3. Topic Introduction: Interviewee Commonalities
and Differences
Commonalities:
● Came to the US at 14 and 15
● Mexican
● Undocumented
● No English skills
● Went directly into Watauga High
● From single mother households
● Low socioeconomic status
Differences:
● Student One stayed behind in
Mexico for an extended period
● Student Two came to the US
with mother and brother
● Student One dropped out after
about 4 months
● Student Two stayed and
graduated
4. Topic Introduction: Factors in Dropping Out for
Latino Students
● Low Socioeconomic Status (Bradley & Renzulli, 2011)
o Student often feels pressure to join the workforce
o Connected to poor social networks
o Connected to low GPA
o Connected to low participation in extracurricular activities
o Push vs Pull Out Situations
● Cultural Differences
o Student inability to acculturate
o School inability to integrate culturally diverse students
5. Learning Experience
● Pushed out vs. Pulled out
o GPA, School policies
o Family, Need to work
● Stereotypes Crushed
o Parents who “don’t care”
o Working is pushed as more important
● Social groups ARE essential to a positive school
experience
o Student One vs. Student Two
7. What can we do?
Increase Teacher
Awareness
Increase
Spanish
Speaking Staff
Incorporate
Multicultural
Activities
Reach Out to
Struggling
Students
Create Spanish
Speaking
Clubs/Groups
After
School
Activities
Engage and
Reach Out to
Families
Make
Tests Non-
Native
Friendly
Curriculum
Reform
8. References
Behnke, A. O., Gonzalez, L. M., & Cox, R. B. (2010). Latino Students in New Arrival States: Factors and Services to Prevent Youth from Dropping Out.
Hispanic Journal Of Behavioral Sciences, 32(3), 385-409.
Bradley, C. L., & Renzulli, L. A. (2011). The Complexity of Non-Completion: Being Pushed or Pulled to Drop out of High School. Social Forces, 90(2),
521-545.
Campos, D., Huerta, M., Delgado, R., & ASCD. (2011). Reaching Out to Latino Families of English Language Learners. ASCD.
Davila, E. R., & de Bradley, A. (2010). Examining Education for Latinas/os in Chicago: A CRT/LatCrit Approach. Educational Foundations, 24(1-2), 39-58.
Flores-Gonzalez, N. (2002). School Kids/Street Kids: Identity Development in Latino Students. Sociology of Education Series.
Frau-Ramos, M. & Nieto, S. (1991). I was an outsider: Dropping out among Puerto Rican youths in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Massachusetts University:
Amherst, MA. Retrieved from ERIC: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED344974.pdf
Martinez, C. r., DeGarmo, D. S., & Eddy, J. (2004). Promoting Academic Success among Latino Youths. Hispanic Journal Of Behavioral Sciences, 26(2),
128-151.
Valenzuela, A., Garcia, E., Romo, H., & Perez, B. (2012). Institutional and Structural Barriers to Latino/a Achievement. Journal Of The Association Of
Mexican American Educators, 6(3), 22-29.