Into Another Kind of Country: The College Matriculation of Youth from Rural Areas by Sarah ...

273 Pages·2010·0.95 MB·English

Into Another Kind of Country:
The College
Matriculation of
Youth from Rural Areas

by

Sarah Armstrong Tucker

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
(Education)
in The University of Michigan
2010

Doctoral Committee:

Professor Carla O’Connor, Co-Chair
Professor Valerie E. Lee, Co-Chair
Professor Deborah F. Carter
Professor Thomas E. Fricke
@ Sarah Armstrong Tucker

2010
Dedication

This work is dedicated in memory of my mother.

ii
Acknowledgements

One morning, over a cup of coffee, my mother asked me about the progress of my
graduate school applications. At the time, I was applying for a degree in clinical
psychology. I told her that I was submitting all of the applications that afternoon. She
looked at me, in this way she had, and said that she didn’t think I should become a
clinical psychologist. Instead, she insisted, I should get a graduate degree in education.
She then meticulously laid out her list of arguments against clinical psychology and for
education. My mother was a lawyer, a good one, and I had trouble finding counters to
her arguments. Over the course of many months, I began to agree with her, which
ultimately resulted in my time at the University of Michigan. To be fair, there have been
moments when I was happy about this influence, and times when, well let’s just say I
didn’t feel so happy. Now though, I am grateful, once again, for this, one of the many
gifts my mother gave to me.
My father, sister, and grandmother have all been enormous supports to me since I
have been here. They have listened to me talk about this process, even though they didn’t
really understand it. They made me laugh when I was frustrated, and celebrated with me
when I was glad. They have always been there for me. That support has allowed me to
feel safe in any endeavor I take on, because I know that no matter what, I will always
have them. For that, and so many other things, I thank them.
In addition to my support from home, I received support from my professors in
the School of Education. My advisor, Carla O’Connor, was a central figure in my
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learning process. As my advisor, she helped me to think deeply about teaching and
learning. If I could be sure of one thing, it was that Carla’s comments on my work were
always going to thoughtful and correct. Further, as the lead instructor for Education 392,
Carla taught me what it meant to be part of a truly collaborative team of instructors.
Through this collaboration, I was able to expand my own understanding about what it
means to teach every child.
Valerie Lee was a significant teacher and mentor in my years in Michigan. She
was my instructor in a variety of courses, and later provided me with the opportunity to
be a graduate student instructor for some of these. Valerie and Carla were co-chairs on
my dissertation committee, and both read and provided thoughtful commentary on,
innumerous drafts. Additionally, Valerie provided me with incredible mentorship. She
took me under her wing, provided me with great advice, and frequently acted as my
sounding board.
Deborah Carter and Tom Fricke also provided me with great insights about my
dissertation and my future work. Deborah, my higher education consultant, helped me to
frame my ideas about those things that are critical for the college matriculation of youth.
While Tom pushed me to think seriously about how the rural context could influence the
life choices of students.
One of the biggest benefits of coming to the University of Michigan was the
opportunity to make some wonderful friendships. The friends I have made here come
from all over the world. Their contributions in class and out pushed my thinking and
enhanced my enjoyment of this experience. Julie Dywer, Hala Ghousseini, Lauren
McArthur Harris, Serene Koh, and Serena Salloum (listed in alphabetical order, all were
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equally important) commiserated with me over lunches, drinks, and dinners more times
than I can count. Fernando Andrade and his family became fixtures in my life. I looked
forward to every meal, celebration, and outing we had together. Finally, my dear friend
Danae de los Rios, remained one of my greatest counselors, even after returning to
Santiago. I had many wonderful memories of her and her family in the United States and
in Chile.
I will never forget working at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, and having Paul
Newman tell me to always acknowledge the role that luck has played in my life. In
almost every way, I have been lucky. I consider my experiences in graduate school and
the professors and friends that I met while here to be amongst that luck. I hope that I can
take all that I have learned and help improve the luck of others in my future career.

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Table of Contents
Dedication ........................................................................................................................... ii
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii
List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix
List of Figures ..................................................................................................................... x
List of Appendices ........................................................................................................... xi
Abstract ............................................................................................................................. xii
Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1
Definition of Rural .......................................................................................................... 3
Why the Nation Should Care About Rural Schools........................................................ 4
Why I Care About Rural Schools ................................................................................... 6
Problems Driving My Work ........................................................................................... 7
The Role of Social Networks in Matriculation Decisions .......................................... 8
Measuring Multiple Networks .................................................................................... 8
Process of Matriculation ............................................................................................. 9
Four Year Higher Education Institutions .................................................................... 9
Elite Institutions ........................................................................................................ 10
Outline........................................................................................................................... 12
Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 13
Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................. 14
Seminal Perspective- Bourdieu ................................................................................. 14
Seminal Perspective- Coleman ................................................................................. 16
Ruralness ....................................................................................................................... 21
Situating My Dissertation Work ................................................................................... 24
Brief Introduction to the College Matriculation Literature Review ............................. 26
Characteristics ........................................................................................................... 27
Resources .................................................................................................................. 28
Family Networks ....................................................................................................... 29
Community Networks ............................................................................................... 32
Academic Networks .................................................................................................. 34
Student Decisions...................................................................................................... 41
Conclusion and Research Questions ............................................................................. 45
Explanation of Conceptual Model ................................................................................ 50
Chapter 3: Methods ........................................................................................................... 52
Theory of Mixed Methods ............................................................................................ 52
Review of Mixed Methods Literature ........................................................................... 53
Current Study’s Mixed Model Design .......................................................................... 56
National Sample ............................................................................................................ 58
Data Sources ............................................................................................................. 58
Sampling Procedures and Weights ........................................................................... 61
Instrumentation and Measures .................................................................................. 64
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Analysis Procedures .................................................................................................. 72
Local Student Sample ................................................................................................... 78
Identifying the Rural Sample .................................................................................... 80
Bridging the Local and National Samples ................................................................ 81
Data Source and Sampling Procedures ..................................................................... 81
CIRP Instrumentation ............................................................................................... 82
CIRP Analysis Procedures ........................................................................................ 83
Interview Sampling Procedures ................................................................................ 83
Interview Instrumentation ......................................................................................... 87
Interview Measures ................................................................................................... 87
Interview Administration .......................................................................................... 90
Interview Analysis Procedures ................................................................................. 92
Limitations .................................................................................................................... 95
Summary ....................................................................................................................... 96
Chapter 4: Who Goes to College? .................................................................................... 97
Traits of Rural Youth .................................................................................................... 98
Traits of College-Bound Rural Youth........................................................................... 98
Behavioral Expectations ......................................................................................... 101
Potential Sources of Information Sharing ............................................................... 104
Summary ..................................................................................................................... 106
Which Rural High School Graduates Go to College? ................................................ 106
Life Goals................................................................................................................ 109
Peers and Academics .............................................................................................. 110
Potential Sources of Information ............................................................................ 110
How do Students in Elite Colleges Differ from Those in Other 4-year Colleges? ..... 112
Demographic Differences and College Type .......................................................... 112
Social Capital and College Type............................................................................. 113
Interpretation ............................................................................................................... 116
External Behavioral Expectations ........................................................................... 117
Ruralness ................................................................................................................. 118
School Personnel ..................................................................................................... 118
Minority Youth ....................................................................................................... 119
Importance .................................................................................................................. 120
Limitations .................................................................................................................. 120
Chapter 5: The Influence of Rural Schools…………………………………………….. 124
What are the Characteristics of Rural High Schools in the United States? ................ 125
Does the Social Organization of Schools Matter? ...................................................... 127
Does School Size Matter? ........................................................................................... 128
Do School Characteristics Have an Effect on Students’ College Matriculation? ....... 130
The Role of Parents’ Education .............................................................................. 132
Summary ..................................................................................................................... 132
Which School Characteristics Contribute to Whether or Not Students
Go to College .............................................................................................................. 133
School Demographic Information........................................................................... 133
School Academics ................................................................................................... 134
Parents’ Education and the Social Organization of Schools ................................... 136
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Interpretation ............................................................................................................... 138
Social Organizations ............................................................................................... 141
Importance .................................................................................................................. 142
Limitations .................................................................................................................. 143
Chapter 6: Student Stories .............................................................................................. 145
Connecting the Local and National Rural Students .................................................... 146
Who are the Rural University of Michigan Students? ................................................ 147
How Similar are the Local and National Rural Students? .......................................... 149
Representativeness of Interview Students .................................................................. 151
Two Students’ Stories ................................................................................................. 154
What are Students’ Community and School Contexts? .............................................. 162
What Motivates Students’ Educational Ambitions? ................................................... 166
Men’s Aspirations ....................................................................................................... 167
To What Can the Matriculation of Rural First-Generation College-Goers be
Attributed? .................................................................................................................. 173
Parents’ Expectations .............................................................................................. 175
Defining Individuals and Moments ........................................................................ 179
Essential Assistance ................................................................................................ 186
Interpretation ............................................................................................................... 189
Limitations .................................................................................................................. 192
Chapter 7: Conclusion..................................................................................................... 194
Key Findings ............................................................................................................... 195
Implications................................................................................................................. 202
High Schools ........................................................................................................... 203
Policy Makers ......................................................................................................... 210
Researchers ............................................................................................................. 212
Future Work ................................................................................................................ 218
Appendices .....................................................................................................................222
References ....................................................................................................................... 248

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List of Tables

Tables

4.1 College Matriculation Rates for Rural Students .......................................................98
4.2 Demographic and Social Characteristics of Students
who Attended and Did Not Attend Four Year Colleges .............................................99
4.3 Educational Expectations of Students and their Significant
Others by College Matriculation .............................................................................100
4.4 Students’ Connection to their Communities and Goals for
the Future by College Matriculation .........................................................................102
4.5 The Academic Behaviors and Networks of Rural Youth
by College Matriculation .........................................................................................104
4.6 Relationship Trends for a Model Predicting College Matriculation .........................108
4.7 Demographic and Social Characteristics of Students in Elite
and Non-Elite Colleges .............................................................................................113
4.8 Educational Expectations for Elite and Non-Elite College-goers
and Their Significant Others .....................................................................................114
4.9 Community Connectedness of Elite and Non-Elite College-Goers ..........................115
4.10 Behaviors and Networks of Elite vs. Non-Elite College-Goers ..............................116
5.1 Demographic Characteristics of Rural High Schools and Their Students ................126
5.2 The Relationship between Social Relationships, Course Offerings
and School Size .........................................................................................................129
5.3 Within School Model of College Matriculation .....................................................131
5.4 The Influence of High Schools on the College Matriculation of Rural Youth ..........135
6.1 Demographic and Social Characteristics of University of
Michigan Students from Rural Michigan .................................................................148
6.2 Demographic Characteristics of Local and National Samples
of Rural Students.......................................................................................................149
6.3 Demographic Comparison between all First-generation Rural Students
at the University of Michigan and the Interviewed Students ....................................152
6.4 Parental Occupations of Interviewed Students .........................................................153
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