Black Male Students Whose Parents Took an Active Role in the College Choice Process Do Better Academically Once They Enroll in College

A new study by Terrell L. Strayhorn, an assistant professor of higher education at the flagship campus of the University of Tennessee, finds that parental involvement in the college choice process can play a significant role in the success of black males once they have entered college. Dr. Strayhorn studied data from 5,400 black and other minority men and found that students who had parents who were actively involved in the college decision-making process performed better once they were in college than students who did not have as high a level of parental involvement.

Professor Strayhorn urges black parents to actively engage their black male children about their educational expectations. Taking their sons on college visits while in high school and talking about college choices in the home are both productive activities that should be encouraged.

The research also found that black male students who are involved in summer bridge programs or pre-college outreach programs do better in college than black males who did not participate in such programs.

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