Latinos in North Central Indiana: Education Study
Latinos in North Central Indiana: Education Need
Latinos in North Central Indiana: Education Need
and Asset Study
and Asset Study
Robert Reyes, Ph.D. & Ana Lopez Juarez, M.S.S.A.
Robert Reyes, Ph.D. & Ana Lopez Juarez, M.S.S.A.
Outline for the Session
•
Overview of CITL at Goshen College
•
The Need and Asset Study
•
Research Goals
•
Theoretical Underpinnings & Methodology
•
Findings
–
Secondary Data & Qualitative Interviews
•
Recommendations
Research Questions
•
Questions on demographic data--
•
What factors facilitate or impede the
relationships between students and their
social networks inside and outside of school?
•
What are the sources of support social
networks provide and the challenges to they
face in providing support to students?
•
How do Latino students’ social networks
(
inside and outside of school
) contribute to
their academic success?
Theoretical Underpinnings
•
Family, community, school
as three spheres of student’s lives.
Support of student development and achievement depends on
connection between spheres
(
Epstein, 1995
).
•
Socio-cultural processes & and structures
mediate ways
families and communities participate and share responsibility
(Auerbach2007; Lareau 2000).
•
Social Capital Theory
: Refers to social relationships from which
an individual is potentially able to derive institutional support,
particular that includes the delivery of knowledge-based
resources, for example, guidance for college admission.
(Brykand Schneider 2002, Dodd and Konzal2002, Oakes et al.
2000).
Influence of Social Capital
on Student Success
Methodology (General Students)
•
**Expand- Separate Methods and Sample
•
Qualitative Methodology
•
Focus groups
with 36 students (9 in each
city: Goshen, Elkhart, South Bend, Ligonier)
•
Focus groups
with 24 parents (6 in each
city)
•
Semi-structured interviews
with 15
educators ( about 4 in each city)
Methodology (Study with High
Achieving Students)
•
Interviews with 25 college-bound (various
achievement levels), Junior and Senior Latino
students, 2009-2011
•
Interviews with school teachers and staff
•
Observations of classrooms and school events
•
Semi-structured interviews: 40 minutes to 1.5 hours
•
Discussed topics such as: college preparation process,
development of aspirations, resources that supported
them during process, challenges they faced, overall
experiences in school
•
Instrumental Case Study Approach: Select high
achieving Latina students who faced and overcame
significant barriers
Introduction: Demographic /
Educational Context
Population by Race/Ethnicity: Elkhart, Noble, and St.
Population by Race/Ethnicity: Elkhart, Noble, and St.
Joseph Counties, 2009
Joseph Counties, 2009
•
Whites remain the
majority. Latinos are
next significant
minority in Elkhart
and Noble counties
Latino Share of the Population: Elkhart, Noble, and
Latino Share of the Population: Elkhart, Noble, and
St. Joseph Counties, 1970-2009
St. Joseph Counties, 1970-2009
•
Most of Latino
population growth
took place in the
1990s and continued
into the 2000s but
growth slowed
Latino Population, by Country of Origin: Elkhart and
Latino Population, by Country of Origin: Elkhart and
St. Joseph Counties, 2009
St. Joseph Counties, 2009
•
Most of Latino
population is of
Mexican origin
•
Next significant
minority are Puerto
Ricans in St. Joseph
county and Central
Americans, particularly
those from Guatemala,
El Salvador and the
Dominican Republic
Latino Population, by Age and Nativity: Elkhart, Noble, and St.
Joseph Counties, 2009
•
Growth in this area
has been mostly
from foreign-born
Latinos who then
have children here
•
Counties with less
US-born children
signal a settled
population with less
recent migrants
Age Distribution of the Latino Population: Elkhart,
Age Distribution of the Latino Population: Elkhart,
Noble, and St. Joseph Counties, 2009
Noble, and St. Joseph Counties, 2009
•
Elkhart County has two
Latino population surges,
one in working age
immigrants and one in
their children
•
Soon there will be a
significant increase in
working age young adults
entering the job market,
unlike in Noble and St.
Joseph where the increase
will be gradual
Distribution of Latino and Non-Latino Workers, by Industry:
Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties, 2006-2008
•
In both Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, manufacturing and services employed
more Latinos and non-Latinos than any industry
•
In Elkhart County, a large majority of Latinos are employed in manufacturing and
30 percent are in services
Ethnicity of School Corporations by Percentage
Ethnicity of School Corporations by Percentage
White is the most common ethnicity,
followed by Hispanic in all districts
except South Bend, where Black is the
second most common ethnicity.
Concord is the least ethnically diverse
school system and South Bend is the
most ethnically diverse.
Free and Reduced Meal Population by Percent
Free and Reduced Meal Population by Percent
There are more students receiving
financial assistance for meals than not in
every district.
Concord has the highest rate of students
who are able to pay full price, and South
Bend has the lowest. Concord also has the
lowest rate of ethnic diversity and the
second lowest rate of English Language
Learners.
South Bend has the highest rate of students
receiving free meals. It is also the most
ethnically diverse and has the lowest
proportion of English Language Learners.
Percentage of Students who are
English Language Learners
South Bend has the lowest rate of
English Language Learners.
West Noble has the highest.
Hispanic Diploma Achievement by Percent
Hispanic Diploma Achievement by Percent
In general, it is most common for Hispanic
students to achieve the Core 40 diploma,
which is the lowest diploma commonly
accepted by colleges. Very few Hispanic
students achieve the Honors diploma, which
is the highest diploma offered by most
Indiana schools.
Goshen has the lowest rate of Hispanic
students achieving Honors diplomas.
Concord has the highest rate of Hispanic
students achieving honors diplomas.
High School Graduation Rates in Selected School
High School Graduation Rates in Selected School
Districts, by Race/Ethnicity: Elkhart, Noble, and
Districts, by Race/Ethnicity: Elkhart, Noble, and
St. Joseph Counties, 2008-2009
St. Joseph Counties, 2008-2009
•
In all but one of the local
school organizations, Latinos
graduated at a lower rate
than whites
•
Noble County is the
exception, with a Latino
graduation rate close to that
of white students
•
South Bend’s gap between
Latino and white student
graduation rates (14
percentage points) is
comparable to that of the
state (14.6 percentage points)
but in Elkhart County the gap
is higher (23 and 19
percentage points)
Rates of Passage of the ISTEP by Ethnicity
Rates of Passage of the ISTEP by Ethnicity
In most districts, White students had the highest rates of passing the ISTEP.
In South Bend, Asian students had the highest rates.
Hispanic and Black students had the lowest rates of passing the ISTEP in all districts.
The ISTEP covers English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies at different years.
Passage is intended to indicate adequate mastery of these skills according to the Indiana Academic Standards
instituted in November 2000. The displayed rates are for all schools who educate 3-8
th
graders and took the
test in 2010. These results are only for the English/Language Arts and Mathematics test.
Percentage of Students Proficient in Reading and Math, by Race/Ethnicity and
Percentage of Students Proficient in Reading and Math, by Race/Ethnicity and
Economic Status: Elkhart, Noble, and St. Joseph Counties, 2009
Economic Status: Elkhart, Noble, and St. Joseph Counties, 2009
•
Even though many Latino children speak
English, they still score low on English reading
and writing proficiency tests
•
These scores many times worsen with time
•
The drop in Math and English scores for LEP
(Limited English Proficiency) students is
significantly more than in other students
Results: Qualitative
Findings
Influence of Social Networks on
Student Success
Impact of Peer Networks on Student
Impact of Peer Networks on Student
Success
Success
Factors that Facilitate Positive
Relationships
•
US-born Latinos feel
welcomed and
comfortable in
schools.
•
US-born Latinos have
friends from different
ethnicities.
Factors that Impede
Relationships
•
It is difficult socially for
foreign-born students at
school. (Culture,
English
speaking ability)
•
Cultural differences
between newly arrivals and
old timers/U.S. born.
Impact of Peer Networks on Student
Impact of Peer Networks on Student
Success
Success
(High Achieving Students)
(High Achieving Students)
•
Factors that Facilitate Positive Relationships
–
Involved in supportive peer groups
Impact of Peer Networks on Student Success
Impact of Peer Networks on Student Success
(High Achieving Students)
(High Achieving Students)
•
“My friends are like, I told them, I don’t think I’m
going to college and my parents don’t care [if I go]
and they were like ‘Are you serious? You’re not
going to college? You are an honors student! It’s
not like you are another student…’ and it’s like
‘yeah so what does it matter?’ And they’re like
‘how can you say it doesn’t matter?...you’re doing
college-based courses’ and she was like ‘no, you
have to go, you have to go” so it’s like okay, if you
can do it, then I can do it…”
Impact of Peer Networks on Student
Impact of Peer Networks on Student
Success
Success
The second, third generation is already involved in a
lot of the activities that the school provides. Their
circle of friends is different than our first generation
who are just beginning to know the language, who
are beginning to note things, what to join and what
not to join.
(Educator, Elkhart)
Impact of Peer Networks on Student
Impact of Peer Networks on Student
Success
Success
Unfortunately, many times the second-generation
students would kind of put down the first-generation
students. They felt like, “We've been here longer. We
know what's going on. You guys are new.” And they
would pick on them or put them down. So for me
that’s sad. To see people who'd been here longer not
accept the people who had just come recently
.
(Educator, Ligonier)
Influence of Social Networks on
Student Success
Impact of Teachers & Staff
Impact of Teachers & Staff
(i.e., Institutional
(i.e., Institutional
Agents)
Agents)
on Student Success
on Student Success
Factors that facilitate
positive relationships
•
Teachers who know their
siblings
•
Teachers who are also
Latino/bilingual
•
Teachers who have
similar interest in a
subject
•
Teachers who have more
patience
Factors that impede
relationships
•
Perception that teachers
don’t know how to relate
•
Feelings of isolation
Impact of Teachers & Staff
Impact of Teachers & Staff
(i.e., Institutional
(i.e., Institutional
Agents)
Agents)
on Student Success
on Student Success
(High Achieving
(High Achieving
Students)
Students)
•
Factors that Facilitate Positive Relationships
–
Multiple, strong relationships within family and
school
Impact of Educational System on Student
Impact of Educational System on Student
Success
Success
•
Latinos don’t take as many college prep
classes
•
English ability is a barrier to be prepared
for college
•
Lack of access to information about
college
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student
Success
Success
She shares where she went on vacation or
what she did or she asks me what I am up to
or how my family is. And you see it is a
confidence the two of [us] share. She knew
my brother in school. I never had her as a
teacher. Rather, through my brother I knew
she got along well with him. I started to
spend time with her and I realized that she
was a good person, and then I had confidence
in her.
(Latino student, Goshen)
Impact of Institutional Agents on
Impact of Institutional Agents on
Student Success
Student Success
I would also go with Miss X primarily because
she is Latina. I think she knows how we feel
and we trust her. She is the one who helps us
with everything, in whatever problem we
have.
(Latino student, Goshen)
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student
Success
Success
[I go to] the professors of the subjects that
interest me, like science. I trust them if I have
a problem. They are American, but there have
been instances where I have not understood
something and I go [to them].
(Latino student,
Goshen)
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student
Success
Success
Sometimes there are teachers who are more
patient than others and they sit with you and
they explain it to you. Sometimes they stay
after class to help you if you need more help,
but there are others that won’t.
(Latino
student, Elkhart)
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student
Success
Success
We can go to the professors. They can explain
[it] to us but they don’t feel as secure as the
other professors who speak Spanish with us
because they do understand what we don’t
understand and they understand how we feel.
(Latino student, Elkhart)
Impact of Institutional Agents on
Impact of Institutional Agents on
Student Success
Student Success
It has happened around two times that they
leave us alone in the corner and they let us
off easy at the start of class. Later they will
give me help because I am Latino and I don’t
understand the material very well.
(Latino
student, Goshen)
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student
Success (High Achieving Students)
Success (High Achieving Students)
•
“My home room teacher…I was the only
honors student in his class and he was like you
guys [other students] should follow her
lead….it was really nice to feel like that, to feel
that somebody actually cared about what you
were doing. And that makes you feel really
happy and like you want to do good things so
they approve…I want to go to college and he is
like helping me, he is always like ‘have you
filled out your applications, scholarships and
all this’…he’s been a big motivation. I am
really thankful.”
Impact of Educational System on
Impact of Educational System on
Student Success
Student Success
The high school in general offers courses, the
AP exams, honors courses, clubs, because
colleges look at students overall: how they're
doing, not only academically, but in the
community. I think the high school offers all
of that. We just have to get our students in
there . . . . We have a lot of Latinos in the
regular classes. Let's get them . . . higher.
(Educator, Goshen)
Impact of Educational System on
Impact of Educational System on
Student Success
Student Success
It depends on when they entered our system.
A student who arrives here speaking little or
no English in junior high or high school is not
going to be as prepared for success at an
English-speaking college as the student who
was born here and attends our school all
those years.
(Educator, Elkhart)
Impact of Educational System on
Impact of Educational System on
Student Success
Student Success
That’s a problem. [Counselors] give the information to
[students] and sometimes . . . you have to fish for
information hoping to catch something, and I see a
problem with that. When they are in tenth or eleventh
grade they get all the information and they only talk
to you when they miss something, when they are late,
and something like that, and they don’t give all the
information to you . . . because they aren’t worried
about money. . . . They are worried about their classes,
their levels, but not about where they are going, how
would they support themselves, and I say that that is
in part because you don’t ask for information, and
they won’t give it to you.
(Latino parent, Elkhart)
Influence of Social Networks on
Student Success
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Student Success
Student Success
Sources of Support
•
Providing Moral
Support
•
Being a provider
•
Monitoring Behavior
Barriers for Support
•
Limited school exposure
•
Lack of knowledge of the
educational system
•
Language proficiency
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Student Success
Student Success
(High Achieving Students)
(High Achieving Students)
•
Maintain high expectations despite limits in other
forms of support
•
Education as the ONLY option for the future
•
Strong source of emotional and moral support
•
Religious faith
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Influence of Parent Involvement on
College Access
College Access
Sources of Support
•
Support and
motivation from
families
•
Students motivated
by parents’ stories
Barriers to Support
•
Parents don’t understand
college experience and
college choice process
•
Female social pressure to
start own family.
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Student Success
Student Success
Moral Support:
I told them that they have to see that we
make big efforts so they can [have this
education], because maybe we don't have a
lot of studies but we want them to be better.
(Latino parent, Ligonier)
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Student Success
Student Success
Being a Provider:
To me, as a mother, it’s important to provide them
with the educational materials that they are required
to have. Sometimes it’s complicated because I don’t
have money to buy them and I don’t know what to do
because if they don’t bring them they are going to get
behind compared to other children. And they have the
capability to do the work, but if you as a parent say,
“They need this for tomorrow, but I’m going to leave it
until Friday because I get paid that day,” your kid is
going to get behind, not because of his capabilities.
You as a parent have to provide the educational
materials that your children are asking for. (Latino
Parent, Goshen)
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Student Success
Student Success
Monitoring Behavior:
My mom, she’s always been on my back about
everything, every single thing I’ve done. It’s
school, friends, where I go with who, sports . . .
. She goes to school, she talks to counselor, she
talks to principal. I wouldn’t even know but
then she’ll just tell me when I come home, “I
talked to your teacher.” She’s . . . in all these
programs just to learn about how the school
system works and I appreciate it.
(Latino
student, South Bend)
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Student Success
Student Success
Limited School Exposure:
I think you bring your own limitations.
Because you feel, you feel less [of a person].
When you are in a group of people that are
from here, I mean, they look at you like that,
and you feel bad because of those limitations .
. . . And you don’t know. You are not useful.
(Latino parent, South Bend)
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Student Success
Student Success
Knowledge of Educational System:
I spoke with parents about this . . . . Most of
them are uneducated themselves. They haven’t
figured out how to help them yet. This is just first
generation that I am talking about. They do try
to encourage students to do well in school, but
then again I don’t [know] if they understand the
concept of a “D” or a “C.” The comments on the
report card are all in English.
(Educator, South
Bend)
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Student Success
Student Success
Language Barrier:
Language is a barrier, and sometimes teachers don’t
know how to communicate . . . so you have to have
an interpreter so he can translate what’s going on . . .
. [D]uring the first years of school language was a
barrier for me. I as a mother didn’t know English. It
was too big and if we want our children to succeed
we had to learn. Now that I’ve learned a little more I
realize that during my first few years I didn’t go to
school—not at all—just to pick them up. No
celebrations, nothing, because of the language.
(Latino parent, Goshen)
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Student Success
Student Success
Language Barrier:
Because of that [not speaking English], it is
like a large part of why she doesn’t go [to
school activities such as parent-teacher
conferences]. She says because she doesn’t
understand and later there are bilingual
teachers but they say everything wrong.
(Latino student, Elkhart)
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Student Success
Student Success
(High Achieving Students)
(High Achieving Students)
“My parents have always been supportive of education too,
because they didn’t really have the opportunity to go to school, so
they think it’s very important that we do. Even though they haven’t
been able to help me much with applications and all, they are still
very motivated to help me in whatever way they can, and to take
me to college visits.”
“[My parents] talk to me a lot about college. What they said is
mainly it is because they want me to have a better opportunity than
they had and my dad attended college for a year in Mexico and he
said it was really hard for him to pay and that is why he came here
and my mom, she didn’t go to college, she just got her high school
diploma so for them it is really important for me to go to college
and I am their oldest daughter so it is, I guess, they want me to be a
role model for my younger siblings and I want to be a role model for
them too so it is important for me.”
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Influence of Parent Involvement on
College Access
College Access
Motivation from Family:
One of my best friends told me how she saw my
mom working so hard at the restaurant. It
almost made me cry because, seeing them break
their backs for me—if I don’t work hard then I’m
letting my parents down and that’s a stamp on
myself as well. I don’t want to have that feeling
that I failed them or failed myself, so going to
college will be something that I will focus on and
achieve.
(Latino student, South Bend)
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Influence of Parent Involvement on
College Access
College Access
Knowledge about College Choice Process:
When we went on college trips we would come back and they
would ask us, “Why didn’t you let us know so we could go?” And
they would say: “How was it?” Good, but they don’t know what to
ask you and at the last second they ask, “How are you going to
pay? How will you pay for it?” When it’s time, they worry. It’s late.
They don’t know the terminology. My mom asks [how] we are
going to pay . . . . We go to the financial aid office and they tell us.
They explain how to do it and my parents don’t understand
because they didn’t go to college. They don’t know you have to do
this or that, because when I took the IST my mom asked why I was
taking it and now that I have to go and take my freshman
placement exams she asks me, “Why? What is it for?”
(Latino
student, Goshen)
Influence of Parent Involvement on
Influence of Parent Involvement on
College Access
College Access
Expectations:
•
I have a limited experience, but in my limited
experience, girls in particular are frequently
discouraged from going to college because
their role is to become a mother.
(Educator,
Elkhart)
•
Expectations for their boys [are] still different
than for girls. If their daughter graduates high
school and gets married and is a mom, that's
ok.
(Educator, Ligonier)
Influence of Social Networks on
Student Success
Other Ecological Factors
Other Ecological Factors
•
Socioeconomic Challenges
•
Legal Challenges
•
Discrimination
Economic Challenges
Economic Challenges
•
He [a Latino student] was working to help his
parents, help with rent, the bills.
(Latino
student, Goshen)
•
“When you’re hungry, there’s no room for
your ABC’s [
La letra no entra cuando se tiene
hambre
]
.”
•
The reason why I think it's happening [Latinos
dropping out] is parents play a big role
because education—sometimes [it’s] not really
important and working and surviving is.
(Educator, South Bend)
Legal Status
Legal Status
•
The environment where they live creates that
mentality: if they don’t have Social Security they
can´t go. That’s the mentality.
(Latino parent,
Goshen)
•
Another reason [Latino students drop out] I would
say [is] undocumentation. If you're undocumented
and you come to this school, you graduate and then
when you graduate a lot of students say, “Well,
what do I have to look forward to? What is this
[high school diploma] going to do for me?” Really, I
don't have an answer.
(Educator, South Bend)
Discrimination
Discrimination
I went once [to the school] because my daughter fought
with a teacher, and the fight started because my daughter
heard the teacher saying that he didn’t think that my
daughter and another boy were in that math level. He
said, “I thought Hispanics were stupid,” so I went to clarify.
[She cries.] It makes me sad to feel that, because you feel
powerless, because maybe you don’t know how to say she
can do it. She defended herself. She is not at their level of
education, because she tells me, “Mom, help me,” and I
don’t know. You don’t know. And she has to deal with lot of
things beside doing her homework. She has to stand out.
She has to face the rejection of lot of people at school, just
because you are Hispanic.
(Latino parent, Elkhart)
Recommendations
Recommendations
Recommendations
Recommendations
•
Create a culturally responsive school environment
•
Focus on cultural knowledge and cross-cultural skills
•
Bilingual faculty and staff
•
Develop culturally responsive guidance practices
•
Increase Latino students in advanced classes and programs
•
Use the school as a community-building institution
•
Create opportunities for the development of social networks for
Latino parents
•
Provide more information and support for the college
preparation and application process.
•
Increase research, program development, and policy
initiatives that address the experiences of specific
subgroups
Recommendations
Recommendations
(cont.)
(cont.)
References
Auerbach, S. (2002). "Why Do They Give the Good Classes to Some and Not to Others?" Latino Parent Narratives
of Struggle in a College Access Program.”
Teachers College Record
104 (7), p. 1369-1392.
Bryk, A. and B. Schneider.
Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for Improvement.
New York: Russell Sage Foundation,
2002.
Dodd, A.W. and J.L. Konzal.
How Communities Build Stronger Schools: Stories, Strategies, and Promising Practices
for Educating Every Child.
New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2002.
Epstein, J. (1995) “School/Family/Community Partnerships: Caring for the Children We Share.”
Phi Delta
Kappan76
, 701-712.
Guzman, J.C., J.R. Reyes, Palacios, J. & Carolan-Silva, A. (2011). In J.R. Reyes & J.C. Guzman (Eds.)
Latinos in North
Central Indiana: Educational Challenges and Opportunities.
(Vol. 3). Goshen: Goshen College.
Lareau, A. (2000).
Home Advantage: Social Class and Parental Intervention in Elementary School
. New York:
Rowmanand Littlefield Publishers.
Oakes, J., K.H. Quartz, S. Ryan and M. Lipton.
Becoming Good American Schools: The Struggle for Civic Virtue in
Education Reform.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2000.
Latinos in North Central Indiana are the focus of an educational need and asset study, exploring the relationships and support networks that influence academic success. The research delves into theoretical underpinnings, social capital theory, and the impact of social relationships on student achievement. Methodologies include qualitative interviews with students, parents, and educators to gain insights into the factors shaping Latino students' educational experiences.
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Presentation Transcript
Latinos in North Central Indiana: Education Need and Asset Study Robert Reyes, Ph.D. & Ana Lopez Juarez, M.S.S.A.
Outline for the Session Overview of CITL at Goshen College The Need and Asset Study Research Goals Theoretical Underpinnings & Methodology Findings Secondary Data & Qualitative Interviews Recommendations
Research Questions Questions on demographic data-- What factors facilitate or impede the relationships between students and their social networks inside and outside of school? What are the sources of support social networks provide and the challenges to they face in providing support to students? How do Latino students social networks (inside and outside of school) contribute to their academic success?
Theoretical Underpinnings Family, community, school as three spheres of student s lives. Support of student development and achievement depends on connection between spheres (Epstein, 1995). Socio-cultural processes & and structures mediate ways families and communities participate and share responsibility (Auerbach2007; Lareau 2000). Social Capital Theory: Refers to social relationships from which an individual is potentially able to derive institutional support, particular that includes the delivery of knowledge-based resources, for example, guidance for college admission. (Brykand Schneider 2002, Dodd and Konzal2002, Oakes et al. 2000).
Influence of Social Capital on Student Success Family (parents, siblings, extended) Community (church, youth group, nonprofits, etc.) Student Success Peers School (teachers, counselors, system)
Methodology (General Students) **Expand- Separate Methods and Sample Qualitative Methodology Focus groups with 36 students (9 in each city: Goshen, Elkhart, South Bend, Ligonier) Focus groups with 24 parents (6 in each city) Semi-structured interviews with 15 educators ( about 4 in each city)
Methodology (Study with High Achieving Students) Interviews with 25 college-bound (various achievement levels), Junior and Senior Latino students, 2009-2011 Interviews with school teachers and staff Observations of classrooms and school events Semi-structured interviews: 40 minutes to 1.5 hours Discussed topics such as: college preparation process, development of aspirations, resources that supported them during process, challenges they faced, overall experiences in school Instrumental Case Study Approach: Select high achieving Latina students who faced and overcame significant barriers
Introduction: Demographic / Educational Context
Population by Race/Ethnicity: Elkhart, Noble, and St. Joseph Counties, 2009 250 208 200 154 Estimated population 150 Whites remain the majority. Latinos are next significant minority in Elkhart and Noble counties (in thousand 100 42 50 32 30 17 11 10 6 6 1 0 0 Elkhart Noble St. Joseph White Black Latino Other
Latino Share of the Population: Elkhart, Noble, and St. Joseph Counties, 1970-2009 16% 15.1% 14% 11.5% 12% 10% Most of Latino population growth took place in the 1990s and continued into the 2000s but growth slowed 8.9% 8% 7.1% 6.5% 6% 4.7% 4% 2.1% 1.9% 1.7% 1.3% 1.5% 2% 1.0% 0.9% 0.9% 0.0% 0% 1970 1980 1990 2000 2009 Elkhart Noble St. Joseph
Latino Population, by Age and Nativity: Elkhart, Noble, and St. Joseph Counties, 2009 18,000 16,000 Growth in this area has been mostly from foreign-born Latinos who then have children here Counties with less US-born children signal a settled population with less recent migrants 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 Elkhart Noble St. Joseph Elkhart Noble St. Joseph Elkhart Noble St. Joseph Children (under 18) Adults (18+) Total US-born Foreign-born
Distribution of Latino and Non-Latino Workers, by Industry: Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties, 2006-2008 70% 49% 60% 50% 37% 45% 30% 40% 34% 34% 30% 25% 16% 20% 11% 10% 9% 7% 7% 10% 4% 0% Elkhart St. Joseph Latino Non-Latino In both Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, manufacturing and services employed more Latinos and non-Latinos than any industry In Elkhart County, a large majority of Latinos are employed in manufacturing and 30 percent are in services
Ethnicity of School Corporations by Percentage 70% 60.6% 60% 54.5% White is the most common ethnicity, followed by Hispanic in all districts except South Bend, where Black is the second most common ethnicity. 51.5% 51.2% 50% 43.2% 39.1% 37.2% 40% 34.2% 30% 23.4% 20.1% 20% 16.4% Concord is the least ethnically diverse school system and South Bend is the most ethnically diverse. 15.6% 9.5% 10% 1.7% 0.00% 0% Black Hispanic White
Free and Reduced Meal Population by Percent There are more students receiving financial assistance for meals than not in every district. 70% 59.8% 58.2% 60% 56.3% 56.0% 50% 45.9% 42.7% 38.1% 40% Concord has the highest rate of students who are able to pay full price, and South Bend has the lowest. Concord also has the lowest rate of ethnic diversity and the second lowest rate of English Language Learners. 33.7% 33.5% 31.5% 30% 20% 11.9% 11.4% 10.3% 8.7% 8.3% 10% 0% South Bend has the highest rate of students receiving free meals. It is also the most ethnically diverse and has the lowest proportion of English Language Learners. Free Meal Reduced Price Meal Full price meal
Percentage of Students who are English Language Learners 100% 88% South Bend has the lowest rate of English Language Learners. 84% 90% 82% 80% 72% 68% 70% West Noble has the highest. 60% 50% 40% 32% 28% 30% 18% 16% 20% 12% 10% 0% English Language Learners Non English Language Learners
Hispanic Diploma Achievement by Percent 70% 62.7% In general, it is most common for Hispanic students to achieve the Core 40 diploma, which is the lowest diploma commonly accepted by colleges. Very few Hispanic students achieve the Honors diploma, which is the highest diploma offered by most Indiana schools. 60% 53.7% 52.0% 50.0% 47.9% 50% 39.6% 40.0% 40% 36.1% 31.0% 30% 27.5% 17.5% 20% 12.5% 10.2% 7.1% 10% 6.0% Goshen has the lowest rate of Hispanic students achieving Honors diplomas. 0% Concord has the highest rate of Hispanic students achieving honors diplomas. Core 40 General Honors
High School Graduation Rates in Selected School Districts, by Race/Ethnicity: Elkhart, Noble, and St. Joseph Counties, 2008-2009 100% 93% 90% 85% 82% 80% In all but one of the local school organizations, Latinos graduated at a lower rate than whites Noble County is the exception, with a Latino graduation rate close to that of white students South Bend s gap between Latino and white student graduation rates (14 percentage points) is comparable to that of the state (14.6 percentage points) but in Elkhart County the gap is higher (23 and 19 percentage points) 77% 77% 80% 75% 70% 63% 59% 58% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Concord Community Schools Elkhart Community Schools Goshen Community Schools South Bend Community School Corporation West Noble School Corporation White Latino
Results: Qualitative Findings
Influence of Social Networks on Student Success Family (parents, siblings, extended) Community (church, youth group, nonprofits, etc.) Student Success Peers School (teachers, counselors, system)
Impact of Peer Networks on Student Success Factors that Impede Relationships Factors that Facilitate Positive Relationships US-born Latinos feel welcomed and comfortable in schools. It is difficult socially for foreign-born students at school. (Culture, English speaking ability) US-born Latinos have friends from different ethnicities. Cultural differences between newly arrivals and old timers/U.S. born.
Impact of Peer Networks on Student Success (High Achieving Students) Factors that Facilitate Positive Relationships Involved in supportive peer groups
Impact of Peer Networks on Student Success (High Achieving Students) My friends are like, I told them, I don t think I m going to college and my parents don t care [if I go] and they were like Are you serious? You re not going to college? You are an honors student! It s not like you are another student and it s like yeah so what does it matter? And they re like how can you say it doesn t matter?...you re doing college-based courses and she was like no, you have to go, you have to go so it s like okay, if you can do it, then I can do it
Impact of Peer Networks on Student Success The second, third generation is already involved in a lot of the activities that the school provides. Their circle of friends is different than our first generation who are just beginning to know the language, who are beginning to note things, what to join and what not to join. (Educator, Elkhart)
Impact of Peer Networks on Student Success Unfortunately, many times the second-generation students would kind of put down the first-generation students. They felt like, We've been here longer. We know what's going on. You guys are new. And they would pick on them or put them down. So for me that s sad. To see people who'd been here longer not accept the people who had just come recently. (Educator, Ligonier)
Influence of Social Networks on Student Success Family (parents, siblings, extended) Community (church, youth group, nonprofits, etc.) Student Success Peers School (teachers, counselors, system)
Impact of Teachers & Staff (i.e., Institutional Agents) on Student Success Factors that impede relationships Perception that teachers don t know how to relate Factors that facilitate positive relationships Teachers who know their siblings Teachers who are also Latino/bilingual Teachers who have similar interest in a subject Teachers who have more patience Feelings of isolation
Impact of Teachers & Staff (i.e., Institutional Agents) on Student Success (High Achieving Students) Factors that Facilitate Positive Relationships Multiple, strong relationships within family and school
Impact of Educational System on Student Success Latinos don t take as many college prep classes English ability is a barrier to be prepared for college Lack of access to information about college
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student Success She shares where she went on vacation or what she did or she asks me what I am up to or how my family is. And you see it is a confidence the two of [us] share. She knew my brother in school. I never had her as a teacher. Rather, through my brother I knew she got along well with him. I started to spend time with her and I realized that she was a good person, and then I had confidence in her. (Latino student, Goshen)
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student Success I would also go with Miss X primarily because she is Latina. I think she knows how we feel and we trust her. She is the one who helps us with everything, in whatever problem we have. (Latino student, Goshen)
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student Success [I go to] the professors of the subjects that interest me, like science. I trust them if I have a problem. They are American, but there have been instances where I have not understood something and I go [to them]. (Latino student, Goshen)
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student Success Sometimes there are teachers who are more patient than others and they sit with you and they explain it to you. Sometimes they stay after class to help you if you need more help, but there are others that won t. (Latino student, Elkhart)
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student Success We can go to the professors. They can explain [it] to us but they don t feel as secure as the other professors who speak Spanish with us because they do understand what we don t understand and they understand how we feel. (Latino student, Elkhart)
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student Success It has happened around two times that they leave us alone in the corner and they let us off easy at the start of class. Later they will give me help because I am Latino and I don t understand the material very well. (Latino student, Goshen)
Impact of Institutional Agents on Student Success (High Achieving Students) My home room teacher I was the only honors student in his class and he was like you guys [other students] should follow her lead .it was really nice to feel like that, to feel that somebody actually cared about what you were doing. And that makes you feel really happy and like you want to do good things so they approve I want to go to college and he is like helping me, he is always like have you filled out your applications, scholarships and all this he s been a big motivation. I am really thankful.
Impact of Educational System on Student Success The high school in general offers courses, the AP exams, honors courses, clubs, because colleges look at students overall: how they're doing, not only academically, but in the community. I think the high school offers all of that. We just have to get our students in there . . . . We have a lot of Latinos in the regular classes. Let's get them . . . higher. (Educator, Goshen)
Impact of Educational System on Student Success It depends on when they entered our system. A student who arrives here speaking little or no English in junior high or high school is not going to be as prepared for success at an English-speaking college as the student who was born here and attends our school all those years. (Educator, Elkhart)
Impact of Educational System on Student Success That s a problem. [Counselors] give the information to [students] and sometimes . . . you have to fish for information hoping to catch something, and I see a problem with that. When they are in tenth or eleventh grade they get all the information and they only talk to you when they miss something, when they are late, and something like that, and they don t give all the information to you . . . because they aren t worried about money. . . . They are worried about their classes, their levels, but not about where they are going, how would they support themselves, and I say that that is in part because you don t ask for information, and they won t give it to you. (Latino parent, Elkhart)
Influence of Social Networks on Student Success Family (parents, siblings, extended) Community (church, youth group, nonprofits, etc.) Student Success Peers School (teachers, counselors, system)
Influence of Parent Involvement on Student Success Sources of Support Providing Moral Support Barriers for Support Limited school exposure Lack of knowledge of the educational system Being a provider Language proficiency Monitoring Behavior
Influence of Parent Involvement on Student Success (High Achieving Students) Maintain high expectations despite limits in other forms of support Education as the ONLY option for the future Strong source of emotional and moral support Religious faith
Influence of Parent Involvement on College Access Sources of Support Support and motivation from families Barriers to Support Parents don t understand college experience and college choice process Students motivated by parents stories Female social pressure to start own family.
Influence of Parent Involvement on Student Success Moral Support: I told them that they have to see that we make big efforts so they can [have this education], because maybe we don't have a lot of studies but we want them to be better. (Latino parent, Ligonier)
Influence of Parent Involvement on Student Success Being a Provider: To me, as a mother, it s important to provide them with the educational materials that they are required to have. Sometimes it s complicated because I don t have money to buy them and I don t know what to do because if they don t bring them they are going to get behind compared to other children. And they have the capability to do the work, but if you as a parent say, They need this for tomorrow, but I m going to leave it until Friday because I get paid that day, your kid is going to get behind, not because of his capabilities. You as a parent have to provide the educational materials that your children are asking for. (Latino Parent, Goshen)
Influence of Parent Involvement on Student Success Monitoring Behavior: My mom, she s always been on my back about everything, every single thing I ve done. It s school, friends, where I go with who, sports . . . . She goes to school, she talks to counselor, she talks to principal. I wouldn t even know but then she ll just tell me when I come home, I talked to your teacher. She s . . . in all these programs just to learn about how the school system works and I appreciate it. (Latino student, South Bend)
Influence of Parent Involvement on Student Success Limited School Exposure: I think you bring your own limitations. Because you feel, you feel less [of a person]. When you are in a group of people that are from here, I mean, they look at you like that, and you feel bad because of those limitations . . . . And you don t know. You are not useful. (Latino parent, South Bend)
Influence of Parent Involvement on Student Success Knowledge of Educational System: I spoke with parents about this . . . . Most of them are uneducated themselves. They haven t figured out how to help them yet. This is just first generation that I am talking about. They do try to encourage students to do well in school, but then again I don t [know] if they understand the concept of a D or a C. The comments on the report card are all in English. (Educator, South Bend)
Influence of Parent Involvement on Student Success Language Barrier: Language is a barrier, and sometimes teachers don t know how to communicate . . . so you have to have an interpreter so he can translate what s going on . . . . [D]uring the first years of school language was a barrier for me. I as a mother didn t know English. It was too big and if we want our children to succeed we had to learn. Now that I ve learned a little more I realize that during my first few years I didn t go to school not at all just to pick them up. No celebrations, nothing, because of the language. (Latino parent, Goshen)
Influence of Parent Involvement on Student Success Language Barrier: Because of that [not speaking English], it is like a large part of why she doesn t go [to school activities such as parent-teacher conferences]. She says because she doesn t understand and later there are bilingual teachers but they say everything wrong. (Latino student, Elkhart)
Influence of Parent Involvement on Student Success (High Achieving Students) My parents have always been supportive of education too, because they didn t really have the opportunity to go to school, so they think it s very important that we do. Even though they haven t been able to help me much with applications and all, they are still very motivated to help me in whatever way they can, and to take me to college visits. [My parents] talk to me a lot about college. What they said is mainly it is because they want me to have a better opportunity than they had and my dad attended college for a year in Mexico and he said it was really hard for him to pay and that is why he came here and my mom, she didn t go to college, she just got her high school diploma so for them it is really important for me to go to college and I am their oldest daughter so it is, I guess, they want me to be a role model for my younger siblings and I want to be a role model for them too so it is important for me.
