Research on Schools, Neighborhoods and Communities by William F. Tate IV

Author:William F. Tate IV [Tate, William F. IV]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2012-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

14

No Color Necessary

High School Students’ Discourse on College Support Systems and College Readiness

Evellyn Elizondo, Walter R. Allen, and Miguel Ceja

For over three decades, achievement gaps have stubbornly persisted between poor Latino and black children across America and their more affluent white counterparts. Gaps between low-income minorities and higher-income whites were narrowed temporarily between 1970 and the early 1980s, only to gain momentum once again in the late 1980s, and they have steadily broadened (Haycock, 2001). Achievement trends show by the fourth grade, Latino and black students were 2 years behind their counterparts with gaps widening to twice as much by the beginning of twelfth grade (Robelen, 2002). Furthermore, it was found that Latinos and blacks were exiting high school with reading and math skills comparable to that of white eighth-grade students (Haycock, 2001). Given the growing demand for a college education in today’s workforce, children of color are at a vast disadvantage in competing for high-paying jobs and contributing fully to the nation’s economy.

It has been well documented by the college choice literature that various circumstances factor into different experiences in students’ access to higher education (e.g., Chapman, 1981; Hossler, Braxton, & Coopersmith, 1989; Litten, 1982; Ready, Lee, & Welner, 2004). Students who have college-educated parents are more likely to participate in higher education and develop a college roadmap, conavigated by family who possess the expertise to aid successfully in their college preparation (e.g., Gándara, 2002; McDonough et al., 2000; Plank & Jordan, 2001). Such students benefit from having parents who are able to serve effectively as liaisons between their school and home life. These students are provided with a large and sophisticated network of resources, strategic academic options, access to costly college test-taking courses and perhaps equally important, parental testimonies of successful college experiences (Carpenter & Fleishman, 1987; Hossler, Schmit, & Vesper, 1999; McDonough, 1994). This privileged wealth of information shapes students’ understanding of their role in higher education, perceiving college to be a natural progression and a rite of passage afforded them by their parents (e.g., Bateman & Hossler, 1996; Yang, 1981).

On the other hand, students who have parents with little or no college history often face the daunting task of navigating their academic endeavors and college choice process by themselves (e.g., Ceja, 2004, 2006; Gonzalez, Stoner, & Jovel, 2003; Lareau & Shumar, 1996; Hossler & Gallagher, 1987; Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 1997). The decision to attend college is too often a pioneering effort, one that deviates from traditional family and cultural trends. Many of these students are not well informed about accessing higher education and they also lack the instrumental knowledge, mentorship, and social support network necessary to negotiate their academic preparation and college options (e.g., Ceja, 2004; Cooper, Jackson, Azmitia, & Lopez, 1998; McDonough, 1994; Phelan, Davidson, & Yu, 1991). Unfortunately, it has long been established that such students have not had an equal opportunity to develop the necessary help-seeking skills or academic support systems that lead to successful college preparation (e.g., Fordham & Ogbu, 1986; Karabel & Astin, 1975).

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