Perceptions Matter: How Schools Can Enhance Underrepresented Students’ Resilience on the Rocky Path to College

This policy brief summarizes the results of a three-year mixed methods study examining variation in students’ educational pathways. Investigating college-going among a predominantly low-income, underrepresented minority student population, detailed analysis shows distinctions in how students perceive relationships with school faculty and peers, which can serve as a mechanism to sustain their ambitions through the obstacles they encounter in high school and expect in college. Results suggest schools can increase student success by facilitating social support structures that enhance students’ perceptions of value and esteem for their potential.
Results from a three-year study examining how minority students transitioned to college showed that students’ relationships with peers, teachers, and other school staff helped them overcome obstacles on their way to college. The author suggested ways in which social support could improve students’ perceptions of their value and worth.