An examination of Hispanic college enrollment and graduation: Has the Texas Closing the Gaps plan been successful?

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the Texas “Closing the Gaps by 2015” plan to increase Hispanic enrollment into and graduation from institutions of higher education. This study uses Interrupted Time Series with Comparison Group to analyze 26 years of student cohorts in Texas universities. Controlling for historical enrollment and graduation growth as well as population growth, the results show that Hispanic college enrollment significantly increased as a result of the plan, but graduation did not. Several recommendations are offered for those states that wish to emulate Texas policies of increasing college enrollment and graduation of Hispanics.

KEYWORDS:

• Texas Closing the Gaps
• College enrollment
• College graduation
• Texas higher education
• Interrupted Time Series

Notes

¹ Key stakeholders include higher education institutions, the Texas Legislature, the Texas Education Agency (TEA), P–12 system, the business community, and others.

² For a comprehensive list of strategies, see “Closing the Gaps by 2015: Texas Strategies for Improving Student Participation and Success” (2008).

³ Microaggressions are described as “subtle insults (verbal, nonverbal, and/or visual) directed toward people of color, often automatically or unconsciously” (González & Ballysingh, 2012).

⁴ Beginning in the fall of 2004, “degree-seeking” was added to the cohort’s defining characteristics. Before that, only “first-time, full-time students” were tracked.