Date of Degree Completion

Spring 2024

Degree Type

Capstone - Open Access

Instructor/Advisor

Dr. Melissa Nemon & Dr. Audrey Falk

Abstract

This research highlighted family and community members’ role in supporting student success in Higher Education. I analyzed four cases/organizations/communities that had been effective in their efforts to support student success. I conducted a meta-analysis of organizations that had programs in place to drive student success. Lack of support from parents, teachers, schools and neighborhoods all seemed to contribute to a lack of belief in student success both at the personal level and the community level. In the neighborhoods studied, inadequate academic preparation and stability, and the lack of a support system often persisted into young adulthood, making the opportunities for transition to college extremely difficult. To address this, the organizations analyzed all involved and required help from the larger community to provide student services that were successful in driving student success, yet all were providing these services differently. One was community-based and two worked directly in the school setting. All worked in urban communities. All three organizations also utilized supportive nonparental adults or ‘near peers” from students’ everyday lives (i.e., mentors). Those growing relationships influenced student’ positive developmental outcomes, participation in school activities, and a feeling of belonging and being a part of their school.

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