Latino Students Should Be Encouraged, Study Says

By Peggy Fikac
Associated Press

A study of Latino students at risk of dropping out says schools should do more to motivate pupils whose parents may not have the skills or confidence to become involved in the system.

Latino High School Graduation: Defying the Odds, a book published by the University of Texas Press, is based on a study tracking 100 students beginning at age 15 at Austin Independent School District from 1988 to 1993.

All were children of Mexican Americans or Mexican immigrants and had been designated as being at risk of dropping out.

Only 31 ended up completing high school. None succeeded in four-year universities after graduation, according to the book by Harriett Romo, an associate professor of sociology at Southwest Texas State University, and Toni Falbo, a professor of educational psychology and sociology at UT-Austin.

Austin ISD spokeswoman Della May Moore said the school district currently has programs in place that aren't taken into account in the three-year-old study.

Other groups pointed out statewide education changes that have occurred since the study was done, including refinements in a statewide testing system.

The book says, "During the time we observed them, most of the parents were doing the best they could for their children. And yet, in many cases, their 'best' was so constrained by their own lack of education, mental and physical health, and financial resources that they could do little to help their adolescent children."

It said the schools "had overestimated the educational, financial and emotional resources of the parents in this sample."

The authors also said school officials impeded students' progress in such ways as having students repeat whole courses or school years rather than offer after-school tutoring, Saturday classes or other alternatives.

Moore said among programs currently in place are tutorials for the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills, and the chance for students to make up class absences through Saturday school or evening sessions.

Romo, who this fall will be an associate professor at UT-Austin's School of Education, said Friday that the study began as a focus on strategies used by parents and schools to try to keep youngsters in school.

But she said she found the schools "were really putting too much responsibility on parents." Most of the parents in the study group had less than a high school education.

As an example, Romo cited a mother who got a note from school saying that she needed to take responsibility for her daughter being absent.

"When I visited with the mother and interviewed her, I realized she didn't have the communications skills to go to the school and explain what happened," Romo said.

She said the mother believed she was doing her job by getting her daughter to the school.
"The classes need to be interesting enough to engage the students to stay and want to learn," Romo said.

Dan Casey of the Texas Association of School Boards said the overall trend in Texas is for improved test scores. He said school districts are trying to meet higher standards for all students.

Richard Kouri of the Texas State Teachers Association said the study shows what teachers have observed for years: Schools are having to pick up responsibilities that have traditionally been the role of parents.

"It's going to take additional resources to deal with at-risk student populations," he said.