The Daraja Project (Chabot College, 1987) effectively addresses persistence,
progress toward transfer readiness and low performance in English courses. Daraja
is open to all students, including those assessing at the lowest level of basic skills
English. Daraja is a learning community that also provides counseling and
mentoring. Between 1994-2004, Daraja students (age 21 or under) successfully
complete the Basic Skills to Freshman Composition sequence at a rate 19% higher
than African American students(age 21 or under) not in Daraja (Chabot College,
Office of Institutional Research). Furthermore, between 1995-2005, Daraja students
(age 21 or under) successfully completed the second semester critical thinking
course which follows freshman composition at a rate 11% higher than African
American students (age 21 or under) not in Daraja (Chabot College, Office of
Institutional Research). This critical thinking course is not part of the Daraja
learning community and the higher success rate in it over this ten year period
underscores the quality of academic preparation students receive in the Daraja
Project.