How Formerly Incarcerated Students achieve Success at a California Community College.
What are the Systemic Barriers to Entry, Retention & Completion, and how can they be dismantled?
This study focuses on the barriers that formerly incarcerated students at a California community college experience with regard to entry, persistence and completion of their educational goals. While many system-impacted and marginalized groups experience barriers while pursuing their education, formerly incarcerated students have additional barriers that they must overcome. The goal of this study is to gain a better understanding from the participants on what they encountered and how they overcame barriers. By gaining a better understanding of identified barriers to success the aim is that educators, administrators and policymakers can enact strategies and policies that both reduce and eliminate barriers.
Definition of Terms:
For the purposes of this study, success is defined as a formerly incarcerated student completing a course of study at a California community college leading to a degree, vocational certificate, transfer to a four-year college or entry into the workforce due to enhanced skills attainment.
