1. KENDRICK T. ROUNDTREE, M.S. ALISSA D. GARDENHIRE, PH.D. PRESENTATION FOR THE MONTGOMERY COLLEGE – CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING DECEMBER 3, 2012 African American Men and the National Completion Agenda

2. Today’s learning objectives 1. Learn about the national college completion agenda 2. Discuss the role of community colleges in contributing to the national college completion benchmarks 3. Discuss Black male students as a key part of the community college completion agenda 4. Discuss Black male student engagement

3. Learning Objective #1 Learn about the national college completion agenda  Origins  Timeline, Players and Benchmarks

4. National Completion Agenda Timeline 2008 The Lumina Foundation for Education set a national graduation benchmark of 60% of adults possessing high-quality degrees by 2025 2009 February 24 – Pres. Obama set a goal of 55% of American adults with high-quality degrees and certificates by 2020 2010 In April, the AACC releases the Call to Action report calling for 50% more community college graduates by 2020

5. College Completion: A National Imperative America’s Global Economic Competitiveness America is not producing enough post-secondary degrees. New economy employers require workers with post- secondary credentials and skills.

6. Completion Agenda Initiatives

7. An Untapped Economic Resource Source: The educational experiences of young men of color; College Board 2011

8. Q and A

9. Learning Objective #2 Role of Community Colleges (and Montgomery College) in contributing to the national completion agenda

10. Contributions from the Community College Enrollment Statistics  The National Center for Education Statistics reports that of the 17.6 million people enrolled in college in the fall of 2011, forty- three percent were attending a two-year college.  Of Black men enrolled in college over 40% attend community colleges, more than any other post-secondary institutional type.

11. Contributions from the Community College What community colleges do well  Access  Job Training  Developmental education  Certificates  Associate Degrees  Transfer to 4-year schools

12. Enrollment v. Completion College access and enrollment are important, but completion is another (more important?) matter Community college completion metrics  Full-time, first-time degree seeking students (150% time)

13. Community College Graduation Rates Source: The Chronicle for Higher Education (2010)

14. Learning Objectives #3 and #4 Learning Objective #3 Discuss and understand the importance of devoting attention to the academic attainment of Black men as a student subgroup to reach the national completion benchmarks Learning Objective #4 Discuss how to engage Black men on campus

15. Discussion Questions – Part I Is it reasonable to expect community colleges to graduate more Black male students? What is needed, from your perspective, in terms of supports to faculty and staff to graduate greater numbers of Black male students from your college? What prevents more Black male students from graduating from community college?

16. What challenges do students face? Gardenhire, et al, (2010), reported in a study about engagement of men of color in community college  Male identity, characterized principally by self-reliance, exerted a powerful influence on their ability to engage in college.  They placed a priority on paid work over school  Avoided making friends on campus  They failed to seek out academic or financial help These behaviors reinforced their masculine identities, while at times hindering their chances of academic success.

17. Identity and Culture Supports for Black Men should have elements of:  Strength-based approach  Students as partners  Respect  Caring  Intellectual Challenge  Encourage Collaborative Behavior  Safety  Confidence Building  History of Scholarship Among Black Men and Women  Leadership Development  Belonging

18. Effective Program Types  Academic Boot Camps  Summer Bridge  Placement Test Preparation  Student Development Courses  Learning Communities  Developmental Education Modules  Intrusive Counseling  Various Acceleration Strategies  Cohort or (Family?) Group Based Programming  Linked Extracurricular and Academic Activities

19. Resources of interest for Black male students North Carolina Minority Male Mentoring Program  System-wide program dedicated to support Black male students in North Carolina community colleges AACC MMI database  The American Association of Community College’s database of existing programs which offer structured activities, mentoring and supports for students of color

20. Discussion Questions – Part II What are the next steps for Montgomery College in pursuit of the contribution to the national college completion benchmarks? How will Montgomery College pursue the contribution of more Black male graduates to the national benchmarks? What support can Montgomery College use in providing support for Black male students in pursuit of their academic success and completion?

21. Questions from the audience

22. RADalyst, LLC Kendrick T. Roundtree, M.S.  Principal and Director of Programming and Communications  kendrick@radalyst.com kendrick@radalyst.com  860-833-2937 Alissa D. Gardenhire, Ph.D.  Principal and Director of Research and Evaluation  alissa@radalyst.com alissa@radalyst.com  908-209-8923  www.RADalyst.com