Derailed Chances: Continuation Schools, College-Going Identities, and Latino Males

• In Event: 77.057 - MTCC Roundtable Session 35
  In Roundtable Session: 77.057-2 - Intersectional Identities of Latino Males: Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Youth Organizing

Abstract

Scholars argue for the need for students to develop a college-going identity and this requires the support from educators (Martinez & Huerta, 2018). Often, continuation schools focus on the behavior, remediation, and discipline (Malagón, 2010), which means little opportunity to foster college-going cultures for students. This is a pressing concern as Latino males represent over 35 percent of the over 250,000 males enrolled in US continuation schools (NCES, 2012). Although, Latino males in these types of students hold ambitions to attend two or four-year colleges after high school graduation (Author, 2016; Malagón, 2010) many students do not have the skills or understanding on “how to” prepare for postsecondary education. This qualitative study aims to focus on how continuation schools struggle to foster the development of college-going identities for Latino male students.

Data was collected using a combination of qualitative methods including in-depth one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 14 self-identified Latino male high school level students, participant observations, and field notes (Yin, 2013). The semi-structured interviews ranged from 30 minutes to 60 minutes, and the interviews were transcribed verbatim. Each transcript and field note record was printed and then hand-coded using an open coding strategy (Saldaña, 2013). Saldaña (2013) and Ryan and Bernard (2003) recommend open coding technique allow for the categories and then themes to naturally and gradually develop from the data, which is a part of the inductive process. Using both an inductive and deductive analysis of the data allows a richer analysis to emerge, but also the theoretical underpinnings to inform the analysis process (Bogdan & Biklen, 2006).

In this abstract, I present three preliminary findings: One, Latino male continuation students hold a partial understanding of the college admissions process. Collectively, the students were aware of the need to complete an application, standardized tests, grades, and other requirements. The school did not offer academic or extracurricular opportunities to learn about the college-going process. Second, the students shared their educational goals of earning certificates, associate and bachelor’s degrees. These new credentials allowed them to dream of new pathways out of poverty that is directly attributed to higher education success. School staff would offer incomplete college information to the students about financial aid, college admissions, and different institution type. Third, the students discussed how school faculty and staff missed opportunities to build new and essential college information. In one example, the college counselor shared his responsibilities are not to help students learn about college, but to make sure they “didn’t hurt themselves” in school and focused on preparing them to return to regular high school.

To increase the number of Latino males in higher education. Continuation schools must push and support students who have expressed an interest in college with concrete information despite the type of school attended. Continuation schools should consider incorporating college knowledge into the curriculum to help cultivate students’ college-going identities.

Author

• Adrian H. Huerta, University of Southern California