Throughout high school I never considered going to college, I was content with graduating from the 12th grade—that was realistic. Perhaps this way of thinking was a result of never learning about it. Teachers, administrators or counselors never mentioned college to me in high school, much less in elementary school.
A recent article highlights the recruitment efforts of South Texas College, a community college reaching out to “Hispanic” students as early as kindergarten. The institution would like students to begin thinking about a post-secondary education at an early age, and is working with elementary schools to create a college-going culture. South Texas is helping youth from underrepresented communities gain the confidence needed to prepare for a college education.
The educational gap in the United States is illustrated in the chart below. Out of 100...
The recruitment strategy of South Texas is especially aimed at Latino males, as they have the lowest number in college enrollment across the state. According to the article, only 3.7% of Latino males in Texas were enrolled in college in 2010. The majority of Latino students do not graduate from high school, an issue consistent throughout the country. A report recently published by the CollegeBoard, found the high school dropout rate for 16-24-year old Latino males was 22%, the highest among all major racial and ethnic groups. Additionally, Latino males were least likely to graduate from college.
Despite a recent 24% increase in Latino college enrollment (which remains disproportionate compared to the overall increase in population), the persistent rate remains low for this group. It is imperative for institutions of higher education to develop strategies to better support this growing population.
I was pleased to learn about the recruitment initiatives at South Texas College. Certainly, there are various factors that prevent students from having access to higher education. However, I do believe the lack of information regarding college is one of the greatest factors that cause high school dropout rates to remain high. Creating a college-going culture at an early age will certainly help increase high school persistence, as well as college enrollment.
Agreed! A college-going culture at an early age is not only valuable but needed! I could probably go on about the need and support that is lacking our "Hispanic" students but that is a different blog.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to say why "Hispanic" persistence remains low. But I think you make a good point that its not mentioned to that population often.
I can appreciate what South Texas College is doing with their community but I have to wonder what if the student leaves that area and decided to go to one of the schools painted in the hallway or gym that is not largely "Hispanic". South Texas College is in a small community where 93% of its population is "Hispanic" how are these student being prepared for whats outside of their current community? Not to say that these students would not survive in other areas but after reading the article I have concerns on the outreach and support they may or may not receive along with the cost and immigration status.
The college is sending a message that students will go to college and there will be a way but are we setting them up in some ways? I think my view may seem a bit off but I am somewhat reflecting on my own experience and lack of support. I just hope with this move to a college-going community that these students are prepared for college in and outside of the classroom.
I agree with Nelson that the lack of information is one of the factors that deters high school students from pursuing a college education, especially for underrepresented groups.
ReplyDeleteFor the dominant culture going to college is a must. That is not the case for many underrepresented groups.
It is essential that higher education institutions expand and strengthen recruitment and outreach programs to enhance the preparation of educationally disadvantaged students for postsecondary education.
This cannot be accomplished unless there is a commitment of resources to improving access to education for all underrepresented students.
I firmly believe that college campuses should reflect the diversity of their communities and states.
Higher education institutions need to continue building on existing relationships with leaders in K-12 education and community colleges to maximize the collective expertise and resources that exist in each state.
Outreach and recruitment at an early age is perhaps one of the new strategies that will undoubtedly contribute to the enrollment, retention and degree completion of many underrepresented students who might otherwise drop-out of school before even dreaming of a college degree.
Wow-kindergarten! That is early. Wondering what the support is at all levels (elementary/middle/high school) as students think about going to college?
ReplyDeleteSo I am seeing a trend that we want to bring a diverse population to college campuses, but what happens when they finally get to our campus? They get support and a push to get to the “ivory tower,” then what?
I agree that there is a need to support and promote “Hispanic” students to college. My concern is keeping them in college and getting them the needed support instead of what we think they need. Not being of “Hispanic” background, how would students connect with me and how do I know what they need? I can ask of course, but there may also need to be a shift in our administration and who we are hiring to represent or assist students.
Here is another perspective; would you want a staff member to serve as an international study abroad advisor when they have never studied abroad? It may be hard for us to find staff to support the students coming to campus and the change in demographics if the staff do not know the needs of the students.
I definitely agree with programs that support the promotion of students to attend college and I do not think it is ever to early to start! As a child, I went to CSU football games, basketball games and other activities sponsored by the University. This was mainly because my dad was a professor at CSU. But growing up in the college environment gave me motivation to pursue activities, strong academics and school involvement. I think that children of all ages, races, genders and ethnic backgrounds would benefit from some exposure to the college environment. Especially the black and latino populations that are discussed in the article. Since many of these children would be first generation students, any and all exposure to the college atmosphere and culture would promote the ideas of higher education in them. And I truly do not feel that kindergarten is to early! Invite the kids to sporting events, hold education and leadership sessions, start "recruiting" at an early age and continue to follow through with these students throughout the schooling! I also believe that focusing on and holding events just for the diverse population is a great idea as well. Universities need to recognize the importance of hooking these children early and the better job that the University does, the more diverse the population will become!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting idea! I agree with Aldo that for the dominant culture, college is typically in the educational plan and most students are expected to continue to higher education after high school. I'm glad you shared this article because I do not think I've given much thought to why underrepresented populations are typically so much lower. I've always wondered why UNC spends so much time bring elementary and middle school kids to the university for the day. It seemed pointless to try to recruit students at such a young age when they weren't even thinking about college yet, but I guess that's exactly what they want-young students to start thinking about college. Even if those hundreds of students who visited UNC from the community don't attend UNC, at least they were exposed to college. As one of those students, I'm sure they appreciate that someone wants them there and believes they have the potential to be a part of high education. Those students got to see college from a different point of view and were able to tour campus and eat in our dining halls with college students. When I was that age, I wanted to be just like the older kids I saw. Hopefully it's an inspiration to keep working hard in school. Thank you for sharing this-it definitely got me thinking!
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with all of the comments addressing the incredible gap in post-secondary access and attainment I'd like to play devils advocate regarding the age at which we begin recruiting students for college.
ReplyDeleteLast year I saw a TED presentation by Sir Ken Robbins, a creativity expert who has spent his life championing a "radical rethink" of our education systems. Quick side - TED stands for Technology Engineering and Design and provides a venue for idea sharing from some of the worlds most fascinating thinkers, scientists, artists etc. Check it out if you haven't already - http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution.html
In his TED talk he makes the argument about just how linnear our systems of education have become - i.e. starting the college recruitment process in kindergarten. This level of linnearity, he argues, has sucked the creativity out of individuals and made incredible evaluations of the right/wrong and good/bad ways in which to engage in education. We also saw earlier this year, PayPal founder Peter Thiel, offer young people $100,000.00 grants to "quit" college for a year and immerse themselves in their creative and innovative pursuits.
Nelsons post both speaks to my core beliefs about why it is critical that we broaden access to higher education and subsequently completion and to an idea I am intrigued by in the last few years regarding the intense linnearity of our education system and the potential consequences of establishing a single, evaluated (right/wrong, good/bad) path for success in life. Great, thought provoking post, Nelson. You've really got me thinking!
Having done a bit of research on on Latino Identity Development in the past, the underrepresentation of this population in Higher Education is a real issue. in 2000 only 9% of all undergraduate students were Latinos with only 6.1% earning bachelor's degrees. Although there has been a growth in the number of Latinos attending college, the majority of this growth is within community college. This growth is still disproportionate to the increase in enrollment amongst non Latino students.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that it is important to introduce students to the possibility of attending college at an early age. I also think that it is equally important to continue this process up until a student is of college age. Due to the fact that many Latino students are first generation students they may not have the support or understanding from their families. Often there is a lack of knowledge regarding financial aid and resources, which is something that is still confusing to me.
Once a Latino student is on a college track, how do we keep them there? I believe it is important for institutions to understand the culture and the barriers they may be facing. Proving assistants on campus to these students is crucial for degree completion.
Is kindergarten too early? The professional in me says yes, who has time to recruit a 5 year old when we are so busy trying to recruit a 17 year old. At UNC, we host numerous middle school events and have be active in elementary schools.
ReplyDeleteI have a kindergartener and we talk about college every day. Perhaps it is because he on a college campus with me several days a week. Perhaps it is because he sees me doing homework and asks questions about what I am learning and who my teachers are, or perhaps it is because the conversation around our house is often related to my work in higher education. Regardless of the reason...I know my 5 year old is college bound, and he knows it too, even if he does not understand what it means just yet. Is he automatically set-up for success over a peer who has not been exposed to higher education? Hell, yes.
I believe there has to be a better way to prepare young children for college that does not necessarily tax the resources of an admissions office and put elementary schoolers on a tour of campus. College prep needs to be more systematic and not left to individual K-12 teachers. Again, maybe we need to be looking at other countries. Many European countries require children to lean multiple languages at a very young age. Perhaps if we introduced a second or even third language earlier on, our children would be more suited for thinking globally. Perhaps more rigorous math and science would create a desire to learn more and introduce a wider array of career options to young children. Perhaps gender-specific courses could allow our children to explore group dynamics differently and present more opportunities for creativity. In other words, yes , let’s recruit those 5 year old to college, but let’s do it the right way. We cannot depend on a campus tour for a 5 year old to seal the deal.