Building Pathways for Latinx English Learners in Community College

• In Event: Preparation for Postsecondary Education for Latinx Multilingual Learners in Chicago: Multiple Starting Points, Multiple Pathways

Abstract

Objective and Framework
Demographic trends suggest that the number of postsecondary enrollees who are English Learners (ELs) will continue to grow and, that between 2015 and 2026, the percentages of students enrolling in postsecondary institutions who are Latino/a/x is expected to increase by 26 percent (NCES, 2018). However ELs enrolled in ESL courses do not accumulate as many credits as their peers in developmental courses (Hodara, 2015) nor do they persist through their programs at proportionate levels (Raufman, Brathwaite, & Kamakarian, 2019).
In this paper, we present findings from an IES-funded, three year, multi-methods study exploring policies and practices impacting English Learners at one large community college district with a large Latinx population (41%). In the early stages of the project, we received advisory group support to secure institutional commitments and to confirm the importance of the project and continue to have thoughtful conversations about how to best support ELs in Chicago.

Methods
Beginning in 2020, our research team collected remote qualitative interview data with faculty, staff, and administrators (57) and students (30); survey data from students (962), sixty-five percent of whom identified as speaking more than one language in their everyday lives; and administrative data (126,000 unique students). In this paper, we draw primarily from the qualitative and survey data.

Results
Participants in both credit and adult education programming shared concerns about the “othering” of adult education and its impact on students. In response, the district has been trying to “break down the silo” through better advising, scholarships, and other initiatives to improve students’ abilities to complete sequences into and through vocational and credit programs. This paper reports on three programs to support ELs through three pathways.

The first, a scholarship program for high level adult education ESL and HSE students interested in credit coursework, offers students credit placement test support and half price tuition for four semesters of credit classes. A few administrators and student support staff highlighted that it is particularly helpful for undocumented students, who are otherwise ineligible for financial support. The second, a program for students interested in vocational programs, allows students to complete free ESL or HSE courses while taking courses needed for certification in select career fields (e.g. Early Childhood Education, Healthcare), thereby creating a pathway to employment while receiving language support. The third, a cohort program that leverages multilingualism as an asset, conducts outreach specifically to ELs in adult education and offers wrap-around supports and a three-term credit course sequence.

We argue that these three programs, while certainly not a panacea, acknowledge the many entry points and goals of ELs and attempt to support them through those pathways.

Policy and practice implications of this work

The growing number of ELs enrolling in community colleges have unique and varied backgrounds and goals, including moving from adult education into credit courses and rapidly entering the workforce. Providing ELs with structured pathways that align with their goals, such as the ones outlined above, can be invaluable to set them up for success.

Authors

• Kylie A. Kenner, University of California - Santa Cruz
  Presenting Author

• Julia Raufman, Teachers College, Columbia University
  Presenting Author

• George C. Bunch, University of California - Santa Cruz
  Non-Presenting Author

• Nikki Edgecombe, Teachers College, Columbia University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Benjamin M. James, University of California - Santa Cruz
  Presenting Author