Young men of color face unique barriers to college access and completion. These students—who account for one third of California’s public school population—are disproportionately low-income and attending under-resourced schools. On top of these social and economic challenges, young men of color face negative stereotypes in the media, and in schools, that lower expectations for them as students, and shape encounters with their peers, educators, and school administrators in ways that increase their chances of suspension and expulsion. As a result, young men of color graduate high school and earn college degrees at rates rates much lower than the average for other California students.

Yet there are educators and school leaders who have developed policies and practices that help these students thrive. The Education Trust—West surveyed students and staff at secondary and postsecondary institutions in California with high concentrations of low-income students where young men of color performed above average on language arts and math assessments, in A-G course completion, and in four-year graduation rates. College Futures Foundation provided a grant to support this research.

The report, Hear My Voice: Strengthening the College Pipeline for Young Men of Color in California, shares best practices for supporting young men of color in primary, secondary, and postsecondary schools, and also distills key recommendations for educators and state leaders to improve educational equity in California. Some of these recommendations apply to all segments in the education pipeline:

• Prioritize closing achievement gaps for young men of color and engage students of color in creating policies and practices to support them.
• Develop robust data systems able to track disparities among student populations and identify students in need of additional supports.
• Improve access to financial aid by sharing more information, earlier, with students and families about financial aid resources, and work to include non-tuition costs such as food and housing in aid awards.

Read the full report for more insights from young men of color and the educators helping them navigate the college pipeline.

Download Hear My Voice: Strengthening the College Pipeline for Young Men of Color in California from The Education Trust—West

Visit The Education Trust—West’s website