Universities Take Early Intervention Approach

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Conversations about closing the achievement gap for Hispanic students often center around reaching children as early as possible — in preschool, or even as toddlers.

More universities are embracing a similar mindset. They are seeking to reach students before they’ve even thought of applying to college. That means working with students and parents in high school, or even middle school.

An article in The New York Times proposes that these outreach efforts may be able to accomplish diverse universities in ways that traditional affirmative action policies cannot.

The story points to California as a case study, since it has a ban on affirmative action admissions.

“It is not enough, university administrators say, to change the way they select students; they must also change the students themselves, and begin to do so long before the time arrives to fill out applications,” says the article.

The story highlights 18-year-old Erick Ramirez, who attends Anaheim High School and was just accepted to San Francisco State University. He was able to do that through the help of representatives from the University of California, Irvine, working with him over a three-year period after school and on weekends. They focused on topics such as classwork, test prep and applying for financial aid.

According to the article, UC-Irvine spends more than $7 million a year on out reach. That includes working with low-income students. Part-time employees and college students often work with schools.

UC Irvine graduate and current employee Cristina Flores helps students attending Century High School in Santa Ana with tasks including filing out college applications. She worked with Jasmin Rodriguez, 17, who plans to attend UCLA next year.

“Without their guidance, I would have been so lost,” Jasmin told the Times. “There’s so many little things you don’t know unless someone tells you.”

Stanford Administrator Advocated for Latino Students

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Former Stanford University administrator Cecilia Preciado Burciaga worked to support many first-generation Latino college students transition into the university.

Now that she has passed away at age 67, many of those former students are stepping forward to share the impact she made on their lives. They include successful professors and attorneys.

“She taught hesitant young women and men, many the first in their families to attend college, that they belonged and could thrive at the elite private school, and later kept more than a few from dropping out,” according to a Los Angeles Times article.

“She soothed nervous parents, persuading them, in Spanish and English, that the university was a safe place for their children and that it would open their eyes to new worlds. At Stanford, she also successfully pushed university leaders to hire additional Latinos, African Americans, Native Americans and women for faculty positions, and admit more to graduate programs.”

Despite her achievements, she also endured some tumultuous periods. After 20 years at Stanford, she was laid off by the university in 1994. She then became a founding dean at California State University-Monterey Bay. But that relationship concluded when in 2002, she was one of three Latino plaintiffs who came to a $1 million settlement with the university in a racial discrimination case.

Through those difficult times, she continued to be admired by her former students. Stanford posted its own tribute to her on its web site. She and her husband Tony were resident advisors at the Chicano dorm, Casa Zapata.

R. Vanessa Alvarado, ’97, a deputy city attorney in Los Angeles, said the two were role models for her.

“What is most meaningful about Cecilia and Tony’s presence in my family life’s is that they gave our mother, a woman with a third-grade education who grew up on a small farm on the outskirts of a small town in Jalisco, Mexico, and my father, who graduated from high school past the age of 60, the reassurance that their two daughters would not be lost amid the seemingly inaccessible walls of a university,” she told Stanford News.

“I remember when my mother came back to campus for Admit Weekend and talked on a panel for prospective students how amazed I was as she advocated to Latino parents to let their children go away for school. I mentored students as an undergraduate, as a law student and continue doing that today. That is how I will continue to honor their memory.”

This makes me wonder–who are the Latino administrators of this era who are supporting such students? What lessons can we learn from them?

- “Chon A. Noriega: Cecilia Preciado Burciaga, Presente,” Huffington Post Latino Voices.

- “Cecilia Preciado Burciaga dies at 67; longtime Stanford administrator,” Los Angeles Times.

Latino Students Need Help to Overcome “Stereotype Threat”

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Teachers can use positive intervention strategies to help overcome the “stereotype threat” that Latino students often feel, a recent Stanford University study found.

The study was published in February in the Journal of Personality and School Psychology.

The researchers found that positive affirmations can help battle the “stereotype threat” of feeling stigmatized as a member of an ethnic group that is perceived as inferior. Past research has found that the stress of this threat can hurt students’ academic performance.

The Latino middle school students participating in the study practiced certain affirmative activities. They were given a list of values such as being good at art, religious, or being humorous. They were then asked to writes about the values they viewed as the most important.

In another assignment, they were asked to reflect on the things in their lives that were most important. In yet another, they wrote a brief essay about how the things they valued would play a role in the coming months.

Students worked on such exercises through the year during important moments that can prove stressful, such as before taking tests and right as they were starting the school year.

According to the researchers, Latino students who went through the affirmative activities had higher grades than those in the control group, and that the positive impact lasted for three year. The activities did not appear to impact white students.

“Self-affirmation exercises provide adolescents from minority groups with a psychological time out,” Stanford professor Geoffrey Cohen said, according to a new release. “Latino Americans are under a more consistent and chronic sense of psychological threat in the educational setting than their white counterparts on average. They constantly face negative stereotypes about their ability to succeed, so they are the ones to benefit the most from affirmations that help them to maintain a positive self-image.”

- “Interventions Help Latino Students Beat ‘Stereotype Threat,” Study Says,” Learning the Language Blog, Education Week.

- “Study finds intervention can close achievement gap,” The Bakersfield Californian.

Philadelphia Program Builds Bridges With Latino Youth

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

A Philadelphia after-school program known as Puentes Hacia El Futuro (bridges toward the future) is targeting working with Latino children who are English Language Learners in kindergarten through sixth-grade, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

The program was created in 2010 through the nonprofit group Puentes de Salud, which operates a medical clinic and promotes health and wellness in South Philadelphia’s Latino immigrant community.

College and graduate students mentor and tutor students three times a week at the Southwark School in the Philadelphia school district. Many of the students are from Temple University. There are 57 students and 100 volunteers. Parents are also offered the opportunity to take English classes on campus.

This year the school has about 545 students, about 27 percent of whom are Latino.

Steven Larson, a doctor at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School who is one of the founders of Puentes de Salud, believes that the education program plays a role in improving public health. He points out that there are “social determinants of health,” such as language, that can impact wellness.

The program began when a medical student approached him with the idea.

“A lot of doctors say, ‘It’s not my problem,’” he told the Inquirer. “I beg to differ. It certainly is.”

What role do you think that healthcare organizations can play in helping school districts?

- Puentes Hacia el Futuro

- Puentes de Salud

- Southwark School Profile

Spanish Signs Spark Controversy at Elementary School

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

School officials should consider the following story a cautionary tale about what happens when a message becomes lost in translation. It also illustrates the importance of educators having adequate Spanish translation services.

The Milford School District in Delaware came under fire recently for several signs posted outside two elementary school playgrounds. In English, they warned that parent or guardian supervision was required for use of the playground equipment and to “play at your own risk.”

In Spanish, they carried a more intimidating message. They informed parents that “un permiso”–a permit–was required to play on the site and warned that violators would be subject to police action.

The signs have been posted for the past year. But they only drew attention when a local radio talk show Dan Gaffney host posted photos of them on his Facebook page.

“I think Milford schools are trying to keep ‘certain ethnic’ people away,” he wrote. “Shame.”

The post stirred up online outrage. As a result, Milford schools superintendent Phyllis Kohel and her husband personally removed them last Sunday.

Kohel called the signs inappropriate and that she understood why people were upset.

“We expect people to use our playgrounds anytime, without any special permission,” she told the Milford Beacon. “That’s what they’re here for.”

Kohel added that at the district’s middle and high school athletic fields, signs in English and Spanish warn that permits are required and violators could be subject to police action. There are no such signs in English at the elementary campuses, however.

“Those signs make sense at soccer sites,” Kohel told The Daily Times. “They don’t make sense at a playground.”

Some residents were disturbed by the incident and worried about the impact on the schools’ relationship with the Hispanic community. About 16 percent of the city’s residents are Latino.

“In that year, I wonder how many Spanish-speaking parents brought their kids to that park, then turned around and left with the feeling that they weren’t wanted,” resident Margaret Reyes told The Daily Times.

How does your school district handle translating information to English to Spanish? Do they use professional translators or bilingual staff?

- “Controversial Milford school playground signs removed.” Milford Beacon.

- “Delaware: ‘Threatening’ signs removed at Milford schools.” The Daily Times.

Minn. “TORCH” Program Supports Latino High School Students

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Some years ago, a disturbingly high dropout rate among Latino students attending Northfield High School in Minnesota alarmed teachers and spurred them to take action. In 2004, the Latino graduation rate was 36 percent.

Minnesota Public Radio reports that the dropout problem resulted in the creation of a program targeting Latino students in 2005 known as TORCH, or Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes, aimed at improving graduation and college enrollment rates.

The program was started with a $40,000 grant from the state’s Office of Higher Education, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. It is funded with grants totaling about $100,000 per year, according to MPR.

TORCH leaders say the Latino graduation rate at the high school is now 90 percent and that so far 70 students participating in the program have graduated. Half of the alumni are enrolled in college. Program coordinator Beth Berry told MPR that she helped start program after feeling concerned that students were dropping out of school to work.

Students begin receiving individual after-school mentoring and tutoring, in addition to other programming. College students from the city’s St. Olaf College and Carleton College often mentor students. The program now has about 350 students, 50 of whom are in college. So far, 49 TORCH students have received a college degree or two-year certificate, MPR reports.

High school senior Frank Calvario told MPR News that the program helped improve his grades.

“It gives Hispanic students that sense of having control of what they’re going to do with their lives afterwards,” he said.

Other school districts are taking note. Just 20 minutes down the road, the Faribault school system is trying to replicate the model.

The students’ success is also drawing accolades elsewhere in the state. Minn. Sen. Al Franken stopped by to meet with students. In October, the Minneapolis Star Tribune published an editorial praising the program.

- Northfield TORCH (Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes).

- “Editorial: Northfield closes achievement gap,” Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Latino Characters Lacking in Books for Young Readers

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Despite the growing diversity of the U.S. population, the representation of Hispanics in literature for young readers isn’t keeping pace.

A recent article in The New York Times addresses the problem. Education reporter Motoko Rich describes how 8-year-old Mario Cortez-Pacheco of Philadelphia already notices that the characters he reads about in books such as “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” don’t look like him.

“I see a lot of people that don’t have a lot of color,” he tells her.

The article notes that the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education analyzed the race and ethnicity of authors and characters in 3,400 children’s books published in 2011. They found that only about 3 percent of the books were written about or by Hispanics.

“If all they read is Judy Blume or characters in the “Magic Treehouse series who are white and go on adventures, they start thinking of their language or practices or familiar places and values as not belonging in school,” Mariana Souto-Manning, an associate professor at Columbia University’s Teachers College, told the Times.

The story does list the names of some young Hispanic authors who are successful–Julia Alvarez, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Alma Flor Ada and Gary Soto.

Have you reviewed the reading lists for children in your district, or even state? How much diversity is included?

- Cooperative Children’s Book Center. School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

- “5 Children’s Books That Teach About Latino Culture.” Fox News Latino.

SHPE Promotes Science Awareness Among Latino Parents

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

College-educated Latino professionals are working to promote STEM education through the Noche de Ciencias (Science Night) program.

In 2008, the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) Foundation launched a national campaign, encouraging its student and professional chapters throughout the nation to reach out to K-12 students. The programming is typically held during Hispanic Heritage Month every year and emphasizes the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

The program provides hands-on learning activities, promotes awareness about college programs, and provides Spanish and English language parent workshops. The organization provides resources online for organizing a science night, complete with presentations and lesson plans.

An event was recently held at Dunbar High School in the Fayette County Public Schools in Lexington, Kentucky. The professional and student chapter worked together on the program.

“The main goal is for them to learn as much as they can while also having fun,” said high school junior Erika Nunez, a member of the SHPE student chapter, in a story published on the district’s web site. “It’s a lot of help to have the parents and students on the same page, and we can answer all their questions in one night.”

Should more professional organizations be involved in the public schools? In particular, what are Hispanic professional organizations doing to reach out to young people? Do your districts partner with any similar organizations?

- “Noche de Ciencias (Science Night).” SHPE Foundation.

High schools Embrace Latino-themed Organizations On Campus

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

High schools are beginning to recognize that clubs and organizations specifically targeted toward Latino youth are one way to increase student engagement.

The Winston Salem-Journal in North Carolina reports that Mount Tabor High School recently launched a Latino Achievers program geared at instilling students’ pride in their heritage and making them aware of educational opportunities. Last school year, the program served 800 Hispanic students in six area high schools.

The program brings successful Latino adults, including those in professions such as nursing and interpreting, on campus to speak with students. They also are provided other academic support.

A school counselor reached out to the local YMCA about the program, which helps operate the program with support from the United Way. The Latino Achievers program is administered in cities across the United States.

The students feel “someone cares about them and wants to invest in their future,” Mount Tabor counselor Corey Daniel told the newspaper. “We need them to care about their community, and we need their community to care about them.”

Similarly, in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas, students and teachers created the Latinos Stand Up organization for Hispanic families, providing opportunities for students such as college visits. The League of Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, also has a youth leadership program with local site chapters throughout the United States.

I have noticed that these organizations can draw criticism based on the fact that they target once specific ethnic group.

Are you seeing similar organizations form in your communities? Are the groups being met with any resistance or controversy?

Puente Project Improves Latino Student Outcomes in California

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

The California-based Puente Project has worked to bridge the gaps between Latino youth and college enrollment since 1981. The program’s goal is to increase the number of Latinos graduating from four-year colleges, and then to urge those graduates to return to their communities and give back as mentors.

The program’s success was highlighted in a webinar Thursday hosted by the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center discussing college readiness programs for young men of color. The discussion was the third in a series discussing the challenges young men face.

Counseling, mentoring and teaching are the three main components of the organization. The program trains high school and community college educators to work with students and guide them toward transferring to four-year colleges. Students have the same counselor consistently through their high school career and then again in community college.

Once enrolled in community college, they take a class together on Latino and multicultural literature. ”The shared experience gives them buy-in into the program,” Puente program trainer and coordinator Martin De Mucha Flores said during the webinar. “They become critical thinkers.”

De Mucha Flores speaks from personal experience: He was a Puente program student himself.

The project’s work addresses solving a significant problem in California– the poor transfer rates of Latino, black and low-income students from community colleges to universities. Earlier this year, The Civil Rights Project at UCLA noted that just 20 percent of transfer students in 2010 were Latino or black.

The program serves thousands of students, and operates at 61 community colleges and 34 high schools in California. This year, it opened sites at South Texas community colleges in El Paso, McAllen and San Antonio.

The Puente Project was also recently highlighted as a successful program with young men in a policy brief appearing in Perspectives: Issues in Higher Education Policy and Practice. The policy advocacy group Excelencia in Education also named the group as one that’s successfully working to improve Latino graduation rates.

“We’re a tried-and-true program,” said De Mucha Flores, who noted that academic journals have vetted and proved that the model works.

Related Links:

- Puente Project Web Site

- “Webinar Series- Young Men of Color: Charting a Way for Educational Success.” College Board Advocacy & Policy Center. (Video and presentation links)

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