Latino Success Stories Can Help All Students
The organization, Excelencia in Education, which uses evidence-based research on educational practices to influence policy recently published some practices that have helped Latino Students succeed in going to College and excelling while there.
They have identified strategies that serve other students who do not fit the traditional profile of college students. They may be students of color, first-generation students, working students, or students who are taking courses at multiple colleges or returning to the classroom after time off.
Following is a sampling of practices, recently recognized by their organization, that have helped Latino students but could also help others.
Creating holistic educational pathways.
The Pathway to the Baccalaureate Program is a consortium of public schools and colleges in Northern Virginia — including Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University — that helps the growing population of students who face substantial barriers to college access and completion. The program serves as a support network to thousands of students, about 45 percent of whom are Latino. It emphasizes peer, family, and community engagement, along with intensive academic advising. Program participants’ rates of college transition, retention, academic success, completion, and transfer are significantly higher than national benchmarks, and Latino students do as well as or better than other Pathway students, according to the program’s statistics. Some 97 percent of all program participants graduated from high school on time, 88 percent successfully transitioned into postsecondary education, and 70 percent were in good academic standing after the first semester. Of Pathway students who transferred from Northern Virginia, 82 percent completed a baccalaureate degree within three years.
Counselor tip – Search out colleges in your local area that might offer a similar type of program.
Introducing young children to a college bound culture.
The College Success Program at the Barrio Logan College Institute, a community-based organization in San Diego, starts preparing children for college in third grade. The program works directly with parents, and with more than 50 partners from schools, community-based organizations, and employers that support students through K-12 and college. Since it was founded in 1996 with a dozen students from one of San Diego’s lowest performing schools, the institute has grown to host nearly 400 students annually. More than 80 percent of students it serves enroll directly in a four-year university program, and 90 percent have graduated or will soon graduate with a four-year degree, according to program statistics.
Counselor tip – Possibly meet with Elementary School Teachers from your local community to discuss introducing the idea of going to College to their children on a regular basis.
Linking academic rigor with cultural competence and language to serve community needs.
Since 1980, the social-work program at St. Augustine College, in Chicago, has helped fulfill the need for Latino and bilingual social workers in the area. According to the college, it is the only such program of its kind in the region. The major provides a pathway that allows two-year students to transfer into its four-year program, and its graduates are eligible for an accelerated master’s-degree program in social work at St. Augustine. The program accommodates college students who are balancing family, work, and academic responsibilities by providing services such as tutoring and free child care. Some 90 percent of students earn their degree within four years of entering the program, according to the college, and approximately half of its graduates are now employed by agencies serving Latinos.
Intentionally recruiting students who are underrepresented in areas of national need.
The Enhancing Postbaccalaureate Opportunities at CSUF for Hispanic Students program, at California State University at Fullerton, collaborates with several campus offices in an effort designed to raise the number of Latinos who earn a master’s degree. The program, known as Epochs, offers graduate students a special orientation session, Spanish-language workshops for family members, teaching assistantships, and meetings with faculty advisers that focus on cultural competency and outreach with community groups. These special efforts have led to a 57-percent increase in Latino master’s-degree candidates since 2010 and nearly closed the gap in the graduation rate between Latino and white students, according to the university.
This article is adapted from an article published by the Chronicle of Higher Education here: http://www.chronicle.com/article/Latino-Success-Stories-Can/238115?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=8a2ada7938b94af9855ec12aa43bc878&elq=7f508cd1eee44f2a9126cf3147e1e161&elqaid=11286&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=4374
Sarita Brown is president and Deborah Santiago is chief operating officer and vice president for public policy at Excelencia in Education. Descriptions of all programs recognized under the group’s “Examples of Excelencia” initiative can be found at www.EdExcelencia.org.
