New York to Award Special Recognition to Bilingual High School Graduates

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

New York state will begin awarding a state seal of biliteracy to high school graduates who demonstrate that they are proficient in two or more languages. The state follows California, which in January became the first state in the country to award a similar seal.

Students must demonstrate they are proficient in listening, speaking, reading and writing another language.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that he had signed a bill into law this week enacting the new seal. It will be attached to diplomas and high school transcripts and will go into effect on September 1. ”Giving the proper credentials for those students who are proficient in English and a second language will be instantly recognizable as an achievement of language proficiency for both colleges and employers,” bill co-sponsor State Senator Joseph Robach said in a press release.

California recently awarded its first seals to the graduating Class of 2012 and more than 10,000 students earned the distinction. The Press-Enterprise newspaper in California reported that many students and school administrators hope the seal will help their odds of finding work. ”We feel it strengthens students’ ability to work in our community and in other communities where there’s a bilingual population,” San Bernardino schools spokeswoman Linda Bardere told the newspaper.

According to the California Department of Education, about 70 percent of the students earning seals showed Spanish proficiency. To earn a California seal in a second language, students must meet certain criteria. Graduates must have a “C” average in their English language arts classes and show English proficiency on the eleventh grade California Standards Test.

In addition, they must also demonstrate proficiency in the other language by earning a three or higher on an Advanced Placement exam, passing an International Baccalaureate exam with a four or higher, or taking four years of foreign language courses in high school and earning a “B” average or higher.

- “Governor Cuomo signs bill to recognize high school graduates who demonstrate proficiency in multiple languages.” Press Release.

- “New State celebrates ‘biliterate’ students.” The Press-Enterprise.

- “State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson announces more than 10,000 students earn new state seal of biliteracy.” California Department of Education.

Mother-Daughter Program Urges More Latinas on to College

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

In 1986, University of Texas at El Paso professor Josie Tinajero took a look around and noticed very few Latinas graduating from college. So that year, she created the Mother-Daughter Program; she realized that mothers play a pivotal role in their daughters’ educational choices and decided to include them in the college preparatory program.

“The most important role models for young girls, especially in the Hispanic community, is found with the family system,” Tinajero told The Deseret News this week. “Hispanic mothers have a huge impact on how their daughters make decisions.”

The program focuses on sixth-grade girls. About 500 mother-daughter teams meet monthly for various activities focusing on issues such as personal, career and academic goals. They tour university facilities, perform community service and hear presentations from successful Hispanic women.

The program seeks to build the girls’ self-esteem while directing them toward higher education. In addition, by involving mothers it increases parental involvement and awareness of higher education. Because of the program’s success, a father-son program also has been launched.

“The program is a success because we are addressing this problem as a community,” Tinajero said in the story.

Program leaders say it has even inspired mothers to pursue their own educational goals. That’s especially important, given that recent data released by the National Center for Education Statistics found children with more educated mothers tend to perform better on math, reading and science assessments as eighth graders.

Do you know of any similar programs in your area that focus on parent relationships? I also wanted to mention another program doing similar work in Austin, Texas. The Con Mi Madre (with my mother) program serves more than 700 girls in the 6th-12th grades annually also offers support to prompt more girls to pursue higher education.

- Mother-Daughter Program – The University of Texas at El Paso.

- “Losing the fear: UTEP reaches out to families.” El Paso Times.

- “Hispanic girls face special barriers on road to college.” Education Week.

- Con Mi Madre – Mothers and Daughters Raising Expectations.

Texas Superintendent’s Goal: Every Student Will Graduate with College Credits

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Viviana Hernandez doesn’t want to live the life of a migrant field worker, as her parents have. Neither finished high school.

This year, the graduate of Memorial High School in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District in South Texas, located along the U.S.-Mexico border, spent half of her day taking courses at South Texas College, a community college.

“When I started taking college classes, my parents didn’t understand my tight schedule, that I needed to study,” said Hernandez, 18, in a PBS NewsHour report that aired on Thursday. “They wanted me to help out around the house, to look after my sister and my little brother.”

She found time somehow. When she walked the stage to receive her high school diploma, she had already earned an associate’s degree in biology.

Viviana was featured in the second of a two-part series on the district’s efforts to expand college dual enrollment courses. John Merrow of Learning Matters reported on the story as part of PBS’ American Graduate initiative. PSJA ISD Superintendent Daniel King’s goal is for student to graduate with college credits. He wants them to go on to earn certificates, or even degrees. Almost all of the district’s students are Latino, and most are low-income. According to King, about 40 percent of the graduates this year had at least three college credits and 60 earned two-year associate degrees.

The conversation over whether all students should go on to college has been hotly debated. In a recent opinion piece for The Washington Post, Robert Samuelson argued that college-for-all efforts do more harm than good and that college courses have been “dumbed down” as a result.

Do you think all students should take college coursework in high school? What similar efforts are your districts taking to expose more students to dual enrollment courses? Are they trying to enroll all students, or just those designated gifted?

- American Graduate Project

- Learning Matters

Texas District Brings Dropouts Back to School with College Courses

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo School District Superintendent Daniel King makes an unusual pitch to high school dropouts to get them to re-enroll in the district: He offers them the option to start college while they are finishing high school.

“It’s kind of an oxymoron, but we used an early college philosophy for dropouts,” King told PBS NewsHour. “We brought them back in. Our message was, you didn’t finish high school. Start college today.”

He opened the College, Career, and Technology Academy (CC&T Academy) in 2007. Volunteers go door-to-door to recruit dropouts to attend the school, which now serves students between the ages of 18 to 26. They are able to take dual enrollment courses to earn college credits. This year, there were 70 graduates of the academy , and about 60 percent of them will go on to college.

The South Texas district on the U.S.-Mexico border serves about 32,000 students, 99 percent of whom are Latino and 89 percent are economically disadvantaged.

The college focus also extends to regular students: The district opened up the T-STEM Early College High School to meet the needs of juniors and seniors. Many of the graduates finished school with a two-year degree from South Texas College, a community college, and a high school diploma.

By numerous accounts, the strategy has worked. Education Week recently reported that about 2,000 of the district’s 8,000 high school students are enrolled in a college course each semester, and the four-year graduation rate has increased from 62 percent to 87 percent over the past three years.

The Texas Education Agency featured the district in a best practices guide for school districts.

One student helped by the PSJA district initiative is Jonathan Sanchez, who says he dropped out when he got involved in drugs. He enrolled in the program in January, and takes courses including business computer systems.

“There’s, like, so much going on, it feels like my brain is being occupied the whole time,” he told PBS.

The story was featured on PBS NewsHour as part of the American Graduate project, reported on by John Merrow of Learning Matters. A second story on the school district will air tonight on NewsHour.

- “I have Seen the Future.” Learning Matters.

- American Graduate Project. Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

- “For many Latino Students, College Seems Out of Reach.” Diplomas Count 2012. Education Week.

- “High-Yield Dropout Prevention/Recovery Program-Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD.” Best Practices. Texas Education Agency.

- College, Career & Technology Academy. Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District.

XY-Zone Project Mentors Latino Male High School Students

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Latino males are far less likely to graduate from high school and go on to college than their Latina counterparts. According to an analysis of 2011 Census survey data by Richard Fry of the Pew Hispanic Center, about 17 percent of Hispanic females ages 25 to 29 have at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with about 10 percent of Hispanic males.

One program trying to address this disparity is the XY-Zone Project, an effort of Communities in Schools of Central Texas. Half of the participants are Latino, and 41 percent are black. It serves 436 students in 10 Texas high schools.

Coordinators work with young men on 10 high school campuses in Texas who are at-risk of dropping out. The program’s core is focused on five key aspects: respect, responsibility, relationships, role modeling and reaching out.

The 2011-12 demographics of the young men in the program tell a rather consistent story: 98 percent have experienced some form of violence, 85 percent are economically disadvantaged, and 48 percent come from single-parent homes. In school, 16 percent are in special education and 15 percent are English language learners.

“The XY-Zone mission is to support and guide adolescent males as they journey into manhood,” said Robert Bachicha, the program’s Coordinator.

Bachicha said the outcomes for the young men in the program have been positive: 89 percent improved or maintained their grades, attendance or behavior and 97 percent stayed in school. The students perform volunteer work. Parents are also engaged through newsletters, phone calls and frequent home visits.

“Students who have participated are significantly more likely to believe ‘My life has purpose’ after completing the program,” Bachicha said.

XY-Zone mostly relies on family support and corporate foundation funding, with some federal money. He said the program was developed by looking at existing program models. They included service learning, Native American rites of passage, and the Fraternal Brotherhood model.

Bachicha spoke on Wednesday as part of a webinar focused on young men of color by the College Board’s Advocacy Arm. The board has a Young Men of Color Initiative. According to the College Board, in 2008, about 33.4 percent of Hispanic male high school graduates aged 15 to 24 were enrolled in postsecondary education.

School Mariachi Programs Engage and Inspire Latino Students

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

At Zapata High School in south Texas, competition is fierce to earn one of 24 spots on the two-time state-champion varsity mariachi ensemble.

The upcoming PBS documentary “Mariachi High,” airing on June 29 at 9 p.m. ET (also check local listings), tells the story of the award-winning musical group and shows students going through the audition process and then competing. Zapata High School’s enrollment is about 99 percent Latino and 76 percent economically disadvantaged.

In response to the growing popularity of such programs, in 2008 Texas added a varsity mariachi competition category to its statewide University Interscholastic League music competitions. Ensembles must include violins, trumpets, armonia (such as vihuela ,guitarrón and guitar) and vocals.

The Huffington Post spoke with Mariachi Halcon band leader Adrian Padilla about the students, all of whom from the most recent team have gone on to college. He recalled how one student decided to study music in college. ”When I heard that I was just like, wow,” Padilla told the Post. “I remember when (this student) first came to me and said he’d felt neglected and left behind. I told him that I guarantee by the time you’re a senior, you’re going to be top dog.”

The program has also spurred parent involvement in preparation for the competitions. Teen-ager Eloy Martinez first fell in love with the music when he heard the band playing six years ago, as a fifth-grader.

“The first day I just sat there watching, listening,” he said in The Huffington Post. “I didn’t play any instrument and I thought, I don’t know what it is, but I like it.”

Texas isn’t the only state that encourages such programs. They are popping up in hundreds of schools all over the country, from Las Vegas to towns in rural Iowa. Many educators hope that getting more minority and low-income students involved in arts education will push them forward toward higher education.

““At a time when Latinos have the highest dropout rate in the country and when arts education continues to be under attack, we found a story of teens who pursue excellence through their cultural heritage despite some very real challenges,” Ilana Trachtman, the show’s producer and director, said in a PBS press release. “This is an exuberant story about ambitious and talented Mexican-American teenagers — whom you hardly ever see on screen.”

You can localize this story by checking to see if your local schools are offering similar programs. School systems with thriving programs include the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Pasco School District in eastern Washington, and the Garland Independent School District outside of Dallas. The University of North Texas also offers a summer mariachi camp for middle and high school students.

-”Mariachi High” Facebook Page.

- Mariachi USA Foundation

- “Mariachi has changed my life’: Mexican music grabs US students.” msnbc.com.

- “Mariachi band growing roots in Denison middle school.” The Globe Gazette (Iowa).

Three Programs That are Promoting STEM Education Among Latinos

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

There’s lots of talk about the urgent need to improve Latino students’ math and science performance . But what programs exist that help Latino students pursue the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics?

“We’re really focusing on the Hispanic community because of the education statistics we see for our students and where we will be as a nation if we don’t address these students.” said Rudy Reyna, executive director of the Pre-Freshman Engineering Program based in San Antonio. “These students are such a critical resource for the future of the nation.”

Here are a few programs that I learned about during a presentation by the Hispanic STEM Initiative at the College Board’s recent “Preparate” conference. The initiative’s members might be good resources for reporters looking to write about this topic.

♦ Parent Institute for Quality Education: The PIQE organization recently piloted a STEM awareness class for parents in Stockton, Calif. About 75 percent of parents participating in PIQE programs are Spanish-speaking. During the classes, parents were made aware of and encouraged to get their children involved with STEM-related school clubs and math competitions.

“They get to hear what their children would be earning if they went into these fields,” said
David Valladolid, president and CEO of PIQE. “They’re learning the preparation. Parents leave the classes with a full list of classes their children need to take.”

♦ PREP-USA (University of Texas at San Antonio): Middle and high school students take part in a seven-week summer learning Pre-Freshman Engineering Program on college campuses, where they can earn elective high school credits. Courses include problem solving, technical writing, water science and computer science. The program also takes place in other areas of the state, including Dallas, Houston and Laredo.

♦ MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement): This California program works on preparing a pipeline of STEM students beginning in middle school and carrying through college. About 60 percent of the student participants are Latino, said executive director Oscar Porter. The schools program is dedicated to year-round support for middle school and high school students.

The community college program focuses on supporting students at the college level, improving their skills in calculus-based majors and encouraging them to transfer to universities. Finally, the engineering program works on students at four-year institutions. MESA leaders say that the high school participants have a college-going rate of 70 percent, much higher than the state average.

- Prefreshman Engineering Program (PREP)

- Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA)

Prepárate Conference: Miami Dade College and FIU Emphasize Partnership

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Miami Dade College and Florida International University are two of the most successful colleges in the country when it comes to graduating Latino students. A recent study by the group Excelencia in Education, found that in 2009-10 Miami Dade College awarded 5,893 associate degrees to Latinos and FIU awarded 3,918 bachelor’s degrees and 1,014 master’s degrees to Latinos.

The two institutions are working together to build a seamless pipeline for students who earn an associate degree at Miami Dade and then want to move on to earn a bachelor’s degree at FIU. Administrators from the colleges presented at the College Board’s “Prepárate: Educating Latinos for the Future of America” conference in Miami to explain their dual admission program and their work as partners.

Promising Miami Dade College students who are not admitted to FIU outright because of academic or capacity issues are invited into the dual degree program, and about 30 percent of those approached so far have chosen to participate . If they earn an associate degree within three years, they can move on to the university.

About 84 percent of students in the dual admission program require remedial courses. Their average high school GPA is about 2.8 and their math or verbal SAT scores average around 450 in each area, so they do require further coursework to be prepared for the university.

“The basic promise that the university makes in the letter is we’re not admitting you but if you go to community college and get the two-year degree, we’ll hold a seat for you,” said assistant professor Glenda Musoba.

To encourage the bond, orientation for the participating Miami Dade students is held at FIU. ”There’s a lot of buy-in right away for students to feel they’re FIU students,” said Douglas Wartzok, the university’s provost and executive president. ”We really try to build the affinity to FIU as they’re starting as Miami Dade students.”

Students are also issued FIU ID and library cards, so they can participate in campus activities. That stresses to students that “this is your home as well,” said FIU vice provost Elizabeth Bejar.

They also go through workshops at certain points on topics such as choosing a major with the help of a dual degree bridge advisor.

The program still is young and administrators are closely watching the results. Since 2006, 5,203 students have accepted the offer to participate and 141 of those participants have graduated from FIU. Most of the students joined the program recently, so long-term data is still needed to gage future success.

College Scholarship Programs Can Make a Difference for Latinos

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

The end of the school year is my favorite time to write–not because I’m looking forward to a slow summer, but because so many inspirational stories seem to crop up all at once. As high school graduation closes in, stories about young people overcoming adversity to reach their academic potential are in high demand from editors.

I’ve found several inspirational students to write about over the years through a couple of organizations that are making a difference for many young Latinos and financially challenged young people.

First, the QuestBridge program “matches” low-income students with elite universities to provide a fully paid college education. I once wrote an article about a young man from the Dallas suburbs who was matched with Princeton University. His parents, immigrants from Mexico, had not even completed elementary school.

A second option is the Gates Millennium Scholars program funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The organization offers fully paid tuition, in some cases through graduate school, to qualified low-income, minority students. Gates scholar Rodrigo Fernandez, who ranked first in his high school class at Simon Rivera High School in Brownsville, Texas, explained to The Brownsville Herald how the Gates scholarship lifted pressure off him. ”The day I got it I was really happy because I knew that now I could focus on my studies without having to worry about everything else, that I could stop worrying about the money and other financial things,” said Fernandez, who will attend the University of Texas at Austin and whose older sister also won the award.

I’m not suggesting that you simply write a straight news piece about someone winning the award. If you delve deeper into their life story, you may find a strong narrative story to tell.

It’s also important to ask who are the counselors who are identifying and guiding students toward applying for these scholarships? The process of writing essays and requesting recommendations can be time-consuming. The difference between students who win these awards and the talented ones who don’t can be due to the quality of advising, and that’s unfortunate.

A few years ago, I presented on a panel at the Education Writers Association conference about “undermatching.” The term refers to how many young minority and low-income students often set their goals too low and are qualified to enroll in more academically rigorous colleges than they actually apply to.

As reporters, we should keep an eye out for schools that are doing a better job of guiding young people toward these opportunities. We should also ask why so many schools are failing to offer that support.

Broad Prize Finalists Include School Districts with Large Latino Populations

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

One of the distinctions most coveted by urban school superintendents is the Broad Prize for Urban Education. Awarded annually, it recognizes districts making progress with disadvantaged and minority students.

This year’s four finalists all have large Latino student enrollments. The finalists were announced earlier this month, but the lone winner will be named on Oct. 23 and will receive $550,000 designated for college scholarships for the graduating class of 2013. The other three districts will receive $150,000.

The organization notes that all of the finalists have increased the number of their Hispanic and African-American students taking the SAT, ACT or Advanced Placement tests; increased their graduation rates for those students and have ranked near the top of districts in their states in minority student achievement on standardized state tests.

In case you missed the announcement, here are the finalists and some of their achievements with Latino students:

– Corona-Norco Unified School District, California (50 percent Latino): Between 2008 and 2011, the number of Latino students taking the SAT increased by 11 percentage points, and the average score improved by 14 points. The number of Latino students taking Advanced Placement exams increased by 7 percentage points, and passing rates by 5 percentage points. Achievement gaps between Hispanic and white students in math and science also narrowed. Coverage by the ABC affiliate here.

– Houston Independent School District (62 percent Latino): Between 2008 and 2011, the number of Latino students taking the SAT increased by 15 percentage points. The number of students taking Advanced Placement exams increased by 13 percentage points in the same time period. About 29 percent of Latino students took an AP exam in 2011. Coverage by the Houston Chronicle.

– Miami-Dade County Public Schools (64 percent Latino): Hispanic graduation rates increased by 14 percentage points between 2006 and 2009. Between 2008 and 2011, SAT participation by Latino students increased by 6 percentage points and average scores by 15 points. Coverage by The Miami Herald here.

–Palm Beach County, Florida (29 percent Latino): The district increased the proportion of Latino students performing at the highest level on middle school science exams by 9 percentage points. The Hispanic graduation rate increased by 13 percentage points. Coverage by The Miami Herald here.

The finalists were chosen by a 13-member board including education researchers, civil rights leaders and university leaders. The lone finalist will be determined at a four-day site visit conducted by the RMC Research Corporation that will include examining data and interviewing district administrators, teachers and parents. A jury will then select a winner based on achievement data and the visits.

Even if your district isn’t listed, has it made winning the prize a goal?

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