A profile of minority male achievement : a quantitative case study of data from academic years 2008-09 and 2009-10 at Pima Community College

The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive case study of the academic achievement of minority male students over a 2-year period. It was conducted at an urban community college district, which is a Hispanic Serving Institution. Utilizing institutional data, the research examined 3,825 male and female students divided into a total of ten cohorts by gender and ethnicity. All students were 18 to 24 years of age, new-to-higher education and enrolled full time. Key findings show significant results for enrollment, departure rates and academic performance for all groups. Male students demonstrated lower rates of enrollment, higher rates of attrition, and lower academic achievement that females students. Significant results were demonstrated among male and female student performance within their own gender group and by comparison to the opposite gender of the same ethnicity. The high departure rate and achievement gaps by students who were enrolled full time, strongly suggests that student engagement, is a profound concern. This study was conducted to identify potential disparities in achievement by gender and ethnicity to provide detailed information to inform the public and promote institutional change.