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Latino Studies Concurrent Enrollment Intervention

Trish Fullmer
Salt Lake Community College

Reason for change

After attending a lecture recently at Salt Lake Community presented by Dr. Melissa
Moreno Ethnic Studies professor at Ethnic Studies Professor at Woodland Community College
of Northern California, I recognized the great need for ethnic studies courses at the high school
level. There is increasing evidence that these types of courses promote positive identity
formation amongst minority youth and even inspire these young people to pursue post high
school education.
This is valuable information for Utahs high school educators looking to increase the
graduation rates amongst Latino youth. Last year in Utah, the dropout rate for Latino Youth was
26% (Utah Office of Education (UOE), 2014). This is a disturbing statistic particularly when
looking at a 35% percent dropout rate for English Language Learners (ELLs) and a 24% dropout
rate amongst the economically disadvantaged (UOE, 2014). Latino students often fit the criteria
for each of these three categories. These numbers are a cause for alarm when considering Latino
youth under the age 18 represent 16.6% of Utahs population (United Stated Hispanic Leadership
Institute (USHLI, 2012).
Our Utah communities are in of need of programs that target to improve this rate. Not
only is there the concern of low high school graduation rates within the national Latino
population, but only a small percentage of Latinos choose to pursue a college education. UCLAs
Chicano Studies Research Center (2012), states that out of 100 Latino students only 46 will
graduate high school, and only 26 will pursue college, furthermore, only 8 of those students will
graduate with

a bachelors degree, 2 will a graduate or professional degree, and less than 1 with a doctoral
degree. This is valuable information for our Utah citizens, communities, educators, students, and
especially our states Latino community as a whole.
To understand this issue it is important to gain knowledge of experiences of Latino
students in education. Recent studies suggest that the overwhelming representation of EuroAmerican views in academics may cause minority students to disengage from learning (National
Education Association, 2011). These dominant perspectives make up an oppressive educational
structure that fails to address learning for all students especially those of minority backgrounds.
This system is known as structural racism and these types of oppressive structures are dominant
in mainstream Americas schools. Changes regarding structural racism that benefit all students
are needed in order to address the educational issues that affect minority students. Research is
showing one way to address this problem is the implementation of Ethnic Studies programs.
Many adults from minority backgrounds report they experienced a positive shift in identity after
participating in ethnic studies courses at a college level. This concept is gaining momentum in
social science and education fields. Researchers, Tintiangco-Cubales, Kohli, Sacremento,
Henning, Agarwal-Rangnath & Sleeter (2014), describe the process known as decolonization:
Decolonization as a liberatory process is central to Ethnic Studies pedagogy because it
allows for a systematic critique of the traumatic history of colonialism on native and
Third World peoples and, subsequently, healing from colonial trauma, including the
trauma of having learned to see oneself as academically incapable. This process of

decolonization should not be mistaken as only an academic exercise; the aim of

decolonization is to move toward self-determination, claiming of an intellectual identity,
and active participation in the transformation of material conditions.
This process of decolonization describes how an individual may develop a more positive
self-identity which leads to the pursuit of academic. The formation of identity is naturally
occurring amongst high school aged individuals, thus the need for Ethnic Studies courses in high
school is central to the academic success of minority students.
Strategy
The personal development that occurs during high school years is insurmountable.
During these formative teenage years teens seek to answer the question Who Am I? as
described by a psychosocial model of identity formation. This is why implementing Ethnic
Studies is fundamental at this age. Because there are a lack of positive identity formation
opportunities for Latino youth, this type of course may assist in combatting motivation to engage
in at risk behavior as well.
Interview
Last year, Salt Lake Citys Highland High School recently gained the attention of the
media and education community for their top graduation rate of Latino students. Latino students
at Highland have a graduation rate of 84% percent in comparison with Caucasian students at this
school with the graduation rate of 82% (Associate Press, 2014).

I interviewed Allan Young, a special education teacher at Highland High School he said
the high rate of graduation is due to their Freshman Success Program that intervenes when
students begin failing classes. Staff in this program meet with struggling students to make a plan
for academic success. The program is all inclusive it doesnt necessarily target Latino youth, but
does not let them fail by ensuring Latino students are included in the interventions made by the
Freshman success program. Using an inclusive approach seems to work well in this demographic
which makes sense for Ethnic Studies programs to be offered to all students no matter their
Ethnic background. The intervention program I designed would be offered to all students through
concurrent enrollment. This allows high school student to receive college credit while dually
receiving high school credit.
This program will deliver a Latino studies course to high school students through Salt
Lake Community Colleges Concurrent Enrollment department. This course will highlight the
relevance and important contributions made by this group throughout U.S. history and promote
analytical practices of decolonization during crucial formative years. Through this course Latino
students will be able to develop counter narratives that empower and allow positive associations
with this group, which enables positive identity processes in these students while engaging them
academically.
Cost
Because this course is offered through concurrent enrollment services, students must pay
for the class. However, these courses are offered at lower cost than a typical college course. For
example, a college class may cost $400, but through the public schools concurrent enrollment

students will only pay $90 while receiving college credit. In addition, students may apply for
financial assistance. Federal grant money will provide assistance for those who qualify.

Resistance Audience
There may be political or social groups that disagree with the mission of the program. It
is especially important to consider the results that other states have seen with implementing
Ethnic Studies programs within their common core. In Arizona HB2281 has banned MexicanAmerican culture in public schools however, California has been successful in implementing
Ethnic Studies within some districts (XITO, 2015). In Utah, it seems that offering Ethnic studies
programs through concurrent enrollment is a good place to start.

Overall, there is a lot of work to be done by educators looking to improve the graduation
rates amongst Latino youth. By looking at the overall structures that deliver educational material
we can see how the Euro-American views are dominant. These views contribute to oppressive
beliefs in our mainstream society about minority groups. Changing these views by adding multicultural perspectives to academic learning may engage minority students in becoming interested
in material and to take a positive approach to their education pursuits.

References
Associated Press. (2014). Latino students have top grad rate at utah high. Retrieved from
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jun/7/latino-students-have-top-grad-rate-atutah-high/?page=all
National Education Association. (2011). The academic and social value of ethics. Retrieved from
http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/NBI-2010-3-value-of-ethnic-studies.pdf
UCLA Chicano Research Center. (2012). Law social policy and the latina/o education pipeline.
Retrieved from http://www.chicano.ucla.edu/files/RR15.pdf
United States Hispanic Leadership Institute. (2012). Almanac of latino polictics. Retrieved from
http://www.chicano.ucla.edu/files/RR15.pdf
Utah State Office of Education. (2014). Data reports graduation and dropout rate. Retrieved
from http://www.schools.utah.gov/data/Reports/Graduation-Dropout.aspx
XITO Institute. (2015). Rationale. Retrieved from http://www.xicanoinstitutela.org/