Sponsor
Portland State University. Department of Educational Leadership and Policy
First Advisor
Janine Allen
Date of Publication
Spring 6-14-2018
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership: Postsecondary Education
Department
Educational Leadership and Policy
Language
English
Subjects
Ex-foster children -- Education (Higher) -- United States, Ex-foster children, Community colleges, Persistence
DOI
10.15760/etd.6310
Physical Description
1 online resource (xiii, 211 pages)
Abstract
A college education offers people social and economic benefits, yet youth from foster care backgrounds are less likely than their peers to attain a college education, which places this already vulnerable population at higher risk for a lifetime of living on the margins of society. Foster alumni face multiple obstacles to accessing and persisting in higher education. To facilitate and support the success of this frequently overlooked population, professionals in higher education need to understand these obstacles. Little is known about the experiences of youth with foster care backgrounds as they transition into and through higher education. Although existing research has reported the academic, health, and social effects of having been in foster care, little is known about why foster alumni do not persist in higher education. This study used student-development theory, specifically Schlossberg's transition theory, Tinto's theory of student departure, and Bourdieu's work on social and cultural capital to provide a conceptual framework through which to view the lived experiences of youth with foster care backgrounds. Because, for many youths with foster care backgrounds, the pathway to the baccalaureate degree is through a community college, this study examined and explored the transition experiences of foster alumni about to begin or currently enrolled at an Oregon Community College. The study explored the factors that challenge and facilitate foster alumni persistence towards the attainment of a college degree.
Rights
In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/25740
Recommended Citation
Sullivan-Vance, Karen A., "A Million Piece Jigsaw Puzzle: Transition Experiences of Foster Youth Accessing Higher Education through Community College" (2018). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 4413.
https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.6310