The Benefits of Academic and Career Preparedness Interventions for Marginalized Student Populations
Authors:   , Johnson Jamie , Phillips Joy C. 
Published: December 2024

Despite the many benefits associated with obtaining a college degree, many of our nation's public-school students, particularly marginalized students, remain ill-equipped to pursue their desired post-secondary goals (Morgan et al., 2014). The researcher uses published literature to define and substantiate the systemic challenges that lower resourced public schools contend with to recruit and retain qualified educators and provide cost-efficient accessible educational support resources to supplement classroom instruction. Due to inadequate educational instruction and resource challenges that Title I public schools face, the educational needs of these students can not solely be met within the classroom (Sakash, 2016). Therefore, providing educational and career support resources can be an effective mitigator for students who experience educational challenges due to the desired instructional needs (Goldhaber, 2020). The resulting educational outcomes often lead these students to defer their dreams of an idealistic career and educational goals, such as pursuing certain professions or attending a four-year institution, to settling for lesser post-secondary pursuits (Atherton, 2014). This exploratory mixed-methods case study aimed to explore the impact of community-based organizations on supplementing the academic and career preparedness resources available to marginalized student populations residing in low-socioeconomic communities. The selected organization has a twenty-year history of providing supplemental education and career preparedness resources, making it an ideal selection for this research study. To identify disparities in developmental education and career preparedness programs, a theoretical framework grounded in critical race theory was utilized. The aim was to document perceived inequalities in educational and career preparedness resources within Title I schools compared to their counterparts. The site for this research was one community-based nonprofit educational and career preparedness organization in a southeastern United States (US) state. Participants were drawn from this organization and reside within proximity to the programming center; this degree of access offered greater flexibility when coordinating interview dates and times with the study participants. This community organization primarily seeks to provide educational and career support to students from marginalized populations. Therefore, the organization's programming is developed to promote each student's social, emotional, and physical development to stimulate their confidence when navigating through the various support programs. The study population consisted of 10 ethnic minority male and female students between the ages of 18 and 21 and two staff members. The selection criteria for students include having demonstrated financial need, which can be demonstrated by their eligibility for The National School Lunch Program or being a resident of low socio-economic communities (Van Patter, 2022). The student participants' age range encompassed male and female post-secondary students. This target range will capture students pursuing their postsecondary education or embarking on their professional careers. The selection of criteria for the two staff members of the community-based nonprofit educational and career preparedness organization's staff will require that they be active employees for the current academic year. The data collection methods included electronic surveys and semi-structured interviews. The survey allowed students to share their experiences and satisfaction with educational and career preparedness strategies, while interviews with the organization's staff provided details about the programs offered and their effectiveness. The main research questions focused on the types of support programming offered, the effectiveness of these programs in improving students' GPA and test scores, and overall satisfaction based on gender and ethnicity. The study concluded that community-based educational support programs are effective supplemental resources that significantly enhance academic and career preparedness for marginalized students in low socioeconomic communities. Keywords: Disadvantaged students, college readiness, educational support services, learning impediments, Title I schools.