1

The Silent Crisis: Latino Males in the Educational

PipelineProfessional Development

Day 2012Sarah RodriguezKatie Pritchett

Jennifer Estrada

Project MALES

Project MALES (Mentoring to Achieve Latino Educational Success) is a research-based mentoring initiative at The University of Texas at Austin that creates and cultivates a network of Latino male students at the university, within local school districts, and throughout the surrounding communities.

www.projectmales.org

2

Introduction to the Latino Male Educational Crisis

3

Understanding the Continuing Crisis

4

•Many are unaware of the depth of the gender gap; It’s a SILENT CRISIS

Stealth Issue

•Some are unwilling to discuss; some find it counter-productive

Skeptics & Naysayers

•Latina women represent 61% of the total number of Latina/o students enrolled in higher education

College enrollmen

t

• In 2009, Latino males represented only 37% of the 91,147 associate’s degrees awarded to Latina/o students• Latino males represented only 39% of the 120,722 Latina/o bachelor’s degrees earned

Degree Attainme

nt

Latino Males & College Enrollment

5

14.820.729.5

28.246.1

0102030405060708090

100

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

Percent

Figure 1b. College Enrollments by Race & Gender (Among all 18 to 24 year

olds within group)

Latino Males Latina Females

White Males White Females

Gender Gap Continues in Higher Education: Latina/o Bachelor’s Degree

Attainment (1977 – 2009)

6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

# o

f B

As T

ho

usa

nd

s

Latina Females Latino Males

56.3%diff.

Source: Knapp, L.G., Kelly-Reid, J.E., and Ginder, S.A. (2010). Postsecondary Institutions and Price of Attendance in the United States: Fall 2009, Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 2008–09, and 12-Month Enrollment: 2008–09 (NCES 2010-161). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 1st, 2010, from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.

Latino Males and College Enrollment

Adjusting to College

• Males have problems with “Help-seeking behaviors” (Gloria et al., 2009, etc.)

• Difficulty in finding safe spaces or a sense of community

• Cultural mismatch & feelings of isolation

Role of Family in Adjustment (Social capital)

• Family unit plays a major role in adjustment, coping abilities, and persistence in college for Latina/o students

Success of Latinas should be examined more closely

• Self efficacy

• High degree aspirations

• What can we learn from this research literature

Research Design

Qualitative Research DesignK-12: 3 sitesCommunity College: 6 sites4-Year: 2

Semi-structured interviews with administrators, faculty, and staff

Focus groups with Latino male undergraduate students

9

Findings

Finding #1: Administrator Awareness of the Latino Male Achievement Gap Varied Greatly

Awareness as a continuum National vs. Institutional trendsProximity to issue in daily workResponsibility vs. Resources

NoCognizan

ce

“Not on the

radar”

Full

“Keenly aware & called to action”

“I think that if faculty and staff and even our students knew about the crisis about Hispanic males and how many of these students are not progressing, they are not being retained, they are not graduating; then I think there would be more of a movement toward providing assistance and creating…initiatives that will change our campus and bring everyone together about this issue so it would expand awareness.”

- Administrator, male

“We don’t even acknowledge it because to acknowledge something means that you have to do something about it. So we won’t acknowledge it”

- Administrator, male

Finding #2:Administrators aware of the Latino male achievement gap often met resistance in promoting awareness and garnering support.

Financial restraints“Not a problem here”Will be a detriment to other

“causes”

14

“…the first question that came about was, ‘Well, what about women? Don't women have it harder?’ That's first thing that came out of their mouths…we have to be sort of sensitive ...”

- Administrator, female

“There's not a huge learning gap that exists between the subgroups. I mean one or two points but it's not significant..”

- Administrator, male

Finding #3: Overall, few resources are dedicated to specifically promoting the achievement of Latino males.

Focus on serving all, rather than subgroups

Latino-centered programming, rather than Latino male specific

Some campuses formed initiatives and/or programming

“I don't specifically focus on Latino males or Latino females. I focus on the kids.”

- Administrator, male

“I think there is just a fear, or a reluctance, to really have targeted outreach towards Black and Latino males. I don’t know if people are worried about a backlash. I could care less about that, but we have got to do a much better job of meeting the needs of that population.”

- Administrator, male16

Recommendations

Recommendations: Finding #1, Administrator Awareness

Awareness See the Latino male educational crisis as an

issue for EVERYONE Know your school’s demographic data

Awareness to Action Investment from key leaders on campus Internal and external messaging Programs with “Men in Mind”• Strategic Advising• First-year programs• Faculty & peer mentoring programs

Recommendations: Finding #2, Administrators Meeting Resistance

Knowledge Is KeyDisseminate researchFrame positivelyExamine existing resourcesForm partnershipsSeek institutional investment

Recommendations: Finding #2, Administrators Meeting Resistance

Role Models MatterRecruit faculty/staffRecruit and retain quality Latino

male faculty/staffRecruit Latino male students as

classroom and community leaders

Recommendation #3: Finding 3, Limited Resources for Latino Males

Institutional-wide Continued partnerships with local

ISDs to increase the transitions, participation, and academic success of Latino Males

Continued research and monitoring of Latino male achievement for targeting needs

SAVE THE DATE!

MAY 4, 2012

ETTER HARBIN ALUMNI CENTER

22

Discussion1. Should we be focusing on Latino

males as a subgroup? Why or why not?

2. What best practices have you seen or used for Latino males (classroom, student involvement, organizations)?

3. Do you think that upper-level administrators on your campus are aware?

4. What was your level of awareness before coming? Now?

23

Contact information:Website: www.projectmales.org

Email: projectmales@gmail.com

Speakers’ Emails:◦Sarah Rodriguez -

rodriguezsarah727@gmail.com◦Katie Pritchett -

katie.pritchett@mail.utexas.edu◦ Jennifer Estrada -

jennifer.estrada86@gmail.com24