College Access Literacy with a FOCUS on Key Transition Knowledge for Historically Underrepresented Students and Their Educators

Journal of College Access Volume 10 Issue 2 Article 5 6-2025 College Access Literacy with a FOCUS on Key Transition Knowledge for Historically Underrepresented Students and Their Educators Molly S. Dunn Notre Dame of Maryland University, Stephanie L. Savick Notre Dame of Maryland University, Rachel E. Durham Notre Dame of Maryland University, Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jca Part of the Educational Leadership Commons, Higher Education Commons, and the Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons Recommended Citation Dunn, Molly S.; Savick, Stephanie L.; and Durham, Rachel E. (2025) "College Access Literacy with a FOCUS on Key Transition Knowledge for Historically Underrepresented Students and Their Educators," Journal of College Access: Vol. 10: Iss. 2, Article 5. Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jca/vol10/iss2/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western Michigan University at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of College Access by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact . College Access Literacy with a FOCUS on Key Transition Knowledge for Historically Underrepresented Students and Their Educators Cover Page Footnote We have no known conflicts of interest to disclose. This article is available in Journal of College Access: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jca/vol10/iss2/5 College Access Literacy with a FOCUS on Key Transition Knowledge for Historically Underrepresented Students and Their Educators Authored by Molly S. Dunn (Notre Dame of Maryland University) Stephanie L. Savick (Notre Dame of Maryland University) Rachel E. Durham (Notre Dame of Maryland University) ABSTRACT U In this ar cle, we present a programma c model to develop College Access Literacy (CAL) among both students and educators. University faculty developed a six-module curriculum delivered through exis ng Professional Development School partnerships in a erschool seminars for high school juniors and separate class periods for other high school students. Professional development sessions were also delivered by content experts to high school educators and faculty who were paired to co-teach the curriculum. The program was implemented in three high schools that primarily serve historically underrepresented students. CAL topics, intended to provide students with knowledge and strategies for college access success, included college selec on, college admissions, financial aid, student life, student support services, and academic advising. We analyzed post-session/class/professional development survey responses from students and educators regarding the usefulness of sessions and content, and ra ngs of how confident respondents felt about their ability to use and/or apply the informa on going forward. Results suggest the program holds great promise for providing the culturally specific knowledge students and their teachers need to achieve success. Furthermore, we propose CALspecific skills as worthy of an educator professional development emphasis moving forward. .S. postsecondary institutions confront declining enrollment in the face of a shrinking traditional college-age demographic (Boeckenstedt, 2022), as well as emerging doubts among young adults about the value of postsecondary education (Blake, 2024). Compounding these concerns are longstanding barriers to college access among historically underrepresented groups (Thiem & Dasgupta, 2022). For this article, we define historically under-represented students as individuals belonging to groups that have faced systemic barriers to access and success in education, leading to their underrepresentation in higher education institutions compared to their representation in the general population (i.e., students from minority ethnic groups, first-generation students, low-income students, and students with disabilities). Keywords: college access, college access literacy, college success, historically underrepresented college students, school university partnerships Volume 10 | June 2025 | Issue 2 Recent statistics highlight these groups’ ongoing marginalization from college. Inside Higher Education reported a decline of 18% in Black student enrollment between 2019-2021, immediately before and at the height of the pandemic. This difference was most evident 47 College Access Literacy among Black males, where enrollment fell by 23.5%, with Black female enrollment dropping by 15% (Weissman, 2022). Other groups face challenges to college access: English learners and students with disabilities need support for worthwhile higher education (Lewis & Brown, 2021; Toutain, 2024). According to federal data for the 201920 academic year, the four-year completion rate for English learners has increased since 2010 but still falls below the average national rate of 86% (Najarro, 2023). In 2019, the college enrollment rates of English learners were also 24 percentage points behind those of non-English learners (Manspile et al., 2021) —not promising statistics. Data on college enrollment and persistence among students with disabilities are also troubling. Among adults aged 18-24, the enrollment rate gap between students with and without reported cognitive or emotional disabilities is 15.8 percentage points (27.5% vs. 43.3%, respectively; Cheng & Shaewitz, 2022). Complicating the scenario is the finding that students with disabilities are more likely to be marginalized vis-à-vis college enrollment because they are simultaneously more likely to be students of color (Tabron & Ramlackhan, 2019). In addition, only 11% of first-generation low-income college students earn their bachelor’s degree within six years (Fry, 2021). Moreover, Schuyler et al. (2021) assert that nearly 1 in 3 college students (30%) are first-generation students of color, possessing the intersectional identity, and accompanying systemic challenges, of being both a first-generation college student and a racially minoritized student. Volume 10 | June 2025 | Issue 2 College access programs are crucial in helping students from historically underrepresented groups pursue higher education (Page & Scott -Clayton, 2016). College access programs are designed to bridge this gap by providing mentorship and guidance throughout the lengthy and often cultural capital-rich college admissions process. Recent data reveal that many obstacles and disparities prevent historically underrepresented students from completing this journey (Gándara & Hearn, 2019). Due to the difficulties associated with academic preparation, socioeconomic disparity, and program accessibility, there is a compelling case for inclusive college access programs that ensure equitable opportunities for everyone (Perna, 2015). College access programs such as the proposed Focus on College Understanding and Success (FOCUS) program aim to reduce these disparities by increasing knowledge and aware (...truncated)