DIFFERENCES IN BLACK AND WHITE STUDENTS’ PERSISTENCE RATES IN TEXAS COMMUNITY COLLEGES BY INSTITUTIONAL STATUS

In this study, differences in the 1-year persistence rates of Black and White students who were enrolled in Texas community colleges were analyzed. Utilizing archival data from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, 1-year persistence rates of Black and White students who were enrolled at the same Texas community college were examined along with the 1-year persistence rates of Black and White students who transferred to a different Texas community college in the 2000 and 2013 academic years. The results were statistically significant with small to moderate effect sizes. Furthermore the gap in persistence rates between Black and White students that was examined from the 2000 to 2013 academic years was not statistically significant. White students were more successful than Black students when they remained at the same institution and when they transferred to a different institution.