According to a recent report from the Education Trust, college completion rates for black students at four-year public institutions have increased. Of the 232 institutions that improved overall graduation rates from 2003 to 2013, nearly 70 percent increased graduation rates for black students. Almost half of these institutions (47 percent) also decreased gaps between black and white students. Unfortunately, that means that at 53 percent of institutions, the gains posted by black students failed to keep pace with those of white students, resulting in a wider college attainment gap. Even worse, nearly one-third of the institutions that improved overall student attainment exhibited graduation rates for black students that were actually flat or declining. The silver lining, however, is that there are institutions that can serve as a model for reversing these negative trends—and one of these exemplars is right here in Ohio.
At the Ohio State University in Columbus, graduation rates for black students are improving, and the gap between black and white graduation rates has decreased. Since 2003, Ohio State’s graduation rates for black students have improved by approximately thirty-one percentage points (from 41 percent in 2003 to over 72 percent in 2013), and the graduation gap between black and white students has decreased by nearly half. Officials at Ohio State attribute this growth to a three-pronged approach that starts in middle school and extends throughout students’ four years on campus.
The first part of Ohio State’s approach is connecting with first-generation, low-income students. This is done through the Young Scholars Program (YSP), which connects middle schoolers in nine cities (Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Lorain, Toledo, and Youngstown) to colleges. The program begins by ensuring that students are enrolled in the kind of college preparatory curriculum necessary to be successful at the next level. YSP support also extends through high school, offering group and one-on-one academic coaching and mentoring, college planning tools and resources, and preparation assistance for admissions tests. To further support these students’ pursuit of college, YSP students who maintain a high school GPA of 3.3 and enroll at Ohio State receive a need-based scholarship for each of the four years they are enrolled. This year’s scholarship was worth $15,605 on average.
The second aspect of the school’s outreach is targeted support during YSP students’ freshman year. This begins with a three-week summer bridge program that aids in the transition from high school to college. The program includes math, English, and psychology enrichment courses, as well as workshops on personal development, financial awareness, study skills, and career development. The program is followed by supports spread throughout the students’ first year in college. For instance, students meet weekly with an upperclassman peer mentor and monthly with a success coach who ensures they receive all the services they need. Students are also required to complete a study skills course in the fall, which targets “make-or-break” moments like midterm exams. Encouragingly, YSP scholars are not the only Ohio State students who benefit from these types of supports. The university’s Todd A. Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male brings students to campus prior to the fall semester via the Early Arrival Program—a three-day orientation that includes workshops, faculty presentations, student panels, and activities. It involves about one-third of all black men who enroll at Ohio State.
The final feature of Ohio State’s approach is continuing on-campus support throughout the remainder of students’ college careers, which makes the university “a hub for research, discussion, and sharing of best practices.” For instance, the university funds a weekend retreat for freshman and upperclassman women of color, and the Bell Center hosts a National Black Male Retreat.
While Education Trust acknowledges that many schools have a long way to go, Ohioans should find it encouraging that the state’s flagship university is doing such an excellent job of supporting minority students and closing college attainment gaps.
