GPA.” Participant #4 agreed with the others. He said, “Better than high
school by far. The crazy thing about high school is that my GPA never went higher than a 2.3. I
have a 3.18, which lets me know that have the component to achieve academic success.”
It should be noted that two participants had a slightly different view than the others. The
participants thought that they were not doing well. Participant # 8 said, “My English and my
Math classes, I completed with a C in my first semester. My Criminal Justice class, I did not
pass very well, so that is one I am retaking but I am going to pass the course the second time
because I can do the course work. I'm not passing with flying colors but I will pass.”
Partici Participant # 2 agreed with Participant # 8. He said, “Oh, my first semester, my first one
was horrible.” He failed all his classes. He had never seen an “A” on his report card but he
finished high school. He said, “I am not going to start out the way I did high school but graduate
on stage on time and will finish college.”
Synthesis of Results and Findings for Motivation Causes

Black male students are challenged with self-efficacy and in meeting all academic
requirements to graduate and transfer to four-year universities. Black male students need to have
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81
confidence in their ability to succeed in college despite stereotype threats. Black male students
are involved in motivating their own learning process.
Black male students are motivated to succeed by their desire to create a better future for
themselves, their families, their aspirations to be a role model to others, and disprove the
negative perceptions of Black males. Black male students value their college education. Black
male students believe in their own ability. Self-efficacy and unity value will be the focus of
recommending solutions in Chapter 5.
Table 8 Summary of Assumed Motivational Causes and Validation
Assumed Motivational
Causes
Results Explanation
Black male students are
motivated to succeed by their
desire to create a better future
for themselves, their families,
and their aspirations to be a
role model to others,
disproving the negative
image of Black males.

Validated Survey: Question 20 (I am
motivated to do well in college.) has
a mean of 1.46 and standard
deviation of 0.65. 97.14% were
motivated to do well in college.
Interview: Six of 10 Black male
students wanted to transfer and
graduate.

Black male students need to
value their college education.

Validated

Interview: Nine of 10 Black male
students valued their college
education.

Black male students need to
believe in their own ability.

Validated

Interview: Only five of 10 Black
male students thought that they were
doing well.

Black male students do not
have confidence in their
ability to succeed in college
because of stereotype threats.

Validated

Interview: Only six of 10 Black
male students talked about their bad
experience in college.

Black male students need to
be involved in motivating
their own learning process.
(facilitator)

Validated

Interview: Eight of 10 Black male
students knew the factors that
contributed to their academic
success of Black male college
students.
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Results and Findings for Organization Causes
The researcher used a survey, interviews, and document analysis to validate the assumed
organization influences. The results and findings for organizational causes are reported using the
organizational context, culture, and resource factors the researcher included in the survey and
interview/document analysis protocols.
Organization Factors- Assumed Organization Influence 1- Black male students need an
educational environment that supports engaging faculty-student interactions.
The assumed organization influence was that Black male students need an educational
environment that supports engaging faculty-student interactions. To validate this assumed
influence, the researcher surveyed and interviewed the participants. The results suggest that
Black male students were experiencing an educational environment that supports engaging
faculty-student interactions.
Survey Results. Most participants thought that the college had sufficient resources to
meet their needs. Additionally, most participants felt that they fit in with other students on
campus. In addition, most participants thought that they would still attend this college. Finally,
most participants found the campus environment at this college to be friendly. The survey
results supported validating this assumed influence.
Organization Factors- Assumed Organization Influence 2-Black male students need
academic advisors who are adequately trained to understand microaggressions and made
aware of common stereotypes specific to black males.
The assumed organization influence was that Black male students need academic
advisors who are adequately trained to understand microaggressions and made aware of common
stereotypes specific to Black males. The results suggest that Black male students feel that
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academic advisors are adequately trained to understand microaggressions and made aware of
common stereotypes specific to Black males, therefore, the results validated the assumed
organization.
Survey Results. Black male students were asked to rate if they feel the academic
advisers on campus are sensitive to their needs. Most students felt the academic advisers on
campus were sensitive to their needs. See Table 9.
Results from interviews. The participants for this study thought that Black male
professors motivate them to achieve academic success. Participant #6 said,
Become teachers and professors, to see the status that you are in and from where you
started in and where you are going…. It should be enough for any individual, let alone a
Black individual, to want more and strive for themselves, to push themselves beyond the
limit of what their capacity is, to strive for more.
Participants #2 and #3 agreed with Participant #6. Participant #3 expressed,
Definitely. Motivating, relatable, personable, you find it more caring. It does not mean
that you cannot get a professor from another ethnicity that cares as well. The reality is
you are going to feel a connection. Subconsciously, it is going to say, "Okay, he cares.
Yeah, good looking." If he just says, "If you need anything, here is my phone number.
Text me." Period. That makes a big difference. That does not mean you are going to get
a phone call. But it means that, “Hey, I have his number. I am in a jam. I need
something. I need to take this class. They have resources."
The survey results for this study aligned with the findings from interviews. Therefore,
the results clearly validated the assumed organization cause, which means that Black male
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84
students think that academic advisors are adequately trained to understand microaggressions and
made aware of common stereotypes specific to Black males.
Organization Factors- Assumed Organization Influence 2- Black males need institutional
services to help them succeed in an academic setting.
The findings suggest that Black males need institutional services to help them succeed in
an academic setting, therefore, the results validated the assumed organization.
Survey Results. Black male students were asked to rate the degree to which the college
supported them to be successful. Most participants agreed that the college supported them to be
successful. See Table 9.
Results from the document analysis. For this study document analysis was to
complement, supplement, and highlight what I learned from interviewing the participants. The
various institutional documents assisted in understand the overall organization climate, and
revealed the colleges commitment to diversity and meeting the needs of academically
underperforming students. The following documents were analyzed media/ press releases,
websites, the colleges equity strategic plan, the California Community College Chancellor’s
office Student Success Scorecard. Also, documents from the campus Associated Student Union
(ASO), the Black Scholars program is under the umbrella of Project LEARN (Leading &
Energizing African American Students to Research and Knowledge). Project LEARN is a
community of faculty mentors, student mentors and support staff who are committed to the
academic success of African American students as well as other students. The documents
allowed the researcher to understand why Black male students had knowledge and motivational
barriers and to observe what steps the organization was taking to provide academic and
instructional support to promote academic success.
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The survey results align with the findings from interviews and the document analysis.
The findings suggest that Black males have access to institutional services to help them succeed
in an academic setting. Thus, the results validated the assumed organization cause.
Organization Factors- Assumed Organization Influence 4- There is a lack of Black male
college faculty that students can culturally relate to on campus, which makes black male
students feel isolated.
The assumed organization influence was that there is a lack of Black male college faculty
that students can culturally relate to on campus, which makes Black male students feel isolated.
The results suggest that there is a lack of Black male college faculty that students can culturally
relate to on campus, which makes Black male students feel isolated, and validated the assumed
organization.
Survey Results. The participants were asked to rate to what extent was there a need for
Black male mentors on campus. Most participants thought that there was a need for Black male
mentors on campus. See Table 9.
Results from interviews. Eight Black male participant for this study expressed that
there is a need for Black male mentors on campus. Participant #4 said, “Yeah, yeah because
other race professors they do not get us and they do not know the mile we walk. They do not
know the shoes that we fit.
Participant #2 agreed with the others. He looked at the researcher as a mentor. However,
other than that, he could not think of Black mentors.
The survey results align with the findings from interviews, which indicates that there is a
lack of Black male college faculty that students can culturally relate to on campus, which makes
Black male students feel isolated.
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Context Factors - Assumed Organization Influence 5- White faculty do not assume that
Black male students are academically inferior, underachievers, and poorly motivated.
The assumed organization gap was that White Faculty assume that Black male students
are academically inferior, underachievers, and poorly motivated. The results suggest that Black
male students do not believe that White Faculty assume that Black male students are
academically inferior, underachievers and poorly motivated, therefore, the findings did not
validate the assumed organization cause.
Survey Results. Most Black male students had not experienced racial insensitivity from
professors. Most participants felt they are viewed seriously by their instructors. See Table 4.
Results from interviews. Five participants in this study expressed that they were close
with their professors. Participant #8 was close with his Administration of Justice professor who
was one of his cool professors. He noted, “I liked his class because he was fun.”
Participant #4 agreed with Participant #8. He had a positive relationship with faculty
and tried to be open as much as he could. He noted,
If they ask me a question and I want to answer that as well as then if I ask for help, every
professor so far has been more than helpful to help me digest the information that I have
received in class. I know that I could get an answer within 24-48 hours, which is a good
amount of time for me.
It should be noted that two participants did not agree with the others. They did not agree
because they had no relationship with faculty. Participant #2 said, “It is a communication class. I
am taking that to help myself with communication, but it is uncomfortable with my professor in
that class. And it is not even the students. The students, I feel comfortable talking around but I do
not even know them.”
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The survey results align with the findings from interviews. The results did not validate
the assumed organization cause, it is inferred that the participants in this study perceive that
White Faculty do not assume that Black male students are academically inferior, underachievers
and poorly motivated.
Culture Factors- Assumed Organization Influence 5- Black male students need a college
culture setting that is free from racial discrimination on campus.
The findings validated the assumed organization cause, which suggests that Black male
students think that their college culture setting is free from racial discrimination on campus.
Survey Results. Black male students were asked to rate if they agree that they felt left
out of things here at this college. Most students did not feel left out of things here at this college.
See Table 4.
Results from interviews. During the interview session three interview participants
thought that their college provided a good environment. Participant #5 said, “From seeing it
where it was 10 years ago to how it is today, the campus environment has upgraded.” He was
referring to the appears of the campus buildings Participant #2 agreed with Participant #5. He
said, “Honestly, I think this environment is ... It is a good environment.”
The survey results align with the findings from interviews. The results validated the
assumed organization cause, which suggest that Black male students think that their college
culture setting is free from racial discrimination on campus. One should be able to attend a
college without prejudiced because they may look different because of the color of their skin.

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Culture Factors- Assumed Organization Influence 5- Black male students may fear doing
something that would confirm a negative stereotype.
The findings suggest that Black male students may fear doing something that would
confirm a negative stereotype, therefore, the results validated the assumed organization
influence.
Results from interviews. Black male students may fear doing something that would
confirm a negative stereotype. During the interview process four participants in this study
thought that studying was hard because they feared doing something that would confirm a
negative stereotype. Participant #6 said,
The hurdles here as academic-wise? They would probably get discouraged from when
they take the assessment test and they see that they placed low. There needs to be
something better than that assessment test.
He retook the test again because he was not strong in English and math. He said, “Now that I
read and know what to do, I placed high, but that was probably individually my biggest hurdle.
Participant #8 agreed with Participant #6. He said,
I have a different way of studying, where I study any way. If I am focused on something
else, I will probably skim through something and then figure it out while I'm in class or
while I'm in the library. People see the different aspects of it. When we get slammed
with a whole bunch of homework, we tend to stress ourselves out. We tend to give up.
We also tend to not want to do it.
Three participants had a different point of view. They thought that a teacher was an
important factor. Participant #3 said,
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If I just had a teacher that was just like, "Here is your work and this is what you are
supposed to do, turn it in next week", it is not going to help. If you are not going to help
me, break it down to me ... because I am not all the way there in the head to comprehend
easier and they look at you as student who is dumb and has no placing in college.
Culture Factors- Assumed Organization Influence 5- Black male students need faculty who
can culturally relate to them on campus.
To measure Black male students’ culture factors, the researcher surveyed and
interviewed the participants. The results suggest that Black male student need faculty who can
culturally relate to them on campus, which validated the assumed organization cause
Survey Results. Black male students were asked to rate if they agree that the academic
advisers on campus were sensitive to their needs. Most participants thought that the academic
advisers on campus were sensitive to their needs. See Table 9.
Results from interviews. During the interview session of this study six participants
thought that it was important for them to have Black faculty who could culturally relate to them
on campus, which made them feel less isolated. Participant #6 commented,
It is important for us to have a diversity of professors from different ethnic and
backgrounds, to learn something how they articulate their material to the students, more
so than Black professors will hold their own people to a higher standard, which I think all
ethnic groups do that, but more so that we are perceived as an uneducated group, who do
not know. When they see a professor that is educated and Black, they feel intimidated.
Participant #2 agreed with the others. He said, “I have been having white teachers.”
When he came across a Black teacher, he understood.
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It should be noted that Participant #9 disagreed with the others. He said, “It depends.”
He said,
I would not necessarily say it is important to me, but sometimes I would say it makes a
difference a little bit. A Black instructor… I get a full point of view on life and things
that are going on in the real world and not just one-sided.
The survey results align with the findings from interviews. Thus, there are convergences
in the data that support the validation of causes. The asset was present.
Culture Factors- Assumed Organization Influence 5: The negative image of Black male
students affects their interaction with faculty and students, which is connected with their
outcomes in college.
To measure the culture factors impacting Black male students, the researcher surveyed
and interviewed the participants for this study. The results suggest that the negative image of
Black male students affects their interaction with faculty and students, which relates to their
outcomes in college. The survey results did not validate the assumed organization cause,
however, the findings from interviews do not align with the survey results.
Survey Results. Black male students were asked to rate if they agree that they felt out of
place in the classroom. No participants felt out of place in the classroom. See Table 9.
Results from interviews. During the interview session four participant had personal
problems. Participant #2 said, “Homelessness is one, for sure. I hate saying it, but drug dealing
was another and people will look at you totally different.”
Participants #5 and #8 agreed with Participant #2. He had difficulty with pertaining his
grade. Participant #8 added, “Just to reach for that grade. Failing one class is a real downer.”
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He did not want to fail a class. He wanted to be able to get through it. He said, “It is not
one you want to keep repeating. Because once you repeat, you just do not want to do it anymore.
The survey results and the findings from interviews contradict each other. Thus, there are
divergences in the data that oppose the validation of causes. The findings from interviews are
presented in Table 9.
Culture Factors- Assumed Organization Influence 5- Black Male Students Experience
Stereotypical Beliefs from Faculty or Staff.
The assumed organization gap was that Black male students experience stereotypical
beliefs from faculty or staff (barrier). To measure Black male students’ culture factors, the
researcher surveyed them. The results suggest that Black male students do not experience
stereotypical beliefs from faculty or staff (barrier). The findings did not validate the assumed
organization cause that Black male students experience stereotypical beliefs from faculty or staff.
Survey Results. Black male students were asked to rate 1) if they had experienced being
stereotyped on campus, and 2) if they had experienced racial insensitivity from other student.
Participate surveyed for this study did not experience being stereotyped at VCC. The findings
indicate the participants are not likely to experience racial insensitivity. See Table 9 .
Resource Factors - Assumed Organization Influence 5- Black male students need access to
institutional services to help support them academically.
The assumed organization influence was that Black male students need access to
institutional services to help support them academically. To establish Black male students’
resource factors, the researcher surveyed the participants. The results suggest that Black male
students need access to institutional services to help support them academically. Based on the
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participant's responses Black male students need access to institutional services to help support
them academically.
Survey Results. Black male students were asked to rate if the college had sufficient
resources to meet their needs. The group was uniformly positive/agreed with that item. The
participants thought that the college had sufficient resources to meet their needs. See Table 9.
Synthesis of Results and Findings for Organization Causes

The results confirm that there are organizational gaps. Black male students need an
educational environment that supports engaging faculty-student interactions (facilitator). Black
male students need faculty members who are adequately trained to understand microaggressions
and made aware of common stereotypes specific to Black males. Black males need institutional
services to help them succeed in an academic setting. There is a lack of Black male college
faculty that students can culturally relate to on campus, which makes Black male students feel
isolated.
White Faculty do not assume that Black male students are academically inferior,
underachievers and poorly motivated. Black male students need a college culture setting that is
free from racial discrimination on campus. Black male students may fear doing something that
would confirm a negative stereotype. Black male student need faculty who can culturally relate
to them on campus, which makes them feel less isolated.
The survey results did not validate the assumed organization cause that the negative
image of Black male students affects their interaction with faculty and students, which is
connected with their outcomes in college. However, the findings from interviews do not align
with the survey results. Black male students do not experience stereotypical beliefs from faculty
or staff (Barrier). Black male students need access to institutional services to help support them
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academically. Organization and cultural factors will be the focus of recommending solutions in
Chapter 5.
Table 9

Summary of Assumed Organization Causes and Validation

Assumed Organizational Cause Results Explanation
Black male students need an
educational environment that
supports engaging faculty-
student interactions (facilitator)
Validated Interview
Five of 10 Black male students
thought that their professors
had an impact on them.

Survey
Question 23 (The college has
sufficient resources to meet my
needs.) has a mean of 1.71
and standard deviation of 0.79.
85.30% thought that the college
had sufficient resources to meet
their needs.

Question 5 (In general, I fit in
with other students on campus)
has a mean of 1.8
and standard deviation of 0.75.
85.71% fit in with other
students on campus.

Question 6 (If I had the choice
to do it all over again I
would still attend this
college.) has a mean of 1.65
and standard deviation of 0.97.
82.85% would still attend this
college.

Question 7(I have found the
campus environment at this
college to be friendly.) has a
mean of 1.66 and standard
deviation of 0.68. 88.57% had
found the campus environment
at this college to be friendly.

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94
Black male students need a
college culture setting that is free
from racial discrimination on
campus (barrier).
Interview: Most Black male
students thought this school
was a good environment.

Survey:
Question 4 (I feel left out of
things here at this college.)
has a mean of 3.77 and standard
deviation of 0.96. 5.71% felt
left out of
things here at this college.

Black male students may fear
doing something that would
confirm a negative stereotype.
(barrier)

Validated

Interview: four Black male
students thought that studying
was hard.

White faculty assume that Black
male students are academically
inferior, underachievers and
poorly motivated. (barrier)

Not validated

Survey:
Question 35 (I have
experienced racial insensitivity
from professors.) has a mean of
5.57 and standard deviation of
1.25. 2.86% had experienced
racial insensitivity from
professors.

Question 19 (Instructors view
me as a serious student.) has a
mean of 1.89 and standard
deviation of 0.82. 77.14%
thought that instructors viewed
them as a serious student

Interview: Five of 10 Black
male students had a good
relationship with faculty.

Black male students need access
to institutional services to help
support them academically.

Validated

Survey: Question 23 (Q23 -
The college has sufficient
resources to meet my needs.)
has a mean of 1.71 and standard
deviation of 0.79. 85.30%
thought that the college had
sufficient resources to meet
their needs.
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95

Black male students need faculty
members who are adequately
trained to understand
microaggressions and made
aware of common stereotypes
specific to Black males.

Validated

Survey: Question 16 (I feel the
academic advisers on campus
are sensitive to my needs) has a
mean of 2.23 and standard
deviation of 1.07. 71.43% felt
the academic advisers on
campus were sensitive to their
needs.

Question 34 (I believe there is a
need for Black male mentors on
campus.) has a mean of 1.68
and standard deviation of 0.99.
97.06% believed there was a
need for Black male mentors on
campus.

Interview: Six of 10 Black male
students thought that Black
male professors motivated them
to achieve academic success.

Black male student need faculty
who can culturally relate to them
on campus, which makes them
feel less isolated.

Validated

Survey: Question 16 (I feel the
academic advisers on campus
are sensitive to my needs.) has
a mean of 2.23 and standard
deviation of 1.07. 97.06% felt
the academic advisers on
campus were sensitive to my
needs.

Interview: Six of 10 Black male
students thought that it was
important for them to have
Black professors.

The negative image of Black
male students affects their
interaction with faculty and
students, which is connected with
their outcomes in college.
(barrier)

Survey
Q9 (I feel out of place in the
classroom.) has a mean of 4.34
and standard deviation of 0.63.
0.00% felt out of place in the
classroom.

Interview: Four of 10 Black
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male students had personal
problems.

There is a lack of Black male
college faculty that students can
culturally relate to on campus,
which makes Black male
students feel isolated.

Validated

Survey: Question 34 (I believe
there is a need for Black male
mentors on campus.) has a
mean of 1.68 and standard
deviation of 0.99. 97.06%
believed there was a need for
Black male mentors on campus.

Interview: Eight of 10 Black
male students thought that there
was a need for Black male
mentors on campus.

Black males need institutional
services to help them succeed in
an academic setting.

Validated

Survey: Question 24 (I believe
the college supports me to be
successful) has a mean of 1.82
and standard deviation of 0.75.
85.29% believed the college
supported them to be
successful.

Interview: Five of 10 Black
males needed a program for
them.

Document Analysis
The Black Scholars program is
under the umbrella of Project
LEARN that is a community of
faculty mentors, student
mentors and support staff who
are committed to the academic
success of African American
students and other students.

Black male students experience
stereotypical beliefs from faculty
or staff
(barrier)

Not validated

Survey: Q12 (I have
experienced being stereotyped
on campus.) has a mean of 3.49
and standard deviation of
1.222. 28.57% had experienced
being stereotyped on campus.

Q13 (I have experienced racial
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97
insensitivity from other
student.) has a mean of 4.03
and standard deviation of 0.88.
5.71% had experienced racial
insensitivity from other student.

Question 23 (The college has sufficient resources to meet my needs.) had a mean of 1.71
and standard deviation of 0.79 (Table 10). Black male students were asked to rate if they agree
that Question 5 (In general, I fit in with other students on campus.) had a mean of 1.8 and
standard deviation of 0.75 (Table 10). The mean response for Question 6 (If I had the choice to
do it all over again I would still attend this college.) was 1.65, with a standard deviation of 0.97
(Table 4). Question 7(I have found the campus environment at this college to be friendly.) had a
mean response of 1.66 and standard deviation of 0.68 (Table 10).
Question 16 (I feel the academic advisers on campus are sensitive to my needs.) had a
mean of 2.23 and standard deviation of 1.07 (Table 10). Question 24 (I believe the college
supports me to be successful.) had a mean of 1.82 and standard deviation of 0.75. Question 35 (I
have experienced racial insensitivity from professors.) had a mean of 5.57 and standard deviation
of 1.25. Question 19 (Instructors view me as a serious student.) had a mean of 1.89 and standard
deviation of 0.82. Question 8 (I feel left out of things here at this college.) had a mean of 3.77
and standard deviation of 0.96.
Question 9 (I feel out of place in the classroom.) had a mean of 4.34 and standard
deviation of 0.63. Question 12 (I have experienced being stereotyped on campus.) had a mean of
3.49 and standard deviation of 1.22. Question 13 (I have experienced racial insensitivity from
other student.) had a mean of 4.03 and standard deviation of 0.88.
Question 23 (The college has sufficient resources to meet my needs.) had a mean of 1.71
and standard deviation of 0.79. A high positive score and small standard deviation shows that
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98
the group was uniformly positive or agreed with that item. A low positive score and small
standard deviation shows that the group was uniformly negative/disagreed with that item.
Table 10
Results of the Organization Survey

Statement/Type of Organization Mean SD
Question 23 (The college has sufficient
resources to meet my needs.) (O)
1.71 0.79

Question 5 (In general, I fit in with
other students on campus) (O)

1.8

0.75

Question 6 (If I had the choice to do it
all over again I would still attend this
college.) (O)

1.65

0.97

Question 7(I have found the campus
environment at this college to be
friendly.) (O)

1.66

0.68

Question 16 (I feel the academic
advisers on campus are sensitive to my
needs) (O)

2.23

1.07

Question 34 (I believe there is a need
for Black male mentors on campus.)
(O)

1.68

0.99

Question 24 (I believe the college
supports me to be successful) (O)

1.82

0.75

Question 13 (I have experienced racial
insensitivity from professors.) (C)

5.57

1.25

Question 8 (I feel left out of things here
at this college.) (CU)

3.77

0.96

Question 16 (I feel the academic
advisers on campus are sensitive to my
needs.) (CU)

2.23

1.07

Question 9 (I feel out of place in the
classroom.) (CU)

4.34

0.63
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99

Question 12 (I have experienced being
stereotyped on campus.) (CU)

3.49

1.22

Summary
The purpose of this chapter was to report finding that emerged from the data collected
from the participant in this study through interviews, surveys and document analysis. The data
validated and did not validate some of the assumed knowledge influences. Black male students
know what college resources are available to assist them in an academic setting. Thus, Black
male students possess sufficient factual knowledge about college resources.
In addition, Black male students know how to take notes in class and engage with other
classmates. Black male students possess sufficient procedural knowledge to achieve academic
success. Additionally, the findings for this study indicate that Black male students know the
interrelationship between what is required to graduate and transfer. Hence the study indicates
that Black male students based on the participant's responses possess sufficient conceptual
knowledge.
The results did validate the assumed knowledge cause that Black male students need to
have confidence in their ability to succeed in college despite stereotype threats. The results
validated the assumed knowledge cause that Black male students are involved in motivating their
own learning process.
Furthermore, the results validated the assumed motivation cause that Black male students
are motivated to succeed by their desire to create a better future for themselves, their families,
and their aspirations to be a role model to others, disproving the negative perceptions of Black
males. The results of this study supported the assumed motivation cause that Black male students
value their college education and that Black male students believe in their own self-concept.
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100
Moreover, the results validated the assumed organization cause that Black male students
need an educational environment that supports engaging faculty-student interactions. The results
validated the assumed organization cause that Black male students need faculty members who
are adequately trained to understand microaggressions and made aware of common stereotypes
specific to Black males and the need for institutional services to help them succeed in an
academic setting. The results validated the assumed organization cause that there is a lack of
Black male college faculty that students can culturally relate to on campus, which makes Black
male students feel isolated.
However, the results did not validate the assumed organization cause that White Faculty
assume that Black male students are academically inferior, underachievers and poorly motivated.
The results validated the assumed organization cause that Black male students need a college
culture setting that is free from racial discrimination on campus and that Black male students
may fear doing something that would confirm a negative stereotype. Therefore, study validated
the assumed organization cause that Black male student need faculty who can culturally relate to
them on campus, which makes them feel less isolated.
In addition, the survey results did not validate the assumed organization cause that the
negative image of Black male students affects their interaction with faculty and students, which
is connected with their outcomes in college. However, the findings from interviews do not align
with the survey results. In addition, the results did not validate the assumed organization cause
that Black male students experience stereotypical beliefs from faculty or staff. Lastly, the results
validated the assumed organization cause that Black male students need access to institutional
services to help support them academically.
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101
Table 11 summarizes the findings. In Chapter 5, solutions for the validated knowledge
and organizational causes will be presented. In addition, recommendations for future study will
be presented.
Table 11 Assumed Causes and Finding Summary Table
Gap Analysis
Category Assumed Causes Findings
Knowledge Factual: Black male students know
what college resources are
available to assist them in an
academic setting
Validated: Black male students
possess sufficient factual knowledge
about college resources.

Knowledge

Conceptual: Black male students
know what college resources are
available to assist them in an
academic setting.

Validated: The results validated the
assumed cause that Black males need
to know the right courses to take while
in college.

Knowledge Procedural: Black male students
know how to take notes in class
and engage with other classmates
(facilitator).
Validated: Black male students
possess procedural knowledge about
taking notes in class and engaging
with other classmates.

Knowledge Metacognitive: Black male
students know the interrelationship
between what is required to
graduate and transfer.
Not Validated: Black male do not
know what is required to graduate and
transfer.

Motivation Psychological factors: Black male
students do not have confidence in
their ability to succeed in college.
Not Validated: The results from
interviews did not validate the
assumed motivation cause that Black
male students need to have confidence
in their ability to succeed in college
despite stereotype threats.

Motivation

Psychological factors: Black male
students are involved in motivating
their own learning process
(facilitator).

Validated: The results from interviews
validated the assumed motivation
cause that Black male students are
involved in motivating their own
learning process (facilitator).

Motivation

Environmental Factor: Black male
students are motivated to succeed
by their desire to create a better

Validated: The results validated the
assumed motivation cause that Black
male students are motivated to succeed
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102
future for themselves, their
families, and their aspirations to be
a role model to others, disproving
the negative perceptions of Black
males.
by their desire to create a better future
for themselves, their families, and
their aspirations to be a role model to
others, disproving the negative
perceptions of Black males.

Motivation Personal Factor: Black male
students value their college
education.
Validated: The results validated the
assumed motivation cause that Black
male students value their college
education.

Personal Factors: Black male
students believe in their own self-
concept.

Validated: The results validated the
assumed motivation cause that Black
male students believe in their own
self-concept.

Organization

Organization Factors:
Black male students need an
educational environment that
supports engaging faculty-student
interactions (facilitator).

Black male students need faculty
members who are adequately
trained to understand
microaggressions and made aware
of common stereotypes specific to
Black males.

Black males need institutional
services to help them succeed in an
academic setting.

There is a lack of Black male
college faculty that students can
culturally relate to on campus,
which makes Black male students
feel isolated.

Validated: The results from interviews
validated the assumed organization
cause that Black male students need an
educational environment that supports
engaging faculty-student interactions
(facilitator).

The results validated the assumed
organization cause that Black male
students need faculty members who
are adequately trained to understand
microaggressions and made aware of
common stereotypes specific to Black
males.

The results validated the assumed
organization cause that Black males
need institutional services to help them
succeed in an academic setting.

The results validated the assumed
organization cause that there is a lack
of Black male college faculty that
students can culturally relate to on
campus, which makes Black male
students feel isolated.

Organization

Context Factors:
The results suggest that White
Faculty do not assume that Black

Validated: The results validated the
assumed organization cause that White
Faculty do not assume that Black male
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103
male students are academically
inferior, underachievers and poorly
motivated (Barrier).
students are academically inferior,
underachievers and poorly motivated
(Barrier).

Organization Cultural Factors
The results suggest that Black male
students need a college culture
setting that is free from racial
discrimination on campus
(Barrier).

Black male students may fear
doing something that would
confirm a negative stereotype.
(barrier).).

Black male student need faculty
who can culturally relate to them
on campus, which makes them feel
less isolated.

The negative image of Black male
students does not affect their
interaction with faculty and
students, which is connected with
their outcomes in college.
(barrier).).

Black male students do not
experience stereotypical beliefs
from faculty or staff (Barrier).
Mostly Validated: The results
validated the assumed organization
cause that Black male students need a
college culture setting that is free from
racial discrimination on campus
(Barrier).

The results validated the assumed
organization cause that Black male
students may fear doing something
that would confirm a negative
stereotype. (barrier).).

The results validated the assumed
organization cause that Black male
student need faculty who can
culturally relate to them on campus,
which makes them feel less isolated.

The results did not validate the
assumed organization cause that the
negative image of Black male students
affects their interaction with faculty
and students, which is connected with
their outcomes in college. (barrier).).

The results did not validate the
assumed organization cause that Black
male students experience stereotypical
beliefs from faculty or staff (Barrier).

Organization
Resource Factors
Black male students need access to
institutional services to help
support them academically.

Validated: The results validated the
assumed organization cause that Black
male students need access to
institutional services to help support
them academically.

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CHAPTER FIVE: RECOMMENDATIONS, THE INTEGRATED IMPLEMENTATION AND
EVALUATION PLAN, AND CONCLUSIONS

Introduction
This study explored factors impeding the success of Black male students at a community
college in the Los Angeles area. The chapter begins with recommendations for practice to
address KMO influences. The recommendations are organized by the categories of validated
influences (i.e. knowledge, motivation, and organization). The researcher used the new
Kirkpatrick approach to integrate his recommendations and evaluate the results by examining the
academic services the organization should provide for Black male students that will help them
become academically successful in college.
In Chapter Four, the data did not validate the assumed knowledge causes that Black male
students do not know what college resources are available to assist them in an academic setting.
The results validated the assumed causes 1) that Black males need to know the right courses to
take while in college; and 2) validated that Black male students do not know the interrelationship
between what is required to graduate and transfer.
The results validated the assumed motivation cause 1) that Black male students do not
have confidence in their ability to succeed in college despite stereotype threats, 2) that Black
male students are involved in motivating their own learning process (facilitator), 3) that Black
male students are motivated to succeed by their desire to create a better future for themselves,
their families, and their aspirations to be a role model to others, disproving the negative
perceptions of Black males, 4) that Black male students value their college education; and 5) that
Black male students believe in their own self-concept; and 6) that Black male students need to
know how to take notes in class and engage with other classmates.
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106
The results validated the assumed organization causes 1) that Black male students need
an educational environment that supports engaging faculty-student interactions (facilitator), 2)
that Black male students need faculty members who are adequately trained to understand
microaggressions and made aware of common stereotypes specific to Black males, 3) that Black
males need institutional services to help them succeed in an academic setting, 4) that there is a
lack of Black male college faculty that students can culturally relate to on campus, which makes
Black male students feel isolated, 5) that Black male students need a college culture setting that
is free from racial discrimination on campus (Barrier), 6) that Black male students may fear
doing something that would confirm a negative stereotype. (barrier), and 7) that Black male
student need faculty who can culturally relate to them on campus, which makes them feel less
isolated. The results did not validate the assumed organization cause that White Faculty assume
that Black male students are academically inferior, underachievers and poorly motivated
(Barrier). In the next section, the recommendations for practice to address KMO influences will
be presented.
Recommendations for Practice to Address KMO Influences
Knowledge Recommendations
Introduction. The knowledge influences in Table 12 represent the complete list of
assumed knowledge influences and their validation that are supported by the literature review
that suggests that declarative knowledge about something is often necessary to know before
applying it to classify or identify, as in the case of the academic achievement of Black males in
higher education. As indicated in Table 6, the data validated and did not validate some of the
assumed knowledge causes. Table 12 also shows the recommendations for these influences
based on theoretical principles.
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Researchers have revealed that there are at least four different knowledge types that
influence student success. According to Krathwohl (2002), factual knowledge refers to the
basic elements that student must know to be acquainted with a discipline or solve problems in
it. Conceptual knowledge is viewed as the interrelationships among the core elements within a
large structure that enable them to function together. Procedural knowledge refers to how to do
something: methods of inquiry, and criteria for using skills, algorithms, techniques, and
methods. Procedural knowledge is defined as step-by-step procedures implemented in a
specific sequence (Hiebert, 2013).
Metacognitive knowledge is the awareness of one’s knowledge of condition in general
as well as awareness, knowledge of one’s cognition and the ability to use prior knowledge.
Metacognitive knowledge is the capacity to use prior knowledge to plan a strategy for
approaching learning task by taking the necessary steps to solve the problem. Metacognitive
knowledge refers to what individuals know about themselves as cognitive processors, about
different approaches that can be used for learning and problem solving, and about the
demands of a particular learning task (Why Teach, 2012).
The literature review examined the different types of knowledge influencing
retention, graduation rates, and transferring to four-year universities. Declarative
knowledge is knowing that something is the case. Further, declarative knowledge is
information that can be conveyed in words, orally or in writing; that is, a knowledge that
can be declared. Procedural knowledge will examine what Black male students need to
know to follow the necessary steps; understanding concepts, and applying rules that govern
relationships to achieve academic success.

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Table 12
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Knowledge
Influence: Cause,
Need, or Asset*
Validated
Yes, High
Probability,
No
(V, HP, N)
Priority Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Declarative
Factual: Black male
students know what
college resources are
available to assist
them in an academic
setting
N Y How individuals
organize knowledge
influences how they
learn and apply
what they know
(Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006).
Provide
information on an
educational plan
to Black male
students that
identifies and
organizes their
declared major
and general
educational courses
to take, which
contributes to their
learning and
application in
pursuing high
academic
achievement.
Procedural: Black
male students
know how to take
notes in class and
engage with other
classmates
(facilitator).
V Y To develop mastery,
individuals must
acquire component
skills, practice
integrating them,
and know when to
apply what they
have learned
(Schraw &
McCrudden, 2006).
Provide training to
Black male
students on the
knowledge they
must acquire to
follow an
educational plan to
take the
required courses in
sequence to
graduate and
transfer in a timely
manner.
Metacognitive:
Black male
students do not
know the
interrelationship
between what is
required to
graduate and
transfer.
N Y High self-efficacy
can positively
influence
motivation
(Pajares, 2006).
Procedural
knowledge includes
strategic knowledge
(Anderson &
Krathwohl, 2001).
Provide
opportunities to
Black male
students in which
peer student
mentoring talks
through techniques
on fulfilling an
educational plan by
taking the required
courses to be
successful in
college.

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Declarative knowledge solutions, or description of needs or assets. Declarative
knowledge is factual knowledge. In the study, the results did not validate the assumed
declarative cause that Black male students know what college resources are available to assist
them in an academic setting (Table 12). If Black male students know what college resources are
available to assist them in an academic setting that can contribute to high achievement rates. A
recommendation is to provide information on an educational plan to Black male students that
identifies and organizes their declared major and general educational courses to take, which
contributes to their learning and application in pursuing high academic achievement. Therefore,
the college must continue to require students to meet with a councilor during their first semester
to create an educational plan. However, the college should implement a guided pathway
innovation to integrate change to providing students with proactive feedback requiring
counselors to follow up with students to ensure they are following the map of sequenced
courses. The college should explore creating a counseling mobile app to allow students to
connect with a college counselor via live chat or FaceTime to provide a non-tradition method of
communications.
Procedural knowledge influence solutions or description of needs or assets.
Procedural knowledge is the steps or actions that Black male students will have to take
to reach their academic goals. Procedural knowledge can be a sequence appropriate to
achieve or solve a problem of practice (Hiebert, 2013). In the study, the results validated
the assumed knowledge cause that Black male students know how to take notes in class
and engage with other classmates (facilitator) (Table 12).
The research suggests that Black male student who enter college lack
information about how to develop and implement not just with their academic plan but
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110
also their career plan because of the lack of information and exposure to a college
environment (Hertel, 2002). Research suggest that Black male community college
students have poor study habits, do not regularly attend class and utilize academic
support services, which contributes to their academic success (Wood, 2010). The
recommendation is to provide workshops to Black male students on the knowledge they
must acquire to follow an educational plan to take the required courses in sequence to
graduate and transfer in a timely manner. Therefore, the college should to continue to
create more academic support services, resources and workshops pertaining to the
academic success of Black male students. Implementing workshops to help Black male
students improve time management, taking notes, reading textbooks, test taking and
writing skills. The college needs to communicate to every Black male student on campus
what and where resources are available to help meet their academic and personal needs.
Black male students should receive information regarding health services, finical aid,
disabled student programs, extended opportunity programs, academic and career
workshops to support their academic success. Another recommendation for the college is
to create and maintain active social media accounts such as Twitter, Facebook and text
messaging system to communicate information to students. The college should utilize
the early alert system to enable faculty to refer Black male students to support services at
the first indication of struggling in class.
Metacognitive knowledge Influence solutions or description of needs or assets.
Metacognitive knowledge refers to the awareness of an individual cognition about a
particular cognitive process. Rueda (2011) defines this type of knowledge that allows
individuals to know when and why to do something as fundamental aspect of strategic behavior
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111
in solving problems. In the classroom, metacognitive knowledge allows Black male students to
become aware of what they know and what they do not know (Cao & Nietfeld, 2007). This
awareness allows a student a baseline to plan for learning and allocating time and effort to study
(Cao & Nietfeld, 2007).
In the study, the results did not validate the assumed knowledge cause that Black male
students know the interrelationship between what is required to graduate and transfer (Table 8).
For Black male students, monitoring their own study habits and academic performance knowing
when to seek help would be an indicator of metacognitive knowledge. Black male students
know how to plan their approach to studying to fulfill an education plan to be successful in
college. The recommendation for this influence is to provide opportunities to Black male
students through techniques on fulfilling an educational plan by taking the required courses to
be successful in college. Therefore, the organization must provide training to faculty to
encouraging and promote Black male student academic progress and success. The college
should require counselors and faculty members to attend professional development workshop on
facilitating a program of study and providing maps of course sequences to all students. Hence,
the college should assign counselors and support staff to a program of study or meta-major
providing more student support. This will ensure that students are receiving guided information
pertaining to their major and general education courses.
Another recommendation for the college is to build a strong supportive and caring
personal relationship in the community of learners through the creation of student clubs, sport
activities and social networking. These opportunities offer student a chance to become more
involved with the campus community adding to their educational experiences. Specifically,
focusing on improving student outcomes for Black male students including personal
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development. The college should continue to provide individual and private tutoring services to
students to increase the number of Black male passing Math and English courses.
Motivation Recommendations
Introduction. Clark and Estes (2004) suggest that human beings are made up of two
distinct cooperating psychological systems (i.e., knowledge and motivation). Motivation is the
push that gets us going, keeps us moving, and lets us know how much effort to spend trying
to accomplish a goal (Clark & Estes, 2004). Pintrich (2003) suggested that the central
question of what individuals want and what they want to accomplish. According to Pajares
(2006) and other researchers in the area of social cognitive theory, self-efficacy beliefs are
the foundation for human motivation, well-being, and personal accomplishment.
The motivation influences in Table 8 represent the complete list of assumed motivation
influences and validation that are supported by the literature review and the review of motivation
theory. Clark and Estes (2008) suggest that there are three indicators of motivation in task
performance (i.e., choice, persistence, and mental effort). Choice is going beyond intention to
start something. Persistence is continuing to pursue a goal in the face of distractions. Mental
effort is seeking and applying new knowledge to solve a novel program or perform a new task.
As all new reviewers have chosen to enter the profession, the assumed causes appear to
suggest persistence. Mental effort may be lacking for new reviewers in their review of
applications for accuracy and completeness. As indicated in Table 8, the data validated and did
not validate some of the assumed motivation causes. Table 13 also shows the recommendations
for these influences based on theoretical principles.

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Table 13 Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Motivation
Influence: Cause,
Need, or Asset*
Validated
Yes, High
Probability,
No
(V, HP, N)
Priority Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Personal Factors:
Black male students
value their college
education.
V N Rationales that
include a discussion
of their importance
and utility value of
the work or learning
can help learners
develop positive
values (Eccles,
2006; Pintrich,
2003).
Make it clear
that
individuals are
capable of learning
what is being taught
or are capable of
performing a task
(Pajares, 2006).
Psychological
factors: Black
male students
do not have
confidence in
their ability to
succeed in
college because
of stereotype
threats.
V Y Learning and
motivation are
enhanced when
learners
have positive
expectancies for
success (Pajares,
2006).
Make it clear that
individuals are
capable of learning
what is being
taught
or are capable
of performing
a task(Pajares,
2006).
Black male
students are
involved in
motivating their
own learning
process
(facilitator).

V Y Learning and
motivation are
enhanced when
learners
have positive
expectancies for
success (Pajares,
2006).
Make it clear that
individuals are
capable of learning
what is being
taught
or are
capable of
performing a task
(Pajares, 2006).
Environmental
Factor: Black male
students are
motivated to
succeed by
their desire to create
a better future for
themselves, their
families, and their
aspirations to be a
role model to
others, disproving
the negative
perceptions of
Black males.

V N Goals motivate
and direct
students
(Pintrich, 2003).

Focusing on
mastery,
individual
improvement,
learning, and
progress
promotes positive
motivation (Yough
& Anderman,
2006).
Encourage
people to set
specific goals
(Dembo &
Eaton,
2000) and
measurable
performance goals
(Clark & Estes,
2008).

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In the study, the results validated the assumed motivation cause that Black male
students value their college education. The work or learning can help learners develop
positive values (Eccles, 2006; Pintrich, 2003). The recommendation for this influence is for
the college to make it clear that individuals are capable of learning what is being taught or are
capable of performing a task (Pajares, 2006). Therefore, the college should support Black
male students in Math and Writing Skills where they can come to get help with their class
assignments in an environment that is welcoming. The college can help motivate Black male
student by planning culture event to celebrate Black History during the month of February.
Self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is the belief that one can succeed in a particular situation (Eccles,
2006). Pajares (2006) contends that all the beliefs that people hold about themselves and that
affects their day-to-day functioning and standing at the core of social cognitive theory, are
self-efficacy beliefs, which can be defined as the judgments that individuals hold about their
abilities to learn or to perform specific courses of action at designated levels. The major
interest of the study is how Black male students’ perceptions of their academic ability and
sense of career efficacy contribute to their academic success.
In the study, the results did validate the assumed motivation cause that Black male
students need to have confidence in their ability to succeed in college. Steel (1992) suggests
there is a relationship between self-efficacy and academic achievement. According to Steel
(1992), Black males have an academic disidentification and display low levels motivation to
succeed.
People with low self-efficacy might believe that things are tougher than they appear to
be, a belief that fosters anxiety, stress, depression, and a narrow vision of how to solve a problem
(Pajares, 2006). Hodges (1998) suggests that when perceived self-efficacy for certain task
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115
matches how much a task demands, individuals are focused on completing the task. The
recommendation for this influence is for organization to make it clear that individuals are
capable of learning what is being taught or can perform a task (Pajares, 2006).
Motivation pushes Black male students to become involved in their learning process
aggressively. Internal and external factors can drive students to become a part of their own
learning process. Motivation is essential in keeping Black male students engaged in their
learning process. Black male students are motivated through their internal self-perception.
Experiences and background can shape their motivational influences.
In the study, the results validated the assumed motivation cause that Black male
students are motivated to succeed by their desire to create a better future for themselves, their
families, and their aspirations to be a role model to others, disproving the negative
perceptions of Black males. According to Eccles (2006), attainment value is determined by
how well a task fits into an individual's goals and plans or to refer to the link between tasks
and individuals' own identities and preferences. Therefore, the recommendation for this
influence is that organization encourage students to set specific goals (Dembo & Eaton, 2000)
and measurable performance goals (Clark & Estes, 2008).
Organization Recommendations

Introduction. The organization influences in Table 9 represent the complete list of assumed
organizations influences and their validation that are supported by the literature review and the
review of organization and culture theory. Clark and Estes (2008) suggest that organization
and stakeholder goals are often not achieved due to a lack of resources, most often time and
money, and stakeholder goals that are not aligned with the organization’s mission and goals.
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116
Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) propose two constructs about culture - culture
models observable beliefs and values shared by individuals in groups, and cultural models, or
the settings and activities in which performance occurs. Thus, both resources and processes
and cultural models and settings must align throughout the organization’s structure to achieve
the mission and goals. As indicated in Table 9, the data validated and did not validate some of
the assumed motivation causes. Table 15 shows the recommendations for these influences
based on theoretical principles to help Black male students.
Table 15 Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations

Assumed
Organization
Influence: Cause,
Need, or Asset*
Validated
Yes, High
Probability,
No
(V, HP, N)
Priority Yes, No
(Y, N)
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
Organization
Factors
Black male students
need an educational
environment that
supports engaging
faculty-student
interactions
(facilitator).

V N Learning and
motivation are
enhanced when
learners have a
positive
expectancy for
success (Pajares,
2006).
Create an
environment that
fosters desirable
behaviors
(Truckman,
2009)

Cultural Factors
Black male students
may fear doing
something that
would confirm a
negative stereotype.
(barrier)
V N Positive
emotional
environment
support
motivation
(Clark & Estes,
2008)
Make it clear that
individuals are
capable of learning
what is being taught
or are capable of
performing a task
(Pajares, 2006)
Organization
Factors: Black male
students need
college faculty
members who are
adequately trained to
understand
microaggressions
and made aware of
common stereotypes
specific to Black
males.
V N Effective change
efforts ensure that
everyone has the
resources
(equipment,
personnel, time,
etc.) needed to do
their job, and that if
there are resource
shortages, then
resources are
aligned with
organizational
priorities (Clark &
Provide instructional
support (scaffolding)
early on, build in
multiple opportunities
for practice and
gradually remove
supports (Pajares,
2006).
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117
Estes, 2008).

Cultural settings. Culture setting and culture model can affect an organization’s
performance (Gallimore & Goldberg, 2001). Cole (1996) notes that culture models are the
shared interaction processes of an organization, whereas the cultural settings are the physical
environments in which the process occurs. The overall focus of the study was to identify
what organizational policies; support services and resources affect the academic achievement
of Black male students. In the study, the results validated the assumed organization cause
that Black male students need a college culture setting that is free from racial discrimination
on campus (Barrier). The recommendation is for the college to create an environment that
fosters desirable behaviors (Truckman,2009). The college must continue to review and
update its procedures for prohibited discrimination, unlawful harassment and sexual
misconduct to maintain a positive college culture. The college needs to encourage personal
social responsibility toward the college community without discrimination to foster a
comfortable environment.
The results validated the assumed organization cause that Black male students may
fear doing something that would confirm a negative stereotype. (barrier). Therefore, the
recommendation for college is to make it clear that individuals are capable of learning what
is being taught or are capable of performing a task (Pajares, 2006). The college must create
an environment that is free from negative stereotypes. The college needs strong leadership
providing professional development training on cultural diversity to improve meeting the
needs of Black male students.
Policies. The experiences of many Black male students in college are characterized by a lack
of preparation, poor retention, and graduation rates (Cuyjet, 2006; Maxwell & Hampton,
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118
2002). While community colleges have been attentive to areas of enrollment, retention, and
graduation, there is a salient need to be more proactive in finding ways to help increase student
academic performance, particularly among Black males as it relates to the current policies
(Wood & Palmer, 2014). The Center for Community College Student Engagement (2012)
college outcomes research points out that under 50% of community college students whose
goal is to complete a degree or other type of credential, actually graduate within six years after
their initial enrollment. According to Mangan (2014), although Black and Latino male
students enter community colleges with higher aspirations than those of their white peers,
white men are six times as likely to graduate in three years with a certificate or degree.
According to Credie and Dean (1991), it is imperative that college faculty, staff, and
administrators in higher education understand the needs, backgrounds, and environments of
students to help them succeed in the academic setting. The achievement and college retention
rate of Black males will not change without strong leaders in the community college system.
Unfortunately, policymakers have not been at the forefront of conversation. Significant efforts
focused on improving Black men’s college outcomes and increased their post-secondary
degree attainment rates. Given the pervasiveness of this problem, more advocacy, and action
among policy makers and other governing bodies include the Black community as crucial steps
in moving forward the achievement agenda. Postsecondary educators and the policy makers
must do more of what works to enroll, retain, educate, and graduate Black male students.
Additional, community colleges have neglected minority students and turned the open-door
policy into a revolving door, which means it is easy to enroll and to drop out (Cuyjet, 2006).
Community colleges are faced with developing practices that will best improve the
achievement gap of Black male students.
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Processes. In the study, the results validated the assumed organization cause that Black
male students need access to institutional services to help support them academically.
Researchers and educators have suggested methods to improve Black male students’ academic
achievement at the postsecondary level of education. Harper (2006) suggest that more resources
should be dedicated to accompanying programs and student organizations that strive to involve
retaining Black male students.
Many scholars agree that group engagement is a powerful tool to use to involve students.
Student organizations are common on many campuses and are often supportive in the ways in
which they help Black males navigate their way to earning a degree (Harper & Harris, 2006).
Creating mentorship program between the students and faculty and group learning can help
improve degree attainment (Bush & Bush, 2005). The college campus environment must be
welcoming to Black male students to enhance their academic success by providing programs and
services that create a diverse educational culture. Scholars have suggested that summer bridge
programs, mentoring, faculty and staff who are supportive help motivate Black male students to
achieve their goals.
Cultural models. According Harper and Wood (2016), a positive campus environment
has been found to be associated with providing better outcomes for Black male students in
higher education. However, there is still an unwelcoming hostile and alienating campus
cultural that leads to negative outcomes for Black male students (Harrison, 1999; Wilkins
2005). Black male students are stopped and harassed by campus police officer than any other
race on college campus in the United States, which has a negative impact on them.
In the study, the results validated the assumed organization cause that Black male
students need a college culture setting that is free from racial discrimination on campus
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(barrier). Riley (2007) and Bush and Bush (2010) found that a positive institution
environment was a strong indication that Black male student would most likely transfer to a
four-year university. Wood (2010) suggests that a positive campus environment served as
driver for student successes. In addition, Wood (2010) suggests that it is important that Black
male are exposed to a campus culture that positively affects that college matriculation
experience.
For Black male students in community college, a successful academic performance
and habits are positive factors leading to academic achievement. Mason (1994) argues that
absenteeism has been detract from student success. When a student does not attend class, he
will miss valuable information, detracts from peer and faculty relationships, which are key
components to a student academic achievement. Black male students must attend class.
Furthermore, Wood (2010) suggest that the following campus cultural issues may contribute
to Black male student absenteeism: dislike for particular class, disinterest in school,
transportation issues, lack of motivation or will to attend class due to external relationships
factors, family issues and antipathy toward a particular student in class or perception that a
professor is overly strict (p. 265). Again, the recommendation for the college is to build a
supportive and caring relationship in the community to help students with their personal
needs. The college must develop a strategic plan for collaborating with students involving
their families and professors.
Another cultural setting identified for Black male student is faculty-student
relationships. In the study, the results validated the assumed organization cause that Black male
students need an educational environment that supports engaging faculty-student interactions
(facilitator). It is important that college faculty share in the responsibility of creating a positive
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environment of interaction with Black male students. According to Bush and Bush (2010),
Black male students are less likely than their peers to interact with faculty members. Wood
(2014) suggests that since Black male student are less likely to interact with their professors
given the previous negative experiences in school leading to fear of being viewed as inadequate
academically. Wood and Turner (2010) in their study offer the following recommendations on
how college faculty should establish relationships with Black male student in college:
1. Initiate the first contact with students,

2. Illustrate an authentically friendly and caring disposition

3. Be proactive in monitoring students’ academic progress

4. Be encouraging and affirming to students

Astin (1977) and Tinto (1975) argue the importance of student social integration and
involvement in a college environment. The more a student is involved with campus activities
such as student government; he is likely to succeed (Astin, 1977). Participation in the campus
social clubs, student government sporting events, and even going places with friends could
lead to success in college.
Poole (2006) suggests that having friends on campus service as a facilitator of
institutional commitment can lead to student success. Wood (2010) in his study found that
extracurricular activities on campus motivated Black male students to come to campus, place
them in contact with academically focused students, and facilitate contact with their professors
and academic counselors. Therefore, the college must provide support for Black male students
through counseling, college support groups such as hosting welcome week on campus to
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engage students and their families to create a smooth academic success and personal
experience.
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan

Implementation and Evaluation Framework

Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016), based on the original Kirkpatrick
Four Level Model of Evaluation (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2006). This model suggests that
evaluation plans start with the goals of the organization and work backwards and that, by doing
so, the “leading indicators” that bridge recommended solutions to the organization’s goals are
both easier to identify and more closely aligned with organizational goals. Further, this “reverse
order” of the New World Kirkpatrick Model allows for a sequence of three other actions: a)
first, the development of solution outcomes that focus on assessing work behaviors, b) next, the
identification of indicators that learning occurred during implementation, and c) finally, the
emergence of indicators that organizational members are satisfied with implementation
strategies. Designing the implementation and evaluation plan in this manner forces connections
between the immediate solutions and the larger goal and solicits proximal “buy in” to ensure
success (Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick, 2016).
According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) there are three major reasons to
evaluate training programs: (a) to improve the program, (b) to maximize the transfer of learning
to behavior and subsequent organizational results, and (c) to demonstrate the value of training to
the organization (p. 5). The authors stated that effective training provides relevant knowledge
and skills and participants feel confident enough to apply them on the job.
Leading indicators are a vital component of the process, suggesting whether “critical
behaviors” are headed in the right direction to steer the organizational ship along the path to the
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preferred results. Required drivers have been added to the progress of the model, reinforcing,
monitoring, encouraging, and rewarding the behaviors required of employees. “Creating a
culture and expectation that individuals are responsible for maintaining the knowledge and
skills to enhance their own performance will encourage individual accountability and
empowerment” (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016, p. 15).
In addition, Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) noted the three phases of a program are:
(1) Planning (define program outcomes, return on expectations, success factors, identifying
critical behaviors and required drivers, necessities for success, design the intervention, design
the evaluation tools, using blended evaluation tools, using actionable intelligence); (2)
Execution (preparing participants for training, tying training to performance during training,
support and accountability after training, demonstration of value phase); and (3) Demonstration
of Value (compiling the planned data and telling a compelling story of value; starting with an
effective plan that creates and demonstrates program value from the very beginning).
When the organizations have established the goals and leading indicator will occur at
level four, behavioral changes and the extent to which the stakeholders have applied what they
have learned and examined at level three. According to Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick (2016)
Reinforcing, monitoring, encouraging, and rewarding behaviors are referred as required
drivers, which can lead to performance adjustment and increases level three mapping.
Therefore, levels two and three are known within the model respectively as the evaluations of
learning and reactions and are the final two layers of the model.
Organizational Purpose, Need and Expectations

The goal of this Black Educational Network and Development Mentor program is to
conduct a gap analysis from the perspective of Black male students to examine the knowledge,
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motivation and organizational elements that interfere with the graduation rates of Black men
attending Victory Community College. The analysis will begin by generating a list of possible
or assumed interfering elements from the research literature. The study will systematically
assess which of these interfering elements are at play on this campus. While a complete gap
analysis would focus on all stakeholders, for practical purposes the stakeholder to be focused on
in this analysis is Black male students.
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
Table 15 show the proposed Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators in the form of
outcomes, metrics and methods both external and internal outcomes for Black male students in
community college. If the internal outcomes are met as expected because of mentoring and
academic support for Black males, then the external outcomes should also be realized.
Table 15
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcome Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
Increase Black male student
graduation rates
The number of graduating Black
male students
Admission and Records office
Increase Black male student course
completion rates
The number of Black male student
completing a course
Academic Affairs
Increase the transfer rates of Black
male students to four-year
university.
The number of Black male transfer
students.
Transfer center, Academic Affairs,
and Student Services
Increase student campus
involvement
The number of Black male students
participating in campus event and
student government.
Student association
Internal Outcomes
Provide mentoring programs that
support Black male college
students.

Provide student with more student
support services.
Increase the number of programs
that help students to be successful
in college
Student Services, Academic
Affairs, Learning Center.
Provide more academic tutoring
services.
Students enroll a learning skills
course.
Academic Affair and the
Learning Center
Provide Black male student with
the educational student plan.
Counseling appointment Counseling Office
Ensure a positive campus
environment
Student activities on campus Academic Affairs, ASO, Student
Services and Administrative
Services
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Increase student peer support
services.
Number of students receiving peer
mentoring
Academic Affairs, ASO, Student
Services and Administrative
Services
Increase the number of Black
male student passing basic
skills
courses with a C or higher in their
first attempt.
Class attendance and sign sheets Student records access via
Admissions and Records

Level 3: Behavior

Critical behaviors. The stakeholders of focus are Black male students; however, the
organization must provide student support services for students to meet the critical behaviors
identified in table 16. The first critical behavior is that Black male students must meet with a
counselor to create a student educational plan. The second critical behavior is that Black male
students should follow an educational plan to ensure they are taking the right courses to
graduate or transfer. The third critical behavior Black male students should meet with a Black
male mentor to ensure they are on track to reach their goals. The participant in this study felt
there is a need to have Black male mentor who can relate to them culturally. The college must
formulate a plan to hire Black male professors and mentors to serve as role models and
positively impact Black male students. The specific metrics, methods, and timing for each of
these outcomes are shown in table 16.

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Table 16
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation

Critical Behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
Black male
students must
meet with a
Counselor to
create a student
educational plan.
Both the student
and counselor
agree and sign
the student
educational plan
Input the
educational in the
information school
system.
First
Semester
Black male
students should
follow the
student
educational plan
to ensure they
are taking the
right courses to
graduate.
Are Black male
students taking
classes according
to the educational
plan.
Students should
check via the
student
information
system to verify
courses.
Beginning of
Semester
Black male
students should be
meeting with a
male mentor
To ensure they
are meet track
to reach their
education
Student should
check in with a
mentor by
logging into an app
and the mentor will
monitor student
progress.
Bi-weekly
Black male
student
participates in
campus activities
Sign in sheet or
report to mentor
Student organization During or
after the
event

Required drivers. To achieve academic success for Black males in higher education there
must be techniques used known as drivers to reinforcing, encouragement, and rewarding
(Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016). For reinforcement, job aid (educational plan) identifying
specific courses to take each semester to be successful in community college. Behaviors will be
reinforced through utilizing communication through text messaging, app alerts and via network
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email communication within the college. Encouraging Black male student to actively participate
in their education and meet with their academic support adviser regularly. Students will need
constructive feedback and coaching from their mentor and classroom professors throughout the
semester to help them achieve the stakeholder’s goals. The rewards are to complete all required
courses with a grade C or higher, graduating and receiving recognition from mentors and
another academic support team. Table 17 shows the recommended drivers that support critical
behaviors of Black male students in community college. In this case the students to achieve their
goal the organization must provide Black males resources to support their academic success
through adequate institutional resources.
Table 17
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors

Method(s)

Timing
Critical Behaviors
Supported 1, 2, 3,4
Reinforcing
Job aid (educational plan)
identifying specific courses
to take each semester.
Semester 1.2
Meet with academic
advisors to reinforce
registering on time for the
required courses according
to the student’s educational
plan.
Semester 1 2 3
Attend student orientation
to find out what student
support services are
available
Semester 1 2 3 4
Encouraging
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Collaboration and
mentoring with assigned
campus mentor to provide
academic support
Bi-weekly 1 2 4
Constructive feedback
and coaching from
classroom professor and
mentors
Weekly 12 3 4
Rewarding
Successfully complete all
required courses with a
grade C or higher.
Semester 1 2 3
Degree attainment
and transfer to a
four-year university

Receive positive
comments and
recognition from
academic support team
After completing all
required courses

Semester
1 2 3 4

Monitoring. According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) in the absence of accountability
systems, even those individuals with “good intentions” (p. 54) will regress to behaviors that
were present prior to training. Therefore, Black male students can be successful in community
college under guidance and academic support services. Monitoring efforts can integrate
building relationships with the Black male students by maintaining frequent communication
with the faculty and staff throughout their matriculation at the college. Mentors and faculty will
be accountable to and for Black male students’ academic success through guided instruction for
academic success and support.
Organizational Support. The critical behaviors and required drivers that are monitored for
performance in the above sections assume that recommendations at the organizational level
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have been implemented. In this case study the stakeholder to achieve their goals, the
organization needs to provide information to address the cultural motivation influencers
impacting the academic achievement of Black male students in community college.
Furthermore, the organization knows why it needs to change, addressing the knowledge,
motivational, organizational barriers needed to provide the resources to bring about change to
facilitate the goals for Black male students. Therefore, this study provided insight into the need
for administrator and policy makers a college to become more knowledgeable and aware to the
needs of Black male students.
Level 2: Learning
Learning goals. Following the completion of the recommended solutions, most notably the
Black Educational Network and Development Mentor program, the stakeholders will be able
to:
1. Correctly describe an approach for Black male student to fulfilling an education
plan to be successful in college (P)

2. Explain and monitor a Black male students’ educational plan to make sure they are
taking the correct courses (P, M)

3. Plan effective programs for Black male students to be successful in community
college (M)

4. Monitor Black male student progress in each course (M)

5. Plan effective institutional services to help Black male students succeed in an
academic environment (P, M)

6. Plan and monitor Black male students meeting with an academic counselor to
improve transfer and graduation rates (M).

7. Recognize that Black male students believe they are competent to complete the
required basic skills course to graduate and transfer. (Self-efficacy)

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Program. The learning goals listed in the previous section will be achieved within a Black
Educational Network and Development Mentor program in conjunction with a Black Male
Guided Pathways program at the college. The Mentoring Network and Guided Pathways
program for Black male students will address the knowledge and skills, motivation, and
organizational element that influence the academic achievement of Black males in community
college. The program is designed to facilitate the academic achievement of Black males at the
college. The programs target the graduation and transfer rates, and retention of Black male
student as they matriculate at the community college level. These programs will articulate and
focus on the knowledge and skills, motivation and organizational components that influence the
academic achievement of Black male students to successfully pass the required course to
graduate and transfer to a four-year university.
The Black Educational Network and Development Mentor program at the college is an
instrument that will help students with problems they may face in a college environment, which
is particularly important for those students who are first-generation and who have no family
members that they can relate to about their college experience (Cuyjet, 2006). Research has
revealed that there are many benefits in implementing mentoring programs to help increase
retention and graduation rates for Black male students (Hoffman & Allach, 2005). Hoffman and
Wallach (2005) noted that Black male students who participate in mentoring program develop
better self-concept, which leads to higher levels of academic motivation as a result increases,
their academic performance. In addition, mentoring programs enables students who are being
mentored feel more comfortable opening about their challenges and share their experiences
with a mentor than with a faculty member (Hoffman & Wallach, 2005). Through the Black
Educational Network and Development Mentor program the college will have a better
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understanding of the issues and will provide resources to address Black male students needs for
them to achieve academic success.
In addition, the college should implement a Black Male Guided Pathways program that
integrates academics, and support services. The Pathways program will help the college clarify
the paths for Black students to help them select a program and stay on a path of completion. The
college needs a program to provide Black male students with a more structured academic
experience that supports them from point of entry to employment in a chosen field. A Black
Male Guided Pathways program will help Black male students simplify decision-making
regarding their educational goals by the college providing intentional opportunities for
exploring and informed choices leading to success. The college must help Black male students
understand academic and career options, and creating a plan based on program mapping.
In the Bible God asked Cain where is your brother, Cain response was I know not, am I
my brother keeper. Cain is an example of people unwillingness to take responsibility for the
welfare of their brother. In 2014 President Obama (Figure B) issued a challenge to all cities in
the United State of American to join My Brothers Keepers mentoring (MBK) program. MBK
Communities to help improve the academic achievement for men of color. This program call for
member of the community and mayors to follow a structural component to enact sustainable
through government funded programs and private partnership. The goal of these two programs
is to achieve academic success for Black males at a college. This approach aims to reduce
college dropout and increase transfer and graduation rates in low performance communities. The
program will prepare and equip mentors with resources, training and tools to help identify
barriers that influence academic success individual males. This approach will depend on existing
college and community resources to impact Black males in their communities.
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Figure B. My Brother’s Keeper

Components of learning. Demonstrating declarative knowledge is often necessary precursor
to applying knowledge to solve problems. As is the case with all the stakeholders, Black male
students need to feel confident that they can successfully applied the knowledge and skills they
acquired through training and mentoring. Evaluating learners both declarative and procedural
knowledge being taught is important. Therefore, it is equally important that learners value the
programs and their student educational plan as prerequisites to using their knowledge and skills
in community college to be successful. Table 18 lists the way that declarative and procedural
knowledge will be evaluated and outlined the proposed timing for completing these critical
elements of learning.
Table 18 Components of Learning for the Program.

Method(s) or Activity (ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”
Knowledge check using multiple choice During the session.
Knowledge checks, through discussions,
“pair, think, share” and other individual/
group activities.
Periodically during the in-person
workshop and documented via
observation notes.
Knowledge check through the campus
learn program.
During the mentoring sessions.
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”
Quality feedback during mentoring During the mentoring sessions.
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Retrospective pre- and post-test
assessment survey asking participants
about their level of proficiency before and
after the training.
Beginning and end of the semester
Quality feedback from course instructor During the semester
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Retrospective pre- and post-test
assessment item.
Beginning and end of the semester
Discussions of the value of what they
are being asked to do in college.
During the semester
Confidence “I think I can do it on the job.”
Survey items using scaled items. At the end of the semester
Retrospective pre- and post-test
assessment item.
After the course.
Commitment “I will do it on the job.”
Discussions following practice and
feedback.
During workshop and mentoring sessions
Create an individual educational plan. During workshop
Retrospective pre- and post-test
assessment item.
Beginning and end of the semester

Level 1: Reaction
According to Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) evaluating stakeholder and participation
involvement in learning report at reaction level 1 measured in terms of the learners favorable,
engagement and relevant. Feedback and reactions are gathered during or after the workshops
sections have been completed. When completing a summative reaction evaluation, it should be
voluntary and reflective, ask the students about the relevancy of the content presented, did they
feel they were paired with a good mentor that will meet their individual needs as a college
student, relevance and use of time. Table 19 outlines the methods for measuring Black male
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students’ reaction in terms of engagement, relevancy and satisfaction regarding academic support
via workshops and mentoring.
Table 19 Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Observation by mentor / faculty Ongoing during semester
Students attendance During the workshop or mentoring section
Mentoring sections Following each section
Course evaluation End of the semester
Relevance
Content evaluation of
Mentoring, Workshops, and
Guided Pathways
Following each workshop and
mentoring sections
Brief pulse-check with participants via
survey
Beginning and end of semester
Customer Satisfaction
Program evaluation Beginning and end of semester
Brief pulse-check with participants via
survey
At the end of each workshop and
mentoring sections

Evaluation Tools
Immediately following the program implementation. Immediately following the
mentoring workshops the coordinator will collect data pertaining to the participant’s
engagement during the workshop. Evaluations at the level 1 and 2 are important in they will
provide feedback about the networking sections for Black male students. Hence, evaluation
taking place immediately following program implementation seeks to understand the
confidence with which Black male students understand the knowledge and skills shared with
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them and again the overall level of commitment that student in terms of applying what they
have learned into practice. While the evaluation at this level will take the form of workshop
attendance and observational engagement data collected by mentors, professor, counselor,
student support staff a more in-depth survey given in pre- and post-test format will be used to
confirm what the students gained. The pre-and post-test will be administered.
Furthermore, attendance, observational data, brief pulse-checks during mentoring
session and survey data, Black male students will be asked to complete brief feedback forms
following the mentoring program or after meeting with their academic advisor. Black male
student will be asked a number of questions regarding relevance, confidence commitment
levels and will be given the opportunity to provide open ended feedback about future programs
that will help Black male students in community college. The feedback forms will evaluate
reactions and learning, will consist of questions, similarly formatted and ease for use.
The participants in this study are all conformable and communicate fluently in the
English language, therefore, the said form will only be available in English. Delayed for a
period after the program implementation. Following the last networking workshop of the year,
approximately at the end of the spring 2018 semester, Black male students will be asked to
complete posttest that doubles as a final evaluation tool. Within this evaluation Black male
students will be assessed on content knowledge that was presentation during the mentoring
workshop that might include procedural questions related to identification, declarative
questions that focus on the short and long term of the programs as well as cite ways in which
their behavior, through advocacy efforts have changes. Therefore, as part of the level 4
evaluation, Black male students will briefly describe their constructed advocacy plan and
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express their level of success in passing the required courses with help though the information
provided by attended mentoring workshops.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Approach
Clark and Estes’ (2008) gap analysis helps to clarify organizational goals and identify the
gap between the actual performance level and the preferred performance level within VCC. The
gap analysis process is most appropriate 1) for illustrating the interaction of the knowledge,
motivational and organizational barriers Black male students experience that affect their
academic achievement, 2) for identifying causes and suitable solutions, 3) for developing an
implementation plan, and 4) for yielding solutions. However, a specific organizational goal is
necessary to conduct a gap analysis. Not all institutions have the goal specificity that is required
for a gap analysis. Thus, the gap analysis process is not appropriate for all.
Limitations
The study was confined to a limited number of participants available for participation.
The limitations applied to the survey and interview contexts. The survey and interview questions
might be understood in the manner intended by the researcher. Participants might have asked
someone to complete the survey for them since surveys were conducted online. The researcher
increased the credibility of the study by conducting interviews with participants who had some
college experience at VCC. The researcher ensured accuracy by using member checking and
triangulation between surveys, interviews, and documents. The researcher selected survey items
on the basis of existing valid and reliable instruments.
Future Research
The study explored factors that were perceived by the students to affect their academic
achievement in community college. The primary delimitation of the study was that the focus
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was on Black male students in community college. Researchers should examine factors
perceived by other male minority students to affect their academic achievement in community
college. Future Further research can fill the gap in literature by examining factors perceived by
other male minority students to affect their academic achievement in community college.
The focus of the study was specific to VCC’s institutional goal and may not be
transferable to other educational institutions. Researchers should examine other educational
institutions’ goal such as the development of the abilities that students need by performing a gap
analysis. Future research may show that other educational institutions can achieve their goal by
developing the capabilities that students need.
The study should not be confined to a limited number of participants available for
participation. Researchers should select more than 10 participants to ensure that saturation does
not occur. In the study, the survey and interview questions might be understood in the manner
intended by the researcher. In future studies, the survey and interview questions should be
developed carefully.
In the study, the survey results did not validate the assumed organization cause that the
negative image of Black male students affects their interaction with faculty and students, which
is connected with their outcomes in college (barrier). However, the findings from interviews do
not align with the survey results. The discrepancy between findings might warrant additional
investigation.
In the study, Black male students believe in their own self-concept. However, Black
male students do not have confidence in their ability to succeed in college. Additional
investigation might be warranted by the discrepancy between findings might warrant.
Researchers should examine Black male students’ self-concept.
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Researchers should use treatments or interventions (i.e., academic counseling) to examine
if there is a significant difference in academic achievement between Black male students who
receive treatments and those who do not receive treatments. Researchers should use a T-test.
Further research can fill the gap in literature by examining the effect of academic counseling on
the achievement of Black male students.
In the study, Black male students do not experience stereotypical beliefs from faculty or
staff (barrier). The results did not validate the assumed causes that Black male students
experience stereotypical beliefs from faculty or staff (barrier). Additional investigation might be
warranted.
Conclusion
The problem of the study is that the persistent opportunity gaps which Black males often
face in higher education at a college, which has led to diminishing achievement rates in
community college. The three stakeholders for VCC are students, faculty members, and
counselors because they play distinct roles in the college’s effort to achieve its goal of academic
success. However, the student was from the perspective of Black male to learn from the view
what is hindering their academic success in college. The New World Kirkpatrick Model (2016)
was used to plan, implement, and evaluate the recommendations outlined in reference to degree
attainment and transfer rates of Black male students at VCC. However, before an integrated
implementation and evaluation plan could be developed, research needed to be conducted to
determine where the gap existed in relation to addressing the needs of Black male students and
their specific goal. During the data collection with the stakeholders during the 2016-2017
academic school year, several knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences and barriers
to learning and advocacy were revealed at the site for this study.
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These influences and barriers were followed up by recommendations based on research.
As recommendations relate to the stakeholders’ goal, it was revealed that Black male student
could achieve academic success, increase transfer and graduation rates if the organization
provided the academic support programs to serve him. The Black male student would perform
better in college if he was given the opportunity and educated about the importance of mentoring
workshops and become more involved in campus activities. The mentoring program will allow
Black male students to meet and discuss the academic journey with a counselor or mentor who
can give them actions steps and critical information about their major and education plan.
The Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick’s (2016) framework level four about training and
evaluation is presented by examining the academic services for Black male students that help
them become academically successful in college. After isolating the metrics by which VCC
would be considered successful if Black male graduation and transfer rates will increase and
student will complete community college in a timely manner. Black male students desired
behaviors including meeting with a college counselor to ensure a student educational plan is
created so there is visual mapping, which is guided pathway to graduation or transfer and that
they take advantage of academic resources available to help them be successful. The behaviors
were driven by methods that reinforce, encourage, and reward the academic achievement of
Black male students in community college.
Furthermore, to implement the integrated plan for creating a Black Educational Network
and Development, it is necessary to share the vision and gain support of the college. The
organization provide must provide mentorship because it is important factor in help Black male
students navigated successful through college. Building stakeholder support through input and
feedback is important when there are fewer resources available to help create an effective
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

140
program. The Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick’ (2016) model will pave the way for future
mentoring. The pitch to the stakeholder is that this is a great program, which will lead to the
academic success of Black male students.
This study explored the issues hindering Black male students’ success at a college.
The study is significant to a community college in the Los Angeles area because it addresses
academic success through the eyes of Black male students. The study explored the
Knowledge, Motivation, and Organizational barriers and facilitators contributing to their
academic success as well as challenges to possible solutions the organization must improve
to help Black male students achieve academic success. There is a strong indication that this
educational institution needs to be aware of the barriers to formulate a prescription of how to
best support the needs and development among Black male students.
The policymakers at this college must be at the forefront of conversation, and
significant efforts focused on improving Black men’s college outcomes and increased their
post-secondary degree attainment rates. Additionally, at this study site minority students
have been neglected and must develop practices that will best improve the achievement gaps
of Black male students.
The study may inform the wider problem of practice by helping the college attain its
goal of 100% graduation and transfer rates among Black male students by June 2018. The
study might apply or be useful to others because it might solve the problem of low academic
achievement among Black male students in postsecondary education.

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141
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Journal of Negro Education, 82(3), 272-287,357-358. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.usc.edu/docview/1462798762?accountid=14749
Wood, J. L., & Palmer, R. T. (2014). Academic achievement and the community college:
Perspectives of black male students on the importance of "focus". College Student Affairs
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

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Journal, 32(1), 141-153. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.usc.edu/docview/1611000547?accountid=14749

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Appendix A
Recruitment Script
My name is Corey Flournoy, and I am a doctoral student at the University of Southern
California (USC) in the Rossier School of Education. I am conducting a research study to
investigate factors that contribute to the academic achievement of Black males in the community.
You are being asked to participate in research to gather information on Black male
community college students’ views on academic success. Participation in this study involves
taking a survey on your views about your academic experiences as Black male student. The time
commitment that you will be asked to allot will be approximately 10 minutes.
I would like to interview you to get your perspective. During the interview, I will ask you
a series of questions geared towards your positively and negatively academics experiences as a
Black male in community college. For participating in the 30-minute interview, you will receive
$10. If you agree and are select to be interviewed after completing the survey, I will schedule a
time that is most convenient for you to meet with me for approximately 30 minutes.
To access the survey please go to the following link:_________________.
Please note that your participation is completely voluntary. All information you provide
will remain strictly confidential. You may refuse to answer any questions and may withdraw at
any time without penalty. Information that you provide may lead to findings, which can be used
to improve the academic experiences of Black male community college students. If you have any
question or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact: Corey Flournoy at
coreyflo@usc.edu, (310) 287-4246

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Appendix B
Survey Questions
Survey Item
Scale
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Neutral Agree
Strongly
Agree
1. CAMPUS
ENVIRONMENT
In general, I fit in with
other students on
campus.
1 2 3 4 5
2. If I had the choice to do
it all over again I would
still attend this college.
1 2 3 4 5
3. I have found the campus
environment at this
college to be friendly.
1 2 3 4 5
4. I feel left out of things
here at this college.
1 2 3 4 5
5. I feel out of place in the
classroom
1 2 3 4 5
6. The instructors call on
me often in the
classroom.
1 2 3 4 5
7. I’m less confident as a
student now than I was
in high school.
1 2 3 4 5
8. I have experienced being
stereotyped on campus.
1 2 3 4 5
9. I have experienced racial
insensitivity from other
student on campus
1 2 3 4 5
FACULTY –STUDENT
RELATIONSHIP
10. I feel my instructor
shows little interest in
my contributions
1 2 3 4 5
11. In general, my
instructors help me feel
confident in my abilities

1 2 3 4 5
12. I feel the academic
advisers on campus are
1 2 3 4 5
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

159
sensitive to my needs.
13. I am comfortable
approaching my
instructors for help.
1 2 3 4 5
14. I feel comfortable
participating in class
discussions or asking
questions.
1 2 3 4 5
15. Instructors view me as a
serious student.
1 2 3 4 5
16. I am motivated to do
well in college.
1 2 3 4 5
17. I feel that my classmates
view me as serious
student.
1 2 3 4 5
18. When I try to speak up
in class, I am sometimes
interrupted or ignored.
1 2 3 4 5
19. The college has
sufficient resources to
meet my needs.
1 2 3 4 5
20. I believe the college
supports you to be
successful
1 2 3 4 5
21. You know where to find
college support services
on campus.
1 2 3 4 5
22. Would you be willing to
have a one on one
interview for 30 minutes
on this topic?
23. If Yes, please click on
the link below to
provide you name and
email address. This
information will only be
used for the purpose to
contact you to set up an
interview time.
YES NO

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Appendix C
Interview Questions
Semi structured interview with probing questions

1. Tell me about yourself
a. How was your high school experience?
b. Why are you going to college?

2. What does academic success mean to you?
a. Is academic success important to your future?
b. What is your major?
c. Are you a freshman or sophomore in college?

3. Tell me about goals you have set for yourself?
a. What are your educational goals? (plan to graduate or transfer)
b. What personal attributes that you believe help you stay in college

4. How is your academic performance in college?
a. How are you doing in your classes
b. Tell me about your worst experiences as a college student.
c. Have you taken any remedial classes?

5. Tell me how many professors have you had who were black males?
a. Is this an important factor to you? (why/why not?)
b. To what extent can Black male professors motivate Black male students to
achieve academic success.
c. Is there a need for Black male mentors on campus?

6. Tell me about the effect that the campus environment has, if any, on your ability to
achieve academic success?
a. What support have you seen or experienced that was specifically geared towards
Black males?
b. What impact, if any—could be positive or negative-- did any of your professors
have on you as a student?
c. To what extent have you experienced stereotyping on campus?
d. Describe your relationship with faculty?

7. What factors do you believe contribute to the academic success of Black male college
students?
a. Are there key people in your life that encourage you while you are in college?
b. How have they helped you?
c. Is there a need for male mentors?

8. What hurdles may hinder Black male students from achieving academic success?
a. Talk about obstacles you make be facing or had to overcome while in college?

THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

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9. What can this college do to help Black males students achieve academic success?
a. How well do you think Black male are doing on this campus?
b. What do Black males need to help the stay and transfer or graduate from
college?

10. Is there anything else you would like to share that I did not ask you?

THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

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Appendix D
Black Male Recruitment Flyer

Calling Black
Male Students

Students are needed for a study of Black males in community college.
If you participate in both the online survey and the interview of this study you will
receive $10.

You can choose to only to participate in the survey, however, $10 will only be given to
those who participate in both the online survey(5-min) and the interview (15-20 min).
You qualify to participate in this study if you meet the following requirements:

1. You are currently enrolled (full-time / part-time) at WLAC
2. 18 years old or older
3. You have a high school diploma
4. Willing to talk openly about your academic experience
5. Black male

If you are interested in participating in this study, please contact Corey at
(310) 287-4246 or williacf@wlac.edu

Survey link: https://usc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_77FVEJlJoT0srm5

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Appendix E
Institutional Review Board

University of Southern California University Park Institutional Review Board
3720 South Flower Street Credit Union Building (CUB) #301
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0702
Phone: 213-821-5272
Fax: 213-821-5276
upirb@usc.edu

Date: Jan 26, 2017, 10:50am
Action Taken: Approve
Principal
Investigator:
Corey Flournoy
ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Faculty Advisor: Melora Sundt
ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Co-Investigator(s):
Project Title: Academic Achievement of Black Males in Community College
Study ID: UP-16-00756
Funding:

The University Park Institutional Review Board (UPIRB) designee determined that your project meets the
requirements outlined in 45 CFR 46.101(b) category (2) and qualifies for exemption from IRB review. This study
was approved on 01/26/2017 and is not subject to further IRB review.

Minor revisions were made to the application (sections 5, 11.2, 22.1 & 25.2) by the IRB Analyst.

Consent and recruitment documents are no longer required to be uploaded for exempt studies; the IRB
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

164
Administrator will not review the recruitment and consent documents uploaded, nor will the
documents be stamped valid. It is the researchers responsibility to make sure the consent
document is consistent with the study practices as stated in the application, and the document
follows the principles of the Belmont Report, which requires all potential participants to be
informed of the research study, their rights as a participant, confidentiality of their data, etc. If not,
please utilize the template Information Sheet For Exempt Research on the UPIRB and revise the
template to be specific to your study.

Please check with all participating sites to make sure you have their permission to conduct research
prior to beginning your study.

Researchers are reminded that participants should not have to answer all of the questions in the interview
to receive their compensation; to do so, is considered coercive. The compensation is for the p a r t i ci p a n t s’
time, not an incentive to complete the study procedures.

All submissions, including new applications, contingency responses, amendments and continuing
reviews are reviewed in the order received.

Attachments:

Social-behavioral health-related interventions or health-outcome studies must register with
clinicaltrials.gov or other International Community of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) approved registries
in order to be published in an ICJME journal. The ICMJE will not accept studies for publication unless the
studies are registered prior to enrollment, despite the fact that these studies are not applicable “ cl i n i ca l
t r i a l s” as defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For support with registration, go to
www.clinicaltrials.gov or contact Jean Chan ( jeanbcha@usc.edu, 323-442-2825).

This is an auto-generated email. Please do not respond directly to this message using the "reply" address.
A response sent in this manner cannot be answered. If you have further questions, please contact iStar
Support at (323) 276-2238 or istar@usc.edu.

The contents of this email are confidential and intended for the specified recipients only. If you have
received this email in error, please notify istar@usc.edu and delete this message.

THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

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Appendix F
Information Facts Sheet for Exempt Non-Medical Research

University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
3470 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, CA 90089

INFORMATION/FACTS SHEET FOR EXEMPT NON-MEDICAL RESEARCH
Academic Achievement of Black Males in Community College

You are invited to participate in a research study by Corey Flournoy. Research studies include
only people who voluntarily choose to take part. This document explains information about this
study. You should ask questions about anything that is unclear to you.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to understand the knowledge, motivational and organizational
factors related to the academic success of Black males in community college. There are
cognitive, non-cognitive, institutional factors and historical events that impact the experience of
Black males in community college. Furthermore, what factors contribute to the graduation
success rates, transfer rates to four-year universities and associate degree attainment of Black
males in community college.

PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT

If you agree to participate in this study, you will be asked to complete a survey, which will take
approximately 15 minutes to complete. Please understand you do not have to answer any
questions you do not want to answer. You will also participate in a semi-structured interview
lasting approximately one hour. Guiding questions will be asked but the interview will be
conversational and follow questions maybe asked. The interview conversation will be audio
recording. You do not have to answer any questions you do not want to answer. If you don’t
want to be audio record you will not be able to participate in this study

PAYMENT/COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION
You will receive $10 visa gift card for your time. You must answer all of the interview questions
in order to receive the card. The card will be given to you when you have completed the final
interview.

ALTERNATIVES TO PARTICIPATION

Your alternative is to not participate. Your relationship with your college will not be affected
whether you participate or not in this study.

CONFIDENTIALITY
THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

166

There will be no identifiable information obtained in connection with this study. Your name,
address or other identifiable information will not be collected. Any identifiable information
obtained in connection with this study will remain confidential. Your responses will be coded
with a false name (pseudonym) and maintained separately. The audio-tapes will be destroyed
once they have been transcribed. The data will be stored on a password protected computer in the
researcher’s office for three years after the study has been completed and then destroyed.

Required language:
The members of the research team, the funding agency and the University of Southern
California’s Human Subjects Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP
reviews and monitors research studies to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects.

When the results of the research are published, or discussed in conferences, no identifiable
information will be used. (Remove this statement if the data are anonymous)

INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
Principal Investigator: Corey Flournoy
Rossier School of Education 3470 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089
(310) 287-4246

RIGHTS OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT – IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about your rights as a research participant or the
research in general and are unable to contact the research team, or if you want to talk to someone
independent of the research team, please contact the University Park Institutional Review Board
(UPIRB), 3720 South Flower Street #301, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or
upirb@usc.edu

SIGNATURE OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT

I have read the information provided above. I have been given a chance to ask questions. My
questions have been answered to my satisfaction, and I agree to participate in this study. I have
been given a copy of this form.

AUDIO/VIDEO/PHOTOGRAPHS (If this is not applicable to your study and/or if
participants do not have a choice of being audio/video-recorded or photographed, delete
this section.)

□ I agree to be audio/video-recorded /photographed (remove the media not being used)

□ I do not want to be audio/video-recorded /photographed (remove the media not being
used)

THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

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Name of Participant

Signature of Participant Date

SIGNATURE OF INVESTIGATOR

I have explained the research to the participant and answered all of his/her questions. I believe
that he/she understands the information described in this document and freely consents to
participate.

Name of Person Obtaining Consent

Signature of Person Obtaining Consent Date

THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

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APPENDIX G
Level 1 and Level 2 Evaluation Instrument

Level 1 and Level 2 Evaluation Instrument

Please read each survey question. Respond to the question by marking on the number that
corresponds to the response you select. The minimum score start with the number 1 (strongly
disagree and the maximum score ends with the number 4(strongly agree). This survey will take
approximately 10 minutes to complete. Thanks for your participation.

1. I believe the Black male mentoring workshops are of great value and worth attending as I
continue my education at this college?
1(strongly disagree) 2 (disagree) 3 (agree) 4(strongly agree)

2. My confidence level has increased as a result of attending the mentoring workshops providing
information about the college services that support my academic success.
1(strongly disagree) 2 (disagree) 3 (agree) 4(strongly agree)

3. I am now committed to applying the information learned from the mentoring workshops that
support me as a student at this college.
1(strongly disagree) 2 (disagree) 3 (agree) 4(strongly agree

4. I am eager to participate in the mentoring workshops on campus.
1(strongly disagree) 2 (disagree) 3 (agree) 4(strongly agree)

5. Information provided at the mentoring workshops are relevant to me.
1(strongly disagree) 2 (disagree) 3 (agree) 4(strongly agree)

6. I am content with information provided at the mentoring workshops, which support me as
student at this college.
1(strongly disagree) 2 (disagree) 3 (agree) 4(strongly agree)

7. I am now more familiar with the campus and locating the resources and support services
available to me on campus.
1(strongly disagree) 2 (disagree) 3 (agree) 4(strongly agree)

8. There is a value in accessing college resources to support completion of each semester to meet
all educational requirements to graduate.
1(strongly disagree) 2 (disagree) 3 (agree) 4(strongly agree)

THE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

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9. I find the college is committed to supporting my academic success based on attending this
mentoring program.
1(strongly disagree) 2 (disagree) 3 (agree) 4(strongly agree)

10. I have received a worth of sufficient information by attending mentoring workshops that
provide support services through faculty and staff at the college.
1(strongly disagree) 2 (disagree) 3 (agree) 4(strongly agree)
11. I have benefitted from participating and the information provided from attending the
workshops?
1(strongly disagree) 2 (disagree) 3 (agree) 4(strongly agree)

12. I am capable of being a successful Black male college student through accessing recourses
the college provides.
1(strongly disagree) 2 (disagree) 3 (agree) 4(strongly agree)

Abstract (if available)

Abstract The purpose of this project was to conduct a gap analysis from the perspective of Black male students at a community college in the Los Angeles area to examine the knowledge, motivation, and organizational elements that interfere with their graduation and transfer rates. The analysis began by generating a list of possible or assumed interfering elements from the research literature and then examining them systematically to focus on actual or validated interfering elements. ❧ The conceptual framework for this study illustrates the interaction of the knowledge, motivational and organizational barriers Black male students experience that affect their academic achievement. The academic attainment of Black males in higher education in the United States is directly linked to political, economic, and cultural historical struggles faced in early years. Research has indicated that Black male students have low academic performance rates and face a negative rather than a positive educational experience. That negative experience is affected by the disparate impact of racism, stereotypes, inequities in education and a lack of culturally diverse opportunities affecting their academic success (Cuyjet, 2006). The conceptual framework of Black males’ academic success in community colleges shows the interrelationships between knowledge, motivational, and organizational factors and how they influence one another. ❧ The participants in this study were Black males between the ages of 18-30, born in the United States and currently enrolled in a community college in the Los Angeles area. 35 participants participated in the survey and 10 participants were randomly selected from the pool of people that volunteered at the end of the survey to participate in the interview. In this study, surveys, interviews and document analysis generated a meaningful body of data, which helped answer the research questions. The protocol for this study consisted of semi-structured interviews using open-ended questions. ❧ This study revealed that it is the college’s responsible to provide resources to address the academic problems that pertinent to Black male students. The college must support Black male students through the provisions of counseling, financial aid, mentoring, guided pathways, personal development and a safe campus environment while building a caring relationship in the community of learners. This study used the new Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick approach to integrate organizational recommendations and evaluate the results by examining the academic services for Black male students by creating a Black Educational Network and Development Mentor program and a Black Male Guided Pathways that will support and help them become academically successful in college.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Flournoy, Corey Williams (author)

Core Title The barriers and facilitators of academic success for Black male students at a community college: a gap analysis

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Publication Date 09/22/2017

Defense Date 08/16/2017

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag academic,Academic Achievement,African American male,Black male,black male students,community college,Graduation,Knowledge,mentoring,Motivation,OAI-PMH Harvest,organizational,student,transfer

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Sundt, Melora (committee chair)

Creator Email coreyflo@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c40-432186

Unique identifier UC11264197

Identifier etd-FlournoyCo-5745.pdf (filename),usctheses-c40-432186 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-FlournoyCo-5745.pdf

Dmrecord 432186

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Flournoy, Corey Williams

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA