Addressing the Latinx Education Gap: An-Evaluation of the Puente Program at Community Colleges in the Inland Empire of California

Purpose: This study examines the educational gaps of Latinx students at the community college level. The Puente outreach program is evaluated as a possible exemplary program to improve retention and success in completing degree-applicable and transferable classes. Puente's goal is to encourage Latinx students to attend college and provide support. The students receive regular contact from a college counselor and mentor. The program delivers a curriculum in their English classes that reflect their culture. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework used in this study includes the following theories: Tinto's Theory of Student Departure, Astin's Theory of Student Involvement, Rendon's Theory of Validation, Braxton et al. Theory of Commuter Student Departure, and Cultural Mismatch Theory. Methodology: This study used a mixed-methods approach with quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate the Puente program. Quantitative analysis of populations, enrollments, retention, and success was done using data from Data Mart through the chancellor's office, Integrated Post-secondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Data USA, and the Puente program. Qualitative data was collected through interviews with staff from the interviews with the English faculty and school counselors for best practices from six community colleges in the Inland Empire in Southern California participating in the Puente program. Findings: This descriptive analysis of the Puente program provided results that confirm the literature and theory about factors contributing to improved completion rates for community colleges. While an overall success, a drop-off between the first and second year needs to be addressed. The small scale of the program also limits the number of students who can benefit from the program. Conclusions and Recommendations: Recommendations for the Puente program from faculty and counselors include but are not limited to increasing the number of participants, creating cohorts, having more of a community learning environment, and ensuring faculty involvement comes from those committed to the program. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]