Creating Pathways For Postsecondary Educational Access And Attainment For Latino Youth

The purpose of this study was to further investigate how one successful comprehensive high school serving a large percentage of Latino students builds collegegoing culture. The study examined two perspectives on college-going culture; that of the school staff (including administrators, school counselors, and teacher leaders), and of first-generation Latino students that have been admitted to a 4-year college. In addition, the study included a walkthrough to look for physical evidence of college-going culture. The researcher employed the qualitative tradition of case study to answer the research questions. All data were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded for themes After thematic coding and analysis, several themes emerged. The themes were broken down into categories: overlapping themes among educators and students, student themes, and educator themes. The overlapping themes among educators and students were: high expectations and rigor, schoolwide college-focused activities, school counselor support, and positive peer pressure. Student themes included: teacher caring and support, and familial influence. Educator themes included: common mission statement, Academic Literacy Plan, and systems of support. While many studies have looked at what Latino students attributed to their enrollment in college, few studies have looked specifically at the college-going culture that was created at the school site and how that impacted their decision to enroll. The findings have implications for educational leaders in terms of how they may foster and create a college-going culture that supports Latino students in accessing postsecondary education.

One of the generally accepted premises of current economic thinking is that a large and expanding proportion of growth is tied to what has come to be known as the "knowledge economy" or equivalently, the innovation sector. Despite recent U.S. Census Bureau data indicating that Latinos now constitute the largest minority group of the U.S. population, their representation in science and engineering jobs and/or in the science and engineering educational pipeline is quite low, particularly in information technology-related fields. Patterns of under-representation are present in virtually all science, engineering and technology disciplines and careers. This report is intended to serve as an essay on the general state of research and policy analysis pertaining to Latino access to and achievement in technical career paths. The report articulates the policy, substantive and methodological framework for the study and discusses obstacles Latinos face on the educational path that leads to information technology (IT) careers, drawing on field work in high schools and undergraduate institutions that are relatively effective in preparing Latinos to earn undergraduate credentials in IT, as well as on a survey of recent high school graduates. Results are presented as broad descriptions of post-secondary institutions that seem to be associated with enrolling and graduating Latino students in IT-related programs, followed by a mix of organizational policies and practices that exemplify a particular theme and statistical findings derived from data components that lend themselves to quantitative analyses. Schools and colleges that are relatively effective in enabling Latinos to complete undergraduate programs in information technology are distinguished by a mission that focuses on serving Latinos and other underrepresented students. The research team recommends a "Consumers' Directory for Latino Parents and Students", with initial experimental editions for the Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston metropolitan areas. The directory would streamline the performance metrics that were utilized in the current project, develop an approach to categorize key product features, and have detailed descriptions of a range of programs, an imitation of the "Consumer Reports" format, written in simple, accessible language and available in both English and Spanish. While acknowledging that this is an untried approach, the research team strongly urges that it be tried with this population of families and students. Data tables are appended. (Contains 16 footnotes and 6 tables.).

Report on a national study of Latino access to postsecondary education and careers in information technology.

Now the largest and fastest-growing ethnic population in the U.S., Latino students face many challenges and complexities when it comes to college choice and access. This edited volume provides much needed theoretical and empirical data on how the schooling experiences of Latino students shape their educational aspirations and access to higher education. It explores how the individual and collective influence of the home, school and policy shape the college decision-making process. This unique collection of original scholarly articles offers critical insight on educational pathways that will help families, educators and policy makers intervene in ways that foster and sustain college access and participation for Latino students. It considers destination preferences and enrollment selections, elementary and secondary school experiences, and intervention programs that shed light on how practitioners can promote participation and retention. This multi-conceptual, multi-methodological volume offers directions for future research, programming and policy in Latino education.

Latinos’ postsecondary educational attainment has not kept pace with their growing representation in the U.S. population. How can Latino educational attainment be advanced? This monograph presents relevant contemporary research, focusing on the role of institutional contexts. Drawing particularly on research grounded in Latino students’ perspectives, it identifies key challenges Latino students face and discuss various approaches to address these challenges. Because so many Latino students are enrolled in federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), it also specifically explores HSIs’ role in promoting Latinos’ higher education access and equity. As a conclusion, it offers recommendations for institutional, state, and federal policies that can foster supportive contexts. This is Volume 39 Issue 1 of the Jossey-Bass publication ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph in the series is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education problem, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.

High-Achieving Latino Students: Successful Pathways Toward College and Beyond addresses a long-standing need for a book that focuses on the success, not failure, of Latino students. While much of the existing research works from a deficit lens, this book uses a strength-based approach to support Latino achievement. Bringing together researchers and practitioners, this unique book provides research-based recommendations from early to later school years on “what works” for supporting high achievement. Praise for High-Achieving Latino Students "This book focuses on an important issue about which we know little. There are many lessons here for both scholars and educators who believe that Latino students can succeed. I congratulate the authors for taking on this timely and significant topic." ~ Guadalupe Valdés, Ph.D., Bonnie Katz Tenenbaum Professor in Education, Stanford University. Author of Con Respeto: Bridging the Distances Between Culturally Diverse Families and Schools "This is a must-read book for leaders in institutions of both K-12 and higher education who want to better understand success factors of Latino students in the US. Using a strength-based framework to understand and support Latino achievement is a new paradigm that must be considered by all." ~ Loui Olivas, Ed.D., President, American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education "In addition to being the right book at the right time, these editors should be congratulated for giving us a stellar example of how a research-practice collaboration comes together to produce such a valuable and lasting contribution to the field of school reform and improvement. Those who work in schools, universities, think tanks and policymaking centers have been waiting anxiously for this kind of book, and it’s now here." ~ Carl A. Cohn, Ed.D., Former Executive Director, California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, CA State Board of Education member, and Superintendent "There may not be a silver bullet for solving the so-called problem of Latino underachievement, but well-conceived solutions do exist. This powerful book offers strength- and asset-based frameworks that demonstrate Latino achievement is possible. Read this text to not only get informed, but to also get nurtured and inspired!" ~ Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D., Professor in Education, University of Texas at Austin. Author of Subtractive Schooling: US-Mexican Youth and the Politics of Caring

Report on a national study of Latino access to postsecondary education and careers in information technology.

Creating Literacy Communities as Pathways to Student Success offers a model for using literacy as a pathway for secondary students to explore fields from which they are often systematically excluded. In particular, this volume demonstrates how access for young Latina students to STEM related fields can be bolstered through engagement with mentors in writing and reading programs. Written for pre- and in-service teachers, as well as scholars across disciplines, this book aims to re-conceptualize the ways in which writing can best serve ethnically and linguistically diverse students, especially girls.

First Published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.