Defying the Odds: Academic Performance Toward Transfer of Hispanic First-Year Community College Students.

A study was conducted at two California community colleges to examine the academic progress toward transfer of potentially at-risk Hispanic students who had indicated transfer as a goal. Specifically, a comparative analysis was conducted of student outcomes at the two colleges, which had traditionally placed disparate emphases on transfer, with one college referred to as High Transfer College (HTC) and the other as Low Transfer College (LTC). A questionnaire distributed to 136 first-year students enrolled in fall 1991 sought to determine students' "at-risk" characteristics (i.e., parent education level, income level, and previous academic record) and protective factors (i.e., self-concept, control locus, and support sources). An analysis was then conducted to determine any differences in student progress at HTC and LTC. Study findings included the following: (1) students at HTC made greater academic progress than students at LTC in their first year of college; (2) students at HTC were more aware and made more use of the campus transfer center than at LTC; (3) transfer center use appeared to contribute to students' academic progress at LTC; and (4) while student performance at both colleges was related to enrollment status and hours worked, HTC students' success was also related to high school grades and locus of control, while LTC students' success was related to income, use of the transfer center, and reliance on support from friends. A list of definitions, the survey instrument, and 92 references are appended. OIAEO *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ***********************************************************************