Strategies that Work

In communities across the country, educators work daily to promote greater educational attainment for Latino middle-grades students. We interviewed a small but representative sample of these individuals to learn how they implement programs whose mission is to prepare minority or low-income youth for education beyond high school. These programs, which are often housed at universities, sought collaboration with middle-grades schools in carrying out their activities. They balanced efforts to supporting the work that students were doing in school with offering experiences that students did not receive as part of their regular schooling. In fact, many programs believed that to succeed academically, students must learn and practice a set of skills that are rarely taught explicitly in school.

For students attending schools in under-resourced communities, learning leadership, communication, and study skills and gaining information about college and careers is essential to their academic success. Several programs devoted large portions of their resources to teach students how to be leaders in the classroom and the community, which students learned through participation in student organizations and clubs, study groups or service learning projects. Programs also taught students how to research, plan, and prepare for postsecondary studies, all in the context of developing thoughtful career goals and in many cases, exploring varied career paths through hands-on experiences. Finally, programs devoted much energy to strengthening students’ academic preparation and achievement.

Across the board, these diverse programming elements were embedded in networks of supportive relationships upon which students could draw. Successful professionals and college students from the community often served as mentors. Program staff knew the ins and outs of each student’s situation, providing guidance and advocacy as needed. And notably, students had opportunities to support and motivate one another, through structures such as team projects or informal study groups.

These relationships countered the discouraging messages and experiences that are too often part of a first-generation college student’s story. One program director recalled speaking with a new guidance counselor who had just been told by a teacher that a student in the program was not “college material.” Having heard similar stories before, the director’s response was swift: “That’s why you and I are here. If the students only hear negative messages, how will they ever have any expectation to attend college?” We invite you to read more about how these educators are raising expectations and achieving results.

You can download a full copy of the PALMS Reaching Latino Middle-Grades Students Study Report in PDF here.