A Dissertation Entitled a Case Study of an Upward Bound Program Director at a Midwestern University by Anthony Quinn Submitted T
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A Dissertation entitled A Case Study of an Upward Bound Program Director at a Midwestern University by Anthony Quinn Submitted to the Graduate Faculty as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Higher Education Dr. David Meabon, Committee Chair Dr. Debra Harmening, Committee Member Dr. Shanda Gore, Committee Member Dr. Christine Knaggs, Committee Member Dr. Patricia R. Komuniecki, Dean College of Graduate Studies The University of Toledo May 2015 Copyright @ 2015, Anthony Quinn This document is copyrighted material. Under law, no part of this document may be reproduced without the expressed permission of the author An Abstract of A Case Study of an Upward Bound Program Director at a Midwestern University by Anthony Quinn Submitted to the Graduate Faculty as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Higher Education University of Toledo May 2015 The TRIO Upward Bound program has been in existence for 50 years. The program is a federally funded pre-college program which supports the persistence and retention of low-income, potential first-generation students as they prepare for college. The TRIO programs have assisted thousands of students in their preparation and transition to higher education. Today, the program has been under constant threats of facing funding cuts or the program being eliminated altogether. This has made the job as director more difficult as one must provide services to students while the Department of Education is requiring more and more objectives needing to be reached with less funding. This dissertation is a case study of a program in Michigan where it examines a director in how she navigates through the constant program cuts and ever changing objectives to provide resources, facilities and programming to help students to reach the goal of graduating from a four- year university with a baccalaureate degree. Eight current and former Upward Bound students within the program, along with a college administrator and director took part in interviews in 2014 to provide data in how the director has managed the program in the past 15 years. The results of the data showed 21 themes emerging from the study. There were six major themes that were essential in order for iii students to be successful. The implication is that other programs could use the data gather in this study to create successful programs. In the study Kurt Lewin’s Authoritarian Leadership model could be used in other programs that may be set up in a similar fashion as the program in this study. iv To my family for all of the support and guidance that you have provided during this process, you have believed in me when I did not believe in myself. To Brandi LaShelle Quinn, the most loving wife, friend, and confidant any man could hope for. To my children, Braniya LaShae Quinn and Anthony Braylin Quinn, II for your patience and love, I honestly could not have completed this project without you. To my mother JoAnn Harris Quinn for instilling the value of education, this one is especially for you. To my sister, Angela Quinn for her unique form of inspiration and my cousin, Lawrence Calvin Quinn, for undeniable direction and influence, I share this achievement with you. To my Aunts, Rosa Perry and Velma Lynn Mitchell, and Uncles, James, Sam and Herman Harris who were ever-present from my birth until this very moment cheering and encouraging me forward. I really appreciate it and love all of you. Acknowledgments I want to acknowledge many of the people who have left an imprint on my life, without each of you, this would not have been possible; to my mother, JoAnn Harris Quinn for teaching me the value of an education and encouraging me in all my pursuits. Dr. James T. Jones III, my best friend, who has helped me immensely with feedback on this work and for always keeping me thinking with keen insight and unique ideas, thank you. Dr. Roy Swanson, Wilberforce University, the professor who encouraged an eighteen year old kid to persevere and stay in school when I questioned if this thing known as higher education was for me. Dr. Joan Collins, The Ohio State University, for encouraging me to pursue a graduate degree when I doubted if I was capable of reaching such lofty academic endeavors. Angela Quinn, my little sister, who encouraged through some of the most inventive and unique ways known to humanity, arguments and contentious debates, however, through it all I never doubted for a single moment whether you had my back. To my colleagues and the Monroe County Community College Cohort I say thank you. A special thanks to Margie Bacarella, Lavonda Robinette, George Robinson, Peter Coomar, Dr. Jacquelyn Jones and Dr. Martino Harmon for all of your help, support and encouragement. Finally, to all of the students, staff and administrators who contributed to this research, may your voices echo loud and clear for your story to be heard. Lastly, I want to thank my committee, Dr. Shanda Gore, Dr. Debra Harmening, Dr. Christine Knaggs and my dissertation chair, Dr. David Meabon, for all of your guidance on this study and helping me see this study through. vi Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. vi Contents ............................................................................................................................ vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................... xiv List of Figures ....................................................................................................................xv List of Abbreviations ....................................................................................................... xvi I. Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 A. Background of the Problem .....................................................................................1 a. The Status of American Education. ...................................................................3 B. Barriers for Students of Low-Socioeconomic Status ...............................................4 a. What Obstacles Affect Low SES Status Students’ Ability to Pursue Higher Education. ..........................................................................................................7 C. The Upward Bound Program .................................................................................13 D. Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................17 a. Significance of the Problem. ............................................................................20 E. Political Environment ............................................................................................21 F. Conceptual Framework ..........................................................................................22 G. Research Questions ................................................................................................23 H. Purpose Statement ..................................................................................................24 I. Significance of Study .............................................................................................24 J. Methodology ..........................................................................................................26 a. Data Collection. ...............................................................................................27 vii K. Limitations .............................................................................................................28 L. Definition of Terms................................................................................................30 M. Research Subjectivity.............................................................................................34 a. Researcher’s Background. ...............................................................................34 N. Summary ................................................................................................................36 II. Literature Review.........................................................................................................38 A. Introduction ............................................................................................................38 B. The Context of Educating Students of Low-Socioeconomic Status ......................38 C. The History of Educating Low-Income Student ....................................................41 D. Summary ................................................................................................................45 E. Judicial Decisions and Public Policy Effect on Low-Income ................................46 F. Connection to Upward Bound ...............................................................................56 G. Summary ................................................................................................................56 H. Upward Bound .......................................................................................................57 a. Goals and Objectives of Upward Bound. ........................................................59 b. General Studies on the