How High-Impact Practices Influence Academic Achievement for African American College Students

Abstract

Utilizing data from seven four-year public institutions in the United States, this study employed chi-square test for independence and a Mann-Whitney U test to examine the relationships between participation in high-impact practices (HIPs)and academic outcomes of undergraduate African American college students. Findings suggest the number of HIPs undergraduate African American students were involved in was associated with academic achievement. Furthermore, associations between HIPs and academic achievement differed based on class standing (i.e., first-year/second-year and junior/senior) and gender. The article closes with implications for practice and future research.

Keywords

• equity
• diversity
• inclusion
• high-impact practices
• African American
• higher education