DOCUMENT RESUME UD 024 605 - ERIC · DOCUMENT RESUME ED 268 188. UD 024 605. AUTHOR. Ramon, Gilbcirto TITLE. Counseling Hispanic College-Bound High School. ... Community and Professional.

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 268 188 UD 024 605

AUTHOR Ramon, GilbcirtoTITLE Counseling Hispanic College-Bound High School

Students.INSTITUTION ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small

Schools, Las Cruces, N. Mex.; ERIC Clearinghouse onUrban Education, New York, N.Y.

SPONS AGENCY National Inst. of Education (ED), Washington, DC,PUB DATE 85CONTRACT 400-82-0012; 400-83-0023NOTE 87p.PUB TYPE Information Analyses - ERIC Information Analysis

Products (071) -- Reports - Research/Technical (143)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC04 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Academic Aspiration; *Access to Education; College

Admission; *College Bound Students; College EntranceExaminations; *Educational Counseling; Financial AidApplicants; High Schools; 'Hispanic Americans;Information Systems; Mexican Americans; PostsecondaryEducation; Puerto Ricans; School Counselors; *SchoolGuidance; *Student Needs; Student Personnel Services;Students

ABSTRACTThis monograph addresses the need for improved

counseling services for Hispanic students in order to promote thiririnterest in higher education, prepare them for the task of gettingadmitted, and help them find financial aid. This is discussed as afunctional process for which school counseling personnel have primaryresponsibility, and it is suggested that a systematic, school-wideapproach to developing the Hispanic high school students intocollege-bound student! be implemented. The paper includes a review ofthe research literatate, an overview of the status of Hispanics inhigher education, a look at characteristics of one segment of theHispanic college-bound populatiot (Puerto Ricans and MexicanAmericans), and a discussion of key elements in a systematiccounseling approach. The paper outlines an approach that wouldinclude having high academic expectations and a strong curriculum,early identification of potential college-bound students, anappropriate information system, adequate preparation for the testingand application processes, and strategies for using teacher, parent,and community resources. The monograph includes a listing ofresources such as college guides, financial aid information, andcommunity and professional organizations that serve Hispanics.(CG)

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frs IIEPAIDINENT Of ODUOATIONNATIONAL INETITIM Of EDUCATION

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lima document bee been nspr Awed asmowed horn the potion or orilentilstionoriginsting

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211411611661"1".1'2 ERIC I

COUNSELING HISPANIC 00ILEGE-HOU1DHIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

By

Gilberto RamSpecial Projects Office

The College BoardSan Antonio, Texas

A Joint Publication of

The ERIC Clearinghouse onUrban Education

Institute for Urban andMinority EducationTeachers College

Columbia UniversityNew York, New York 10027

The ERIC Clearinghouse on RuralEducation and Small Schools

Box 3APNew Mexico State University

Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003

1985

The NationalInstitute ofEducationU.S D.,..... a

EduatioaWashburn* D.C. 20204

1

This publication was prepared withfunding from the National Institute ofEducation, U. S. Department of Educationunder contracts no. NIE 400-83-0023 andNIE 400-82-0012. The opinions expressedin this report do not necessarily reflect

the positions or policies of NIE or theDepartment of Education.

Cover design by Debbie Guerrero.

4

TABLE CEP 0011TEETS

Preface

Precis vii

Precollegiate Counseling of Hispanic 1

Students: A Statement of Need

Review of the Literature

Current Status of Hispanics inHigher Education

Hispanic America: An Overview

Hispanic Higher EducationalAttainment

Summary

Hispanic College-Bound Population

5

11

11

14

18

20

Educational Achievement and 21

Experiences of Hispanic HighSchool Students

A Profile of Hispanic College- 26Bound Students

Summary 31

Systematic Approach: A Perspective 33

High Academic Expectations/StrongAcademic Curriculum

Identification/Selection System

Information System

35

39

40=

Preparation for the College 42Admissions Process

Role of Resource Groupe. 45

Summary 48'4

Resources 50 4

Published Materials 50

College and University Guides 51

Financial Aid Information 55Materials

The Guidance Information 57System

Community and Professional 58Organizations

Summary 65

Conclusion 67

References 73

iv6

PREFACE

The last fifteen years have seen anenormous increase in the Hispanic populationof the United States. Nearly a quarter ofthe nation's growth between 1970 and 1980was due to Hispanic births and immigration,so that Hispanics numbeoed 14.6 million in1980. Yet this growing minority group issignificantly underrepresented in highereducational attainment. Although inabsolute numbers more Hispanics thanpreviously have enrolled in !nstitutions ofhigher education and received degrees, thepercentage of Hispanics who continue theireducation beyond high school is decreasing.This situation creates two needs. First,the Hispanic high school dropout rate mustbe reduced and more Hispanics enrolled incollege preparatory courses, so that thepool of students available to attendcolleges and universities can be increased.Second, counseling services must beimproved, so that more Hispanics will beinclined to pursue higher education andprepared for the tasks of getting admittedand finding financial aid.

In this monograph Gilberto Ramcinaddresses the latter need. He conceivescounseling to be a functional process forwhich school guidance personnel have

primary, though not total, responsibility.Counselors can be leaders in a systematic,school-wide approach toward developingHispanic high school students into college-bound students. Such an effort would entailhaving high academic expectations and strongcurriculum, early identification ofpotential college -bound students, anappropriate information system, adequatepreparation for the testing and applicationprocesses, and strategies for using teacher,parent, and community resources. To Ramon,addressing the counseling needs of Hispaniccollege-bound students is an importantpriority that has educational as well associal, economic, and politicalramifications.

Erwin FlaxmanDirector

ERIC Clearinghouse onUrban EducationTeachers College,Columbia University

vi

8

PACIS

This paper focuses on the counseling ofHispanic col lege -bound high school students.It includes a review of the researchliterature, an overview of the status ofHispanics in nigher education, a look atcharacteristics of one segment of theHispanic college-bound population, adiscussion of key elements in a systematiccounseling approach, and a brief list of

reaources.

vii

PROC"TaLEGIATE commix or HISPANICSTUDINITS: A SUISMENT OF NERD

The status of Hispanics in secondaryand postsecondary educational institutionshas recently been the subject of numerousstudies and reports done by governmentalbodies, foundations, educationalorganizations, and individual researchers.Alexander Astin's Minorities in AmericanHigher Education (1982), Ricardo Burin'sHispanics' Education and Background (1983),and The Condition of Education for HispanicAmericans by Brown, Rosen, Hill, and Olivas(1980) are a few examples. The discussionin these studies and reports quite frequentlyincludes a review of the factors that impactupon educational attainment and access to

higher education. It is in the area ofHispanic access to higher education that theissue of precollegiate counseling hassurfaced. Unfortunately, in studies likethose cited here, entry to higher educationprograms is often discussed only briefly andthe influence of precollegiate counseling onHispanics is generally relegated to the"Recommendations" or "Topics for Further

Study" sections.

The absence of research in the area ofprecollegiate counseling may have manycauses. It is a complex subject, one thatmany outside the high school setting havedifficulty understanding. Time, space, and

10

expertise may not permit in-depthdiscussions of this topic; however,whatever the reason, the insufficientattention given to this area is discour-aging. While counseling may not be the mostinfluential factor in a student's decisionto participate in the college-planningprocess and attend college, it does none-theless have a significant role.

As set vice providers for teachers andadministrators, as well as for students,counselors are in a unique position in theschool E tting. Their position allows them,through their actions and/or inactions, tosignificantly impact the identification anddevelopment of oollege-bound students.

Although the reports and studies refer-red to give counseling little attention,they do support and document adequately whatmany have suspected for years--that theeduceional system has not worked as wellfor Hispanics as it has for nonminorities.

Hispanics are underrepresented in highereducation enrollments and have high schooldropout rates substantially exceeding thoseof the majority population. The latter iscritical because no significant progress; isgoing to be made in the higher educationalattainment of Hispanics until the number ofHispanic students completing high school ingeneral, and college-preparatory curriculumin particular, is increased.

Without question, the subject of schoolcounseling for Hispanics, especiallycollege-bound Hispanics, deserves moreattention than it has received. In giving

the topic the attention it merits, severalfactors should be kept in mind. The term

"counseling" in this discussion is notviewed in a therapeutic sense or considerednecessarily as face-to-face interaction.Nor is it simply the provision of guidance

or advice. Rather, the reference herein isto what Belkin (1975) has referred to as

priictical school counseling:

...the total counseling process,underlined by a coherent philosophyand self-awareness, practiced witha c:ceranitment to the client's total

growth, and encompassing face -to-face interviews, group processes,school services, testing programs,extracurricular activities,vocational and educationalinformation, and anything elsewhich contributes to the client'sdevelopment and fulfillment as a

person (p.34).

It is also important to recognize that ageneral investigation of precollegiatecounseling for Hispanics cannot focus on aspecific approach or offer a "how-to"

process. The assorted nature of theAmerican high school and the diversity ofcounseling roles makes this a difficulttask. Counseling loads, responsibilities,and expectations differ from one school tothe next. Moreover, public perceptions andfinancial crisis have compelled some highschools to reduce or eliminate counselingpositions. However, even though a highschool may not have an individual with thetitle of "Counselor," the counselingfunction continues to exist.

3

12

Equally diverse is the Hispanicpopulation. While the general term"Hispanic" is used throughout this paper,the overall United States population iscomprised of a variety of subgroups,including Cubans, South and CentralAmericans, Puerto Ricans, and MexicanAmericans or Chicanos. Differences amongsubgroups exist in such areas as language,socioeconomic status, culture, andeducational attainment. Consequently, it isdoubtful that a single approach could bedeveloped for all of these subgroups.

For example, Durin (1983), in his studyof Hispanics' education and background aspredictors of academic achievement, foundthat the estimated median income of CubanAmerican families was $17,538 in 1980,compared to $9,855 for Puerto Ricans and$15,171 for Mexican Americans. With respectto higher educational attainment, 119percent of Cuban Americans 25 years or olderin 1979 had completed at least four years ofcollege, compared to 4.3 percent Jf MexicanAmericans and 4.2 percent of Puerto Ricansin the same age group.

This paper addresses issues involved inthe counseling of Hispanic college -boundhigh school students, points to key factorsthat should be considered in the process,and describes a variety of resources thatcan be utilized. It illustrates the needfor more thought on the subject and shouldstizulate schools to develop their ownapproach to the counseling of Hispaniccollege-bound high school students.

4

13

PZVINI1 0, THR LITSRATURE

The research literature on thecounseling of Hispanic college-bound highschool students is sparse. Very littleresearch has been undertaken on thisparticular subgroup of the Hispanic highschool population. Indeed, few attempts

have been made to study the interaction ofcounselors and Hispanic students in the high

school setting. The existing work thatexamines the counseling of Hispanic studentsis directed primarily at college students orstudents in general. These materials aregenerally descriptive in nature and consistof papers, reports, and experianced-based,anecdotal articles.

The importance of the guidance functionfor Hispanic students is cited by several

authors. Among them, however, there is somedifference of opinion regarding thesignificance of the counselor. Caskey(1957) describes counselors as instrumentalin helping to focus 'teachers, administra-tors, parents, and the community on personal

growth. The Pennsylvania Sttte AdvisoryCommittee on Civil Rights (1974) found thatwhat counselors d)i not do was just assignificant as why, . they did. In inte,views,

Puerto Rican students cited counselors' lackof sensitivity and encouragement asinfluencing their decision to drop out of

school. Mnreover, Puerto Rican students

indicated that counselors' failure toexplain adequately the college- 'going processprevented them from applying to college.Montoya (1969), however, views teachers asthe key guidance personnel in the schoolbecause of their direct and indirectinvolvement in guidance activities. Healso recognizes school principals as theleaders in developing and providing thepsychological basis for the adequatefunctioning of the guidance program.

There is little disagreement on theimportance of understanding the culturalbackground and needs of Hispanic students(Caskey, 1967; Christensen, 1975; BeB lassie,1976; Padilla and Ruiz, 1977; Nieves andValle, 1982). Counselors are urged torecognize that not all students are alikeand that the oounseling needs of studentswill vary from one group to the next.Padilla and Ruiz (1977) summarize ways inwhich Latino clients are both different fromand similar to non-Latino clients. Theyaccomplish this by looking at character-istics, ethnohistory and culture, sources ofpsychological stress, utilization ofservices, and fach,ra involving self-referral.

Concerns regarding group generalizationsand stereotypes and their negative impact onstudents have also been raised by authors(Duran, 1983; Jaramillo, McPherson, andZapata, 1982; Padilla and Ruiz, 1977).Jaramillo, McPherson, and Zapata (1982)stress the need to recognize variationswithin ethnic groups. In a study ofcollege -bound Mexican American studentconcerns, they found that females

6

15

acknowledged having mo-04 concerns than males

in such areas as interpersonal relations,personal adjustment, the financial conditionof the family, and their own personaleducational future.

Duran (1983) offers a brief overview ofCarter and Segura's 1979 discussion oncultural stereotypes. Although their workwas discussed in the teacher/studentcontext, the overview they present on thestereotypes of Mexican American and Anglovalue systems and tht they conflict isapplicable to student/ctnselotrelationships. Durin summsrizes theirconclusions as follows:

Carter and Segura concluded thatthe most important educationalimpact of cultural stereotypes...is that they may be believed byteachers regardless of whetherthey are true Cr not. Teachers'belief in stereotypes contrastingthe cultural values of MexicanAmericans and Anglos may leadteachers to manifest negativeexpectations about the schoolingpotential and performance ofMexican Americans (p.53).

Padilla and Ruiz (1977) suggest that notall Hispanic concerns can be attributed tocultural factors. In discussing sources ofpsychological stress they differentiatebetween intrapaychic and extrapeychicstress, the former being problems that arepersonal in nature and not generated bymembership in a particular group. The case

7

16

used to illustate their point is that of ahigh school student thinking about collegeand trying to :lecide which major to pursue.Padilla and Ruiz contend that it makeslittle difference whether the student isLatino or not; any student in that situationwill experience the same feelings ofuncertainty, indecisiveness, insecurity,personal inadequacy, and general appre-hension. Consequently, they argue thatethnicity would have little consideration inthe type of counseling approach designed forthis client.

Several other authors have also offeredsuggestions for improving the effect!.venessof counseling for Hispanic students. Asidefrom attempting to understand Hispanicculture, counselors are encouraged toexplore their own prejudices, to understandor to speak Spanish, and to recognize theimportance of the family (Christensen, 1975;Montoya, 1969; Nieves and Valle, 1982).Montoya suggests that schools use parents asresource personnel and involve them inschool activities such as parent-teachergroup meetings, discussions of academicprograms, and school improvement projects.

Utilizing data from the EducationalTesting Service's Survey of CareerInformation Systems in Secondary Schoolsconducted in 1980, the National Council ofLa Raza in its report, Career Informationand Hispanic High School Students (1982),disaggregated data by gender and ethnicityand produced an anal%sis based on theinformation provided by Hispanic youths. Indrawing implications from the resulting

8

analysis, one should keep in mind that the

Hispanic sample was extremely small; only257 of the 4,883 students surveyed wereHispanics. 01 1,894 schools thatresponded to the survey, only 147 had 20percent or more Hispanic students.

In any case, survey responses providedby schools and students indicate that thereare definite differences in the type and

frequency of career counseling servicesprovided to Hispanic students in highHispanic enrollment high schools, in theperception held by Hispanic and whitestudents of career guidance offices andcounselors in general, and in theinteraction between counselors and Hispanicand white students.

Obviously, the literature does not of.,!er

much inaight into approaches to the coun-sel ing of the Hispanic col lege -bound highschool students, although the variousstudies undertaken on Hispanic high schoolstudents do point to differences thatsuggest different approaches are warranted.Studies that investigate the impact ofspecific counseling techniques or approacheson college-bound Hispanic students are lacking.

At this point in time, counselors mustdevelop and select approaches basedprimarily on successful experiences with theassumption that what has worked withcounselor X at school Z will work forcounselor A at school B. However, this mayor may not be the case, and counselors andother educators are, therefore, in adilemma. Until further investigations are

9

undertaken to determine the effects of andmethods for counseling Hispanic oollege-bound high school students, educators mustrely on their experiences. One only hopesthat what is assumed to have been successfulis indeed helpful.

10

19

CURRONT STATUS OF HISPANICS IN RIMEREDUCATION

The reports and studies focusing onHispanics in higher education alluded topreviously have painted a dismal picture ofHispanic higher educational attainment. Thedata and discussion presented in thissection offer a general profile of thecurrent status of Hispanics in highereducation. This data is preceded by a briefoverview of the Hispanic population in theUnited States. Those interested inadditional data or a more detaileddiscussion should consult the sources citedin this section, in particular Duran (1983)and the National Council of La Raza'sSelected Statistics on the Education ofHispanics (1984).

Hispanic America: An Overview

Hispanics accounted for 23 percent ofthe total population growth in the UnitedStates from 1970 to 1980. According to the1980 Census, there are approximately 14.6million persons of Spanish origin in theUnited States. This figure was 6.4 percentof the total U. S. population. It excluded

undocumented immigrants whom some analystsplace as high as 5 million in number(Estrada, 1983).

The principal Hispanic subgroups

11

20

identified by the 1980 Census includeCubans, Central or South Americans,

Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and other Spanish(Duran, 1983). Mexican Americans comprisethe largest group with 7.9 million, or 60percent, of the self-identified Hispanic

population, followed by Central and SouthAmericans (2.7 million/21 percent), PuertoRicans (L8 million/14 percent), and Cubans(831,000/5.5 percent) (Duran, 1983; SelectedStatistics on the Education of Hispanics,1984).

As a proportion of the total U.S.population the Hispanic population isrelatively small, but its concentration in asmall number of states and metropolitanareas has increased its visibility andsignificance. Nb_le Hispanics can be foundin each of the 50 states, approximately 87percent of all Hispanics can be found in 9states: Arizona, California, Colorado,Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, New Jersey,New York, and Texas. Eighty-eight (88)percent of the Hispanic population in theUnited States are metropolitan residents,and more than half can be found in only 15metropolitan areas (Estrada, 1983).

This concentration has becomeincreasingly significant in several stateswhere, according to the 1980 census,

Hispanics comprise more than 10 percent ofthe population; New Mexico (36 percent),California (20 percent), Texas (20 percent),Arizona (16 percent), and Colorado (12percent). Sub4roups have also tended toconcentrate in particular locations orregions. In 1980, 75 percent of Mexican

12

21

Americans lived in California or Texas;abolt 50 percent of meinlilind Puerto Ricans

lived in New York; and 60 percent of CubanAmericans lived in Florida iSelectedStatistics on the Education of Hispanics,

1984).

The Hispanic population is a young

group. Various estimates 1 'ispanics

anywhere from 8 to 10 year iounger thanother racial/ethnic groups in the United

States (Arce, 1982). In 1979, the medianage for Hispanics was 22.1 years versus 30.7years for non-Hispanics (Durirl, 1983).

Moreover, about one Hispanic person in nineis a child under five years of age. Theproportion of Hispanics of school age islarger than that of any other populationsubgroup. This may help explain whyeducation is such an important issue amongHispanics today (Selected Statistics on theEducation of Hispanics, 1984).

The median annual Income of Hispanicsin 1902 was $16,228, about $6,000 le than,or 66 percent of, that of whites, whosemedian annual income was $24,603 (SelectedStatistics on the Education of Hispanics,1984). One in every five Hispanic householdswas headed by females, compared to one in

every ten white households; and one in everyfour Hispanics lived under the 1979 povertylevel, compared to one in ten whites

(Estrada, 1983). Significantly, whileHispanics comprised 6.4 percent of the U.S.population in 1980, in 1982 they comprisedas much as 12.5 percent of the country's poor(Selected Statistics on the Education of

Hispanics, 1984).

13

Although the retention of their nativelanguage, Spanish, is a unique character-istic of the Hispanic population, mostHispanica speak English. In a study byYankelovich, Skelly, and White, Inc. (citedin Selected Statistics on the Education ofHispanicsr 1984) only 23 percent of thesample reported being monolingual. This wasoonfirmel by the 1980 Census which reportedthat most individuals of Spanish originspoke English.

Hispanic Higher Educational Attainment

Current data show that the absolutenumber of Hispanic college enrollees hasincreased in recent years. In the fall of1982, there were approximately one-halfmillion Hispanics enrolled in two- and four-year institutions of higher education. Thiswas 4.2 percent of the total highereducation enrollment of 12 million. Whileboth of these are increases from the 383,000and 3.2 percent figures reported in 1976,approximately 56 percent, or more than half,of all Hispanics enrolled in highereducation in 1982 were found in two-yearcolleges (Plisko, 1984).

Despite increases in the absolutenumwr of Hispanic college enrollees,Hispanic college enrollment as a percentageof the 18- to 24-ysar-old Hispanic

population fell from 20.4 percent in 1975 to16.1 percent in 1980 (see Table 1). Blacksand whites also showed a decline in collegeenrollment during this period, but theirrates--19.4 percent for blacks and 26.4percent percent for whites--remained higher

14

23

TABLE 1

High School Graduates, and College Enrollment of18- to 24-rear-Olds, By Racial/Ethnic Group:

1975 and 1980

High SchoolCollegeEnrollment

CollegeEnrollmentas of

Racial/Ethnic Graduate as % as % of High SchoolGroup Year of Population Population Graduates

1975 83.2 26.9 32.4White 1980 82.5 26.4 32.0

1975 64.8 20.7 32.0Black 1980 69.7 19.4 27.8

1975 57.5 20.4 35.4Hispanic 1980 53.7 16.1 29.9

Source: "School Enrollment -- Social and Economic Characteristics of Students."U.S. Department of Commerce, Current Population Reports No. 222,No. 303, and No. gO, Series P-20.

24

than that for Hispanics (Hispanic Studentsin American High Schools, 1982).

Increases in Hispanic collegeenrollment will continue to be minimal aslong as the number of Hispanic studentseligible to participate in higher education,that is, those who are high schoolgraduates, remains low. As Table 1 shows,in 1980 only 53.7 percent of the 18- to 24-year- old - Hispanic population had graduatedfrom high school, a percentage lower thanthe 57.5 percent figure in 1975. Incomparison, 69.7 percent of the black and82.5 percent of the white 18- to 24-year-old population had graduated from highschool in 1980 (Hispanic Students inAmerican High Schools, 1982).

Along with their significant presencein two-year colleges, Hispanic collegestudents are also concentrated in arelatively small number of colleges anduniversities. In 1978, 21 institutionsenrolled 24 percent of all Hispanic collegestudents on the U. S. mainland. When the 34institutions in Puerto Rico were included,55 institutions enrolled 43 percent of allHispanic students on the mainland and inPuerto Rico (Brown et al., 1980).

The end result of the Hispanicsecondary and postsecondary enrollmentsituation is that Hispanics continue toreceive a disproportionately low number ofcollege degrees. In 1980-81, Hispanicsreceived 2.3 percent (21,731) of allbachelor's degrees, 2.2 percent (6,461) ofall master's degrees, 1.4 percent (456) of

16

25

all doctor's degrees, and 2.2 percent(1,540) of all first-professional degreesawarded by institutions of higher education(Plisko, 1984).

Utilising data from a recent NationalCenter for Education Statistics enrollmentsurvey, Arce (1982) highlighted thefollowing cdditional problems for Hispanicsin higher education:

o Except for the two-year colleges,Hispanics are represented as collegestudents at rates well below theirrepresentation in the population.

o Hispanic underrepresentation isespecially severe in theuniversities, both public and private,in the technical and scientific fields,and in courses of study leading to beprofessions of dentistry, medicine,business and law.

o Although the data regularly showmodest yearly gains in absoluteterms, the relative improvement isvery small or nonexistent due togreater than average attrition.

o Although Hispanic females nowoutnumber Hispanic males in overallenrollment, Hispanic women are stillextremely underrepresented ingraduate education and in mostprofessional fields.

o College degree production forHispanics has fallen off badly; for

example, Hispanics' share of doctoraldegrees declined severely between1977 and 1980. The drop' bir Hispanicmales is even more pronounced. (p:14)

Summary

In light of the significant demograpicdata, the dismal status of Hispanics inhigher education raises serious policyquestions for this country as a whole andespecially for specific states and regions.There exists a disproportionate lack ofHispanic representation in all levels- ofsecondary and postseeondary education, andthe data clearly shows where the leaks areoccurring. The Ford Foundation Conmitsionon the P4gher Education of Minorities (1982)described the situation as follows:

If one views the educationalsystem as a kind of pipelineleading ultimately to positionof leadership and inflance in oursociety, 11. is possible toidentify five major "leakage"points at which disproportionatelylarge numbers of mi.--4.ty groupmembers drop out of the pipeline:completion of high school, entryto college, completion of college,entry to graduate or professfonalscnool, and completion of graduateor professional school. The lossof minorities at these five tran-sition paints accounts for their

substantial underrepresentation inhigh-level positions (p.15).

18

' .. '.' 4.:-4-,--k.- -,1.-,i". Z-44144teit,' ,,,,t, .o..-_-:,.:._ ,.._., --',446 ^-1,, ---,1,7"yymneaMINMEOlas suarmeat

ass

While the current status of Hispanics

in higher education warrants comprehensiveeducational approaches, it is obvious thatthe educational experiences of Hispanics inthe high school setting have contributed to

the current O'f -4.0111. The disproportion-ately niv% drop-out rate for Hispanicssupports this contention, as o c.rtain

enrollmea patterns.

Why is it that a majority of Hispanicsenroll in two-year coil -,es when there is

significant evidence that suggests anegative correlation between enrolling incommunity colleges and completing abaccalaureate degree (Astin, 1982)7 And to

what extent have educators perpetuated asystem that places a large majority ofHispanic college students in only a handfulof the more than 3,000 institutions ofhigher education in this country?

The American high school should not bethe sole bearer of this cross, but neithercan it ignore the fact that it has played arole in creating his discouraging andfrustrating situation.

28

HISPANIC MUM-BOUM POPULATION

Several factors are important toremember as counseiors seek to understandthe Hispanic college-bound population. Thesestudents emerge from the overall Hispanichigh school population, and while there aredifferences between nonoollege -bound andcollege -bound Hispanic students, thesedifferences are not always clear (Duran,1983). As Durdn states, "...it is plausiblethat some of the factors that constrainHispanics' level of achievement in highschool may also constrain Hispanicachievement in college" (p.34).

Equally unclear are those factors thatcontribute to the development of a college-bound Hispanic student and that establishthe point at which a decision is made topursue a college degree. Tracking obviouslyexplains the development of some of thesestudents, but it is important to clarifywhat obstacles keel ..spanic high schoolstudents from entering the college-boundsystem. The types of extracurricularactivities selected by or assigned toHispanic students need to be understood,especially if they differ from those ofother college -bound high school students.

Finally, one should understand thatdifferences exist not only between Hispanicsand non-Hispanics, but among Hispanic

20

29

aseanaW011..1

subgroups (Cubans, Puerto Ricans, MexicanAmericans, and Latin Americans) as well.Income and educational attainmentdifferences were noted earlier; otherdifferences exist in such areas as languageusage and school delay.

This section offers a review of theeducational achievement and educationalexperiences of Hispanic high school studentsin order to produce an understa,..ling of thepopulation from which Hispanic college-boundstudents emerge. It also presents a profileof one segment of the Hispanic college-boundhigh school population.

Educational Achievement and ExperiencesQf Hispanic High School Students

Data recently made available from theHigh School and Beyond Study (HUB) of 1980conducted by the National Center forEducation Statistics (1982) highlighteddifferences in such areas as school delay,aspirations, test scores, language usage,social/economic status, and educationalexperiences. While the findings cannot begeneralized beyond the 1980 class ofsophomores and seniors, they do offer aframe of reference for educators to beginunderstanding the Hispanic high schoolpopulation.

In line with the income differencesreported earlier between Hispanics andwhites, the study found that Hispanic highschool students had lower family incomesthan did non-Hispanic whites. Withinsubgroups, Cuban and Latin American high

',1*(414s- ai,,i,-44404441,11;,«

21

school students had higher family incomesthan did Puerto Ricans and Mexican

Americans. Almost one-half of the PuertoRican seniors surveyed reported their familyincome was under $12,000. The correspondingpercentages for other subgroups with incomesunder $12,000 were as follows: MexicanAmericans, 29.5 percent; Latin Americans,22.5 percent; and Cubans, 20.4 percent. Fornon-Hispanic whites the corresponding figurewas 10.7 percent (Grant & Eiden, 1982).

With respect to rates of school delay,Hispanic high school students were morelikely to be two or more years older thantheir modal age for their grade than werenon-Hispanic whites. As an example, 12.6percent of Puerto Rican seniors and 9.8percent of Mexican American seniors were inthis category, compared to 2.5 percent ofthe non - Hispanic white group (Grant & Eiden,1982). With respect to sophomores, 12.1percent of Hispanic sophomores were enrolledtwo years behind their appropriate gradelevel, as compared to 4.1 percent of whitesophomores (Selected Statistics on theEducation of Hispanics, 1984).

Differences in Spanish language usageamong Hispanic subgroups were alsohighlighted by the data. Spanish was thedominant language for 70 percent of theCuban seniors. as compared to only 17percent of the Latin American seniors, 32percent of the Mexican American seniors and4d percent of the Puerto Rican seniors(Grant & Eiden, 1982).

22

The High School anal Beyond study alsoobtained information on the educationalexperiences and extracurricular activitiesof high school seniors. While it is notpossible to present and discuss all thefindings, it is important to note thatdefinite differences between the educationalexperiences and extracurricular activitiesof Hispanics and those of non-Hispanicwhites were reported. Table 2 shows same ofthese differences.

From Table 2 it can be seen, forexample, that a higher percentage ofHispanic seniors reported being in avocational or general program while a higherpercentage of non-Hispanic whites reportedbeing in an academic program. This mayexplain why a lower percentage of Hispanichigh school seniors enrolled in academiccourses such as trigonometry, calculus,physics, and chemistry, and completed threeyears of English. It may also explain why ahigher percentage of Hispanic seniors didnot take either the SAT or ACT, standardizedtests usually necessary for collegeadmission.

In the area of extracurricularactivities, the findings suggest that non -Hispanic white seniors spent more time onhomework than did Hispanic seniors, whileHispanic seniors spent more hours workingthan did non-Hispanic whites. Otherfindings, not shown in Table 2, alsoindicate that Hispanics generally had lesstendency to participate in extracurricularactivities such as sports, band, debate ordrama, chorus or dance, school newspaper,

TABLE 2

Selected Statistics on the Educational Experiencesand Extracurricular Activities

of High School Seniors: United States, Spring 1980

EducationalExperience

Non-HispanicWhite

Hon- HispanicBlack Hispanic

Type of HighSchool Program:

General 36.6 34.5 40.5Academic 39.3 32.4 26.2Vocational 22.8 31.1 30.6

Completed 3 orMore Years of:

English/Literature 81.0 82.8 76.2Took Trigonometry 27.1 15.2 14.6Took Calculus 8.2 4.5 4.2Took Physics 19.5 18.6 14.9Took Chemistry 38.8 28.2 25.6

Sign School Grades:

Mostly A's 13.4 5.0 5.1A's and B's 22.1 15.4 14.5Mostly B's 21.5 17.2 18.7B's and C's 24.4 33.9 31.7Mostly C's 12.2 18.4 19.0C's and D's 5.0 7.9 8.4Mostly D's and below .9 .9 1.8

Did Not Take SAT 55.6 57.8 63.8Did Not Take ACT 59.5 66.1 65.8

Time Spent onHomework Per Week:

None 7.6 5.1 10.5Less than 1 hour 16.2 16.7 17.91 to 3 hours 30.9 32.3 31.13 to 5 hours 21.2 20.8 20.65 to 10 hours 18.E 18.1 14.3More than 10 hours 6.2 6.1 4.7

Hours Worked Per Week:

None 3.5 9.2 7.11 to 4 hours 9.0 13.7 10.15 to 14 hours 19.2 17.9 16.015 to 21 hours 28.1 21.5 24.422 to 2s hours 17.6 12.7 15.830 to 34 burs 8.2 7.9 8.935 hours or more 13.3 15.4 16.3

Source: Prom Grant, N. V. 4 Eiden, L. J. Digest of EducationStatistics, 1982 (1982, pp. 97 -96). Washington, DC:National Center for Education Statistics.

24 33

r

student government, honorary clubs, andcheerleading or pep clubs than did non-Hispanic white seniors (Grant & Eiden,1982).

While Hispanic high school students saydiffer from white high school student* inthe types of curriculUms and extracurricularactivities they undertake,` the alpirationsof Hispanic and white youths art Similaraccording to the 1980idate-fram the HighSchool and Beyond Studyi" About 34.1 -percentof Hispanic students and 39.3 percent ofwhite students aspired to professional oradvanced professional occupations requiringa college education (cited in SelectedStatistics on the Education of Hispanics,1984).

The study did find differences ineducational expectations between Hispanicand white high school students. In

responding to the item, "Amount of schocyou think you'll get," 58.1 percent of *white students expected to obtain two ormore years of osllege, as compared to 49.4percent of the Hispanic students.Differences among Hispanic subgroups were

also found. A higher percentage of Cubanstudents, 71.4 percent, expected to obtaintwo or more years of college. This figurecompared to 46.1 percent of both PuertoRican and Mexican American students and 50.1percent of Latin American students.

Differences were also found betweenHispanic and white high school seniors inattitudes about their ability to complete

college. Though 65.6 percent of Hispanic

25

students and 68.4 percent of white studentsplanned to attend college, only 36.9 percentof the Hispanic students felt theydefinitely had the ability to completecollege, as compared to 48.5 percent ofwhite students. Among subgroup*, 33.0percent of Mexican AllieriCUMS, 46.4 percentof Puerto Ricans, 50.8 percent of Cubans and38.1 percent of Latin American students feltthey definitely hadthe ability to completecollege. Only 18.9 percent of whitestudents were unsure, doubted, or knewdefinitely they would not complete college,compared to 28.4 percent of Hispanicstudents.

A Profile of Hispanic College-Bound Students

The lack of attention paid to Hispanichigh school subgroups makes it difficult tofoster an understanding of those Hispanicstudents that eventually enter highereducation. Data released during the pastyear by the College Board in its Profiles,College-Bound Seniors, 1983 (1984) now makesit possible to look at one segment of thecollege-bound Hispanic high school studentpopulation. This publication is the thirdin a series of annual summaries that makeavailable detailed profiles of the ethnic,racial, male, and female populations fromthe American Testing Program of the CollegeBoard. It aggregates data of theapproximately one million high schoolcol:Age-bound seniors in the United States in1982-83 who registered for the AdmissionsTesting Program (SAT and/or AchievementTests) before April of their senior year.

26

The data presented for the two Hispanicsubgroups, Puerto Ricans and Chicanos,should not be viewed necessarily asrepresentative of college-bound seniors inthese subgroups. Depending upon therequirements .of the institutions whereapplications were submitted, some.Hispanicstudents may have elected to participate inthe American College! Testing Progra*-(ACT)or in no testing program at all. Moreover,the fact that a student took the SAT orAchievement Tests does not mean he/sheeventually enrolled in a college oruniversity.

Nonetheless, this report does presentpreviously unreleased data for at least onesegment of the Puerto Rican and Chicanocollege-bound student population. Whetheror not these students enrolled in college,it is evident they considered themselvescollege bound by virtue of their decision totake a standardized test.

In 1983, of the 1,012,537 PAmissionsTesting Program (ATP) registrants whoindicated ethnic background, 10,819 (1.2percent) identified themselves as PuertoRican, 16,534 (2 percent) as MexicanAmerican, and 699,471 (6 percent) as white.Of the Puerto Rican registrants, 8,156, or75 percent, can be considered mainland. Itis this Puerto Rican group that is referredto in Profiles, 1983, (1984) and in thisdiscussion.

The data presented in Profiles, 1983(1984), continues to support the findingsreported previously that Hispanic students,

I,.

in particular Puerto Rican and Chicanostudents, are not enrolled in the same typeof academic program as their whitecounterparts. Only 65 percent of the PuertoRican and 67 percent of the Mexican Americanstudents identified themselves as beinginvolved in an academic or collegepreparatory program. The correspondingpercentage for white students was 79.9percent. This may explain why the averageMexican American completing 15.18 years andthe average Puerto Rican completing 15.79years takes less years of study of academiccourses than does the average white studentwho completes 16.47 years.

When one considers that taking the SATis a step in the college-going process, thisimplies that there are Mexican American andPuerto Rican students who -corqiderthemselves college-bound, bu re not sorecognized by the educational structure. Itis also important to note that unlike thedata presented on the general high schoolpopulation, the percentage of MexicanAmerican (76.4 percent), Puerto Rican (72.2percent), and white students (7643 percent)aspiring to a baccalaureate or highercollege degree was quite similar.

Substantial differences are also evidentin the family incomes among whites, MexicanAmericans, and Puerto Ricans (see Table 3).The median income of white families was$31,200, while that of Puerto Rican andMexican American families was $14,700 and$19,600 respectively. More significant isthe fact that the median family contributionexpected to'go towards higher education

28

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sA;

rrc.

rialdmidialiMME

TABLE 3

Annual Parental Income, and Plans to Apply forFinancial Aid

Median FamilyIncome

% Planning toMedian Family Apply forContribution Financial Aid

Whites $31,200 $1,720 73.5Puerto Ricans 14,700 0 89.7Mexican Americans 19,600 220 87.7

Source: From Profiles, College-Bound Seniors, 1983 (1984, pp. 57,67, 77). New York, NY: College Entrance Examination Board.

38

costs was $220 for Mexican American studentsand nothing ($0) for Puerto Rican students,as compared to $1,720 for white students.

Understandably, a larger percentage ofMexican American students (87.7 percent) andPuerto Rican students (89.7 percent) expectto apply for financial aid than do whitestudents (73.5 percent). Somewhatsurprising is the fact that the mean numberof hours worked part-time was fairlyconstant in all three groups: 7.3 forMexican Americans, 7.4 for Puerto Ricans,and 7.8 for white students.

The educational attainment of astudent's parents is also significant,especially when one considers the impactparents have on a student's career decision.The median number of years of education forthe parents of Mexican American students is12.0 for fathers and 11.8 for mothers,compared to 14.3 and 13.5, respectively, forparents of white students. Puerto Ricanparent rates are essentially the same asthose for Mexican American parents, 12.0 forfathers and 11.7 for mothers.

About 76.8 percent of the fathers ofwhite students had some college education,while only 32.6 percent of Puerto Ricanfathers and 35 percent of Mexican Americanfathers had some college education. Similardifferences could be found among mothers ofstudents: 50.6 percent of mothers of whitestudents, 26.9'percent of Puerto Ricanmothers, and 25.8 percent of MexicanAmerican mothers had some college education.Thus, in both cases white students were

30

39

twice as likely to have parents with somecollege education than were Puerto Rican andMexican American students.

Sammy

This overview of the Hispanic highschool population continues to demonstratethat differences exist among Hispanicsubgroups and between these subgroups andnon-Hispanics. Adequate explanations forthese differences are not easy to come by.Certain Hispanic student backgroundcharacteristics such as socioeconomicstatus, area of residence, and familysituation may impact upon their educationaland extracurricular experiences, as well asupon their educational expectations. Low-

income Hispanic students may need to workafter school, thereby reducing their timefor studying and extracurricular activities.One cannot, however, realistically expectto attribute all of the differences citedhere to background, especially if similardifferences continue to be found in theeducational programs of Hispanics.

The data presented from Profiles 1983(1984) shows that the educationalexperiences and backgrounds of all college-bound students are not the same. MexicanAmerican and Puerto Rican college-boundstudents oome from a lower socioeconomic andeducational background and take fewer yearsof academic studies than do their whitecounterparts. The latter is critical,considering that the college aspirations ofwhite, Mexican American, and Puerto Ricancollege-bound high school students are notmuch different.

Clearly, opening the doors to highereducation is not enough. Sustained accessto and participation in higher 4.2.-acation for

Hispanics will require a variety ofstrategies to address these differences.The educational system can have a rDle indeveloping these strategies, in particularthose that impact upon the educationalexperiences rf Hispanic high school6cudents.

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41

n'

A SISTRHATIC APPROACH: A PEPAPPECPIVE

Eigh schools that achieve success ingetting students into college generally havea well-developed approach and plan toaccomplish that aim it is one that involvesa variety of individuals and activities.Counselors have a key role in the process,but by no means are they the onlycontributors to the process. Schooladministrators, teachers, parents, thecommunity, and students also share theresponsibility for making the college -planninm -orocess a successful venture.

Phineas Banning High School is oneexample of a school that has a well -formulated approach and organized plan ofaction to identify, develop, and preparestudents for college. The fifth largesthigh school in the Los Angeles UnifiedSchool District, banning has an 88 percentminority enrollment and is located in alower socioeconomic community. Tts CollegeCore Curriculum Program is primarilyresponsible for the college attendance rateincreasing from less than 5 percent in theearly 1970's to its present rate ofapproximately 52 percent.

The cotTeelinel and guidance of Hizrrlaiccollege-bound students should follow a well-organized deve3oixnental approach. It shouldbe a concerted, systematic effort thatbrings together various diverse school a^11

33

t 42

community components and clearly delineatesthe roles and responsibilities of each.While it is true that counselors maintain

the direct responsibility for counseling andguidance, the development of successfulHispanic oollege-bound students cannot occurin one component of the school alone, nor isit the sole responsibility of oneindividual.

In reviewing the approaches at highschools such as Banning and others whichhave achieved success with Hispanicstudents, one begins to see similar keyelements appearing in all such schools.These elements surface in differentconfigurations or at different times, butthey set apart high schools that have

established a successful tradition ofdeveloping college-bound students from thosethat have had minimal success. While notbased en any scientific research study, norapplicable solely to Hispanic college -boundstudents, it is evident that successfulsystems should contain these key elements:high academic expectations; a strongacademic curriculum; a process to identifycollege-bound students early in their highschool career; a well-developed informationsystem; an organized effort to preparestudents for standardized testing and thecollege admission and financial aidapplication process; and well-defined rolesfor parents, teachers, college recruiters,former students, and communityorganizations.

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43

High Academic Expectations/Strong AcademicCurricular

Not much can be added in the areas ofacademic expectations and academiccurriculum that counselors and educators donot already know. A school's expectationsand, more specifically, a teacher's orcounselor's expectations have an impact(either positive or negative depending onthe expectation) on a student's academicperformance. Cognisant of this, educatorsshould fork to create a school atmospherethat encourages the development of.Hispaniccollege-bound students.

The task in some cases may not be aneasy one. The 'ter -3typic images ofHispanics, intellectualized by social

scientists (Hernandez, 1970) and fueled byindividual prejudices, may be difficult toconfront and manage. However, if better -prepared Hispanic students ~rho can succeedin college are to emerge from high schools,then schools and school personnel need, as afirst step, to believe that Himpanicstudents have the academic potential tosucceed. As a second step, they must gobeyond simply believing success is possibleand convey this attitude to students in day-to-day activities.

Students respond to school expectationsand, more specifically, to teacherexpectations, When expectations in thearea of academic potential are based onstereotypes, then the academic performanceof students will suffer (Garcia, 1982). Theself-fulfilling prophecy is not an unknown

35

factor in schools; and, while it isgenerally discussed in the teaching context,this phenomenon applies to counselors aswell as to other school personnel. Thisshould be kept in mind as one reads theexcerpt below:

Simply put, the self-fulfilling

prophecy for teachers means that ifteachers define a student'scapabilities as real, then they arereal in their consequences. Forexample, if teachers define thestudents' capabilities as belowaverage, expecting them to be andtreating them as though they werebelow average, then over a periodof time, they will be belowaverage. Of course, the oppositeis true. If teachers expectexcellence of their students andtreat them as though they wereexcellent, then after a period oftime they would be excellent.

Unfortunately, teachers expect lessof minority students, and thusminority students produce less.Research studies show the self-fulfilling prophecy to be an all -

too-true phenomenon (Garcia, 1982,p.93).

Educators should not need to beconvinced that Hispanic students have thepotential and the capability to succeed incollege when given the appropriateeducational experience. Unfortunately, intoday's society success is frequently viewcdas an attribute of a select few. The

36

45

succcas figures for Hispanics in highereducation are dismal, but one should notoverlook that some Hispanics have managed toachieve success in spite of the numerousobstacles placed before them. The figurescited in a previous section show that 36,188Hispanics received bachelor's, master's,first-professional, or doctorate degrees in1980-81 (Plisko, 1984).

Somewhat related to the development ofhigh expectations is the implementation of astrong academic curriculum. Many timeslowered expectations on the part of staffand students result in a diluted curriculum.The self - fulfilling prophecy takes shape:

"Hispanic students are not academicallyable, so why provide them with anacademically challenging curriculum?" Astrong academic curriculum, one thatchallenges both students and teachers, canhave far-reaching effects. Not only willexpectations be raised, but the academicpreparation of students will be enhanced aswell.

It 10 --* the intent here to defineexplic3 v academic curriculum to bepursued uz hispanic college - bound students.Academic curriculums will differ dependingupon state and district requirements.

Moreover, while universities and colleges donot expressly seek to dictate to highschools the nature of their course offeringsor requirements, h.gh school college -bound

curriculums are frequently directed by theadmissions requirements of flagship and/orprestigious institutions of highereducation.

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46

In the past several years there havebeen a number (18 at one count) of studiesinitiated on the American high school.Some have focused on:the curriculum,both skills and courses, needetbystudents to sucrossfully °depot' in college.In its report, A Nation at ?.iskt. theNational Commission onExcellence inEducation (1983) recommended the followingcurriculum requirements for college-boundstudents: four years of English, three yearsof mathematics, three years of science,three years of social studies, two years offoreign language, and half a year ofcomputer science.

In another example, The C011ege Board,as a result of a series of dialogues betweencollege and high school faculty, establishedthat college-bound students should masterskills in studying, reasoning, mathematics,speaking and listening, and writing andreading and that those skills should berequired in such academic subjects asEnglish, the arts, mathematics, science,social studies, and foreign language(Academic Preparation for College, 1983).

While these studies did not focus on theHispanic college-bound student, theynonetheless offer a good view of the currentthinking associated with the college-boundcurriculum.

The underlying concern in thisdiscussion involves attitudes and themanifestation of these attitudes by theschool system. The development ofsuccessful Hispanic college -bound students

38

will indeed be a difficult task if schoolpersonnel do not expect success and if suchexpectations are not encouraged, by a strong

academic curriculum.

Identification/Selection System

Students who enter a college-boundcurriculum early in their high school careerare generally better prepared academicallyand psychologically for college life. Thedata presented in one of the previoussections clearly shows that many Hispanicstudents, even those considering college,are not enrolled in a college-preparatorycurriculum. A key element in thedevelopment of more college -bound studentsis a process that identifies and guidesstudents into the college -going mainstream.

It should be recognized that theimplementation of such a process is notnecessarily a return to the old "tracking"system, which proved detrimental toHispanics and other minorities. While samemay argue that the processes are identical,there are same fundamental differences inapproach and philosophy.

The degree of sophistication in theidentification/selection system will vary

from one school to the next. The system,however, should be designed to includeHispanic students, not to exclude them.Preferably, students should identifythemselves, or be identified, as collegebound early in their high school or middleschool years. Banning High School begins toidentify the potential pool of students for

1111/1111111....

its Core Curriculum Program'in the 9th grade(they recommend the 8th grade if it is afour-year high school}. However, thesystem should be flexible; and under theproper circumstances, students should beallowed to enter the 0011ege-going reocessat any point in their high School career.

The selection of students should not beleft to the sole discretion of school-personnel (i.e,, teachers and/orcounselors). Given a proper explanation ofexpectations and responsibilities, parentsand students should be allowed to select acollege-preparatory program if they sodesire. The criteria for selection shouldnot be too rigid, nor should they be basedsolely on test scores and grades. Suchfactors as motivation and potential shouldalso be considered.

The underlying philosophy of thispr',cess should be more than one ofrefinement; that is, it goes beyondselecting a student who is clearly collegematerial and simply placing him/her in theproper academic curriculum. The processshould also be one of development, moving astudent from one stage to the next andinitiating both personal and academicgrowth.

Information System

Any effort to develop and assistcollege-bound Hispanic high school studentsshould contain a system to disseminateinformation. Students need to be alerted tovisits by college recruiters, test

40

deadlines, college days/nights or collegefairs, college orientation daysoicholarshipdeadlines, and so forth. Teachers must beaware of these activities in Order toprovide the proper support and enbouragementwhen the occasion arises.

An information system is especiallyimportant in school systems where Hispanicshave not traditionally been a part of thecollege -bound program or where the communityas a whole does not yet view a postsecondaryeduration as a viable option. In thisenvironment the responsibility should be toeducate and inform not only students butalso parents and the community as well,through whatever means are available. TheHouston Independent School District; in anattempt to provide information and toenhance communication between the'school andhome, has considered a plan to hold a seriesof group meetings for 6th- to 12th-gradeHispanic students and their parents. Theplan identifies major pieces of informationand the grades at which they should beprovided to both students and parents.

One tends to overlook the fact thatwhile schooling and the college-goingprocess are traditions in many communities,they are unknown and often frighteningexperiences in others. Certain individualsunderstand and manipulate the system becausethey are aware of its existence andexpectations. Others, unfortunately,

cannot. Many young Nispanic high schoolstudents are the first individuals in theirfamilies to consider attending college.While their experience may be laying the

t b.50

41

foundation for future generations,_ theprocess for them and their parentellaybeintimidating. Schools.can reapond4yinforming Ind educating.all-conoW104 °n ine .

nature of higher education and the OkOcessesthat help one gain awes. to it.

In creating a well7developedInforsiatioksystem that may help meetvecific.atudeit.and community needs, counselors shouid lot*beyond thikschoolAwul make nOstrillIe vast

array of.resources at their *Appeal.School newsletters are godd vehicles todisseminate- information, as are church

bulletins, .area newspaperstand,,radio andtelevision public service apnouncementS:,Counselors should also be acutely mama ofthe community's language preference. AnHispanic high school student's Preferencefor English may not be shared by parents.In such situations counselors may wish todisseminate information in both English and

Spanish.

An information system can meet a varietyof needs; it can expand knowledge, encourageinvolvement, and clarify responsibilities.most important, for Hispanic students it cancontribute to the creation and/or enhance-ment of an atmosphere that understands andactively supports postsecondary education.

Preparation for the College AdaissionsProcess

Gaining a6mission to an institution ofhigher education is a sophisticated andcomplex process that involves much more than

academic preparation. Even though academic

42

I *.

preparation lays the foundation for studentsto pursue and complete a postsecondaryeducation, the college admission ,processalso includes a series of activities andsteps that require skill and understandingto negotiate. Understanding the process andlearning how to manage it is necessary forany college-bound student, but these areespecially critical for Hispanic students,many of whom are the first in the family toattend college.

Frequently, students are unaware of thesteps necessary to attain college admission.

They are unfamiliar with the benefits andconsequences associated with completing orignoring each one. They ignore, or placelittle significance on, visits by collegerecruiters, standardized test dates, anddeadlines for college and financial aidapplications. Then they do not understandwhy they received less financial aid thanexpected or why they did not get admittedto the college of their choice. Studentsneed to be better prepared for the process,not only by receiving information on dead-lines, visits, and the like, but also byacquiring an understanding of the importanceof each element in maximizing opportunities.

For example, taking the Preliminary

Scholastic Aptitude Test/National MeritScholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) isax important step in the college -goingprocess. It helps prepare a student for theSAT, includes the student in the StudentSearch Service (SSS), and makes the studenteligible to compete in various scholarshipprograms. For Hispanic students this

52 4F?

43

examination has added significance becauseof the existence of The College Board'sNational Hispanic Scholar Awards Program, ascholarship effort funded by the Andrew M.Mellon Foundation. However, 1114.1111 Hispanicstudents understand the important, of thistest and the benefits to be derived bytaking it, they will fail t0 1111X1111110 theiropportunities and thus fall a step behindtheir counterparts who do participate.

Equally necessary in any systemdesigned to develop Hispanic college -boundstudents are activities to teach studentshow to successfully, complete each step.Reviewing college catalogs and guides,selecting colleges, taking standardisedexaminations, and completing college andfinancial aid applications require specificstrategies and skills. Students need tolearn how to be testrldse, how to completeFimancial Aid Form (FAF) and FamilyFinancial Statement (FM forms, how towrite personal essays, and how to ask forteacher recommendations. Otherwise, theirefforts will not produce the results theydeserve or expect.

Negotiating the college admissions andfinancial aid process requires knowledge,skill, patience, and a certain degree ofsophistication. Not all of these need to betaught extensively, nor can all of these betaught within a short period of time.Schools and counselors should determine thelevel of expertis* that exists in both theschool and the community and proceed fromthere to develop the approach or approachesthat are needed.

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Role of Resource Groups

The increased focus on the Americanhigh school in recent years has produced anew assortment of catch-words and phrases.In discussions of remedies for the ills ofsecondary schools, one frequently hears suchterms as "partnerships," "collaboration,"and "linkages." A widely accepted belief isthat schools should not be the only onesexpected to develop solutions to the complexproblems that engulf them. They should bejoined in the search by institutions ofhigher education, business, industry, andthe community as a whole.

In California, expert testimony andreviews of current studies were utilized toproduce the keport, Improving StudentPerformance in California: Recommendationsfor the California Roundtable (1982). Thereport identifies and discusses actionswhich the business community can take tohelp improve the academic performance ofCalifornia secondary school students.

This same philosophy of collaborationand cooperation should underlie the work ofschools and counselors as they seek todevelop Hispanic college-bound students.They should learn to utilize the vast arrayof resources that exists outside of theschool system: parents, community andprofessional groups, businesses, formerstudents, and universities.

In some respects the development ofresources outside of guidance offices andthe school is welcomed by Hispanic

45

54

students. Theetuay on Hispanic.etudentsand career information (Care*r Informationand Hispanic High School Students 1992)reviewed previously, found that:

o Black and Hispanic students-weremore likely than white to talkto forskr students about jobs.,

o Black and Hispanic students Weremore likely to have utilised stateemployment offices and regionalcareer centers than white students.Hispanic females were particularlylikely to have utilized the regionalcenters.

o Black and Hispanic students weremore likely to have gone to aprivate employMent agency and tohave utilised a local college forinformation than white students.(p.14)

The ensuing sect!.on identifies a varietyof community and professional groupresources that can be used in the counselingof Hispanic high school students. Suchorganizations as the League of United LatinAmerican Citizens (LtUiC), Aspire, andTalent Search provide excellent support tocounseling units in the college admissionsand financial aid application processes.Others support the development of Hispani'students through career-oriented activities.

An example of the latter is the NationalCoalition of Hispan_c Mental Health andHuman Services Organizations (COSSME0).Through its National Hispanic Youth

Institute, COSSMHO has provided career andleadership education and training to morethan 5,000 Hispanic teenagers in such citiesas New York, Kiwi., San Antonio, Denver, andAlbuquerque. IL nas also sponsored a seriesct seven films called Hispanics in HealthCareers. In 1983 it mobilized public andprivate resources for a 7-month projectinvolving more than 1,000 Hispanic youth inboth business career awareness andmotivation activities.

Another xample is the Minorities inHigher Education Project ! MIHEP) sponsoredby the Connecticut Board of Higher Educationand the Hartford Southside Institutions

Neighborhood Alliance. Designed to increasethe number of minority (black and Hispanic)students from Hartford entering andcompleting college, MIHEP utilizes minorityprofessionals as "mentors" or role models.An early intervention model, the program isfor 7th- to 12th-grade students. Itemphasizes such areas as academic prepara-tion, post-secondary and career exposure,and the enhancement of self-confidence.

Counselors should take advantage ofactivities and resources such as the onesdescribed above whenever possible. Parentscan encourage and support, former studentscan share experiences and motivate, teacherscan facilitate the process, .niversitypersonnel can provide information, andcommunity groups can bridge gaps.

Parents in particular are excellentresources and should be brought into thecollege-planning process as early as

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possible. As stated by the CollegeRecruitment Association for Hispanics intheir bilingual brochure written forHispanic parents (1984):

The Hispanic parent has been aneglected resource in therecruitment efforts focused toward

Hispanic youth. The family struc-ture and system of reinforcement ofvalues within the Hispanic cultureprovide parents with the mostpotential influence to work towardthe goal of higher education forHispanics (p.1).

It is not the intent here to defineroles and develop activities for each of theresource groups and/or persons wrailable.Each counselor must base the use of theseresources on the individual schoolsituation. In order to avoid duplication ofefforts and wasted time, it is suggestedthat counselors attempt to define the rolesto be played by each one of the outsidegroups and/or individuals. An understandingof how they can help and where they fit intothe system 'would be beneficial not only tocounselors, but to those offering assistanceas well.

Summary

This section has presented and dis-

cussed several key elements that should beaddressed by high schools desiring to 'Asuccessful in the c..unseling of Hispaniccollege-bound high school students. These

48

5744.

include high acadelic expectations and as'.rong academic ,csurridululla an_ Mentificx-Lion/selection Arita, ansystem, an_ organised effttoFepirestudents for the collogi004.and well-defined roles:10k'teachers, c011ege recrulstudents, a 001111h10 ty, Or

Which key elestinte!ikre t S-:414401iidand the manner_ in which

.

implemented will stiffer trOne_eidl _ton

the next. Although%akl of

are important, .: schools shout **retand' thespecific nee& of their 'skede#Ciitiptilation.Equally impOrtant la -the recepikkion thatthe development of these keySeMents is notthe sole responsibility of :thiccOuntelor.Without question, the cOunieldrhas apivotal role, but ultimeel.t'it'iS theentire school that must respond if these keyelements are to be established and are toinfluence the development of Hispaniccollege-bound students.

It should be emphasized that the threadthat binds these elements together is awell-organized plan of action to develop,not only to counsel, Hispanic college-boundstudents.

49

NBOOMICIS

There are ,n f. routaeMbar*available' fee:: 1-Ors te*college-bound ifiepwto hiWhile some of,.0eitiftipublicationa, aroiokfor Hispanic *too* 4useful. This "sectiesioSzrttfiof resources: 1101;shidlitatettoi,community/profeaaierial orsfaniaat

The resoarceqiits':pzeirided are by nomeans exhauativii;''' Etat,' and igoaX react:roesare often devil/toped addreine Specificneeds, as well to ,rnappIament nAlif*alefforts. For example, the'Coorditmeitig Hoardof the Texas College and University Systemannually publishes a booklet entitledFinancial Aid for Thiel' Stith:nits. TheCollege Recruitment Association forHispanics (CM) and the Bilingual WigrantEducation Deparble:nt of the State ofMichigan have collaborated to produce thebrochure referred to previously, Queramos LoMeior Para Nuestros losille Want the Bestfor Our Children (1984), to encourageHispanic parental participation in highereducation preparation.

Published Materiel:

The American College Testing Programand The College Board are the educationalorganizations that administer the two most

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widely used standardized examinations, theACT and the SAT. They also publish & numberof publications for counselors and college-Mund students. Although some of thesematerials may carry a fee, both of theseorganizations distribute a variety of freepublications through annual counselorworkshops or as part of regular mailings tosecondary schools. For example, The CollegeBoard offers free of charge a publicationdesigned for students exploring college; itis entitled Going Right On. Moreover, bothgroups make available (free or for acharge) ,. vast array of other resources,including slide presentations on the SAT,ACT, and PSAT/MMSW and on financial aid.

The resource publications described hereC,11 into two groups: general collegeinformation guides and financial aidnformation materials. Also included is a

nrief description of a computerizedinformation system.

College and University Guides

There are more than 3,200 colleges,universities, technical institutes, andinstitutions of higher education in theUnited States. While individual schoolcatalogs provide the most comprehensive andup-to-date information, students can alsoobtain concise, valuable profiles byconsulting one of the major college anduniversity guides published in the UnitedStates. In addition to specificinstitutional information, these guidesgenerally contain a discussion not only ofcollege in general but also of the

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selection and application process. Inrecent years, guides aimed primarily atspecial target populations (i.e., women,blacks, and minority Ivy League students)have also appeared. A special review byDavid 8. Webster of seven of the best-known college and university guides, IAGuide to College and University Handbooks,"appears in the February 1984 issue of theHarvard Educational Review. A few that maybe of interest to counselors working withHispanic students are as follows:

The Colle4e Handbook, 1983-84. Thispublication lists approximately 3,076two- and four-year colleges and providerup-to-date answers to questionsconcerning enrollment, location, majorfields of study, admissions require-ments, annual expenses, availablefinancial aid, and student activities(College Board Publication: 1983, 1,685pages).

Index of Majors, 1983-84. Lists 385major fields of study and the colleges,state by state, that offer degrees(associates, bachelor's, master's,doctorate, first professional, or workbeyond the doctorate). Also includescomprehensive lists of colleges thathave religious affiliations, specialacademic programs, and specialadmissions procedures (College BoardPublication: 1983, 630 pages).

Peterson's Annual Guides toUndergraduate Ftudy: Four-Year College,1984. Covers over 1,900 accredited

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institutions that grant baccalaureatedegrees in the United States and Canada.Aside from the general collegeinformation (academic programs, degrees"tried, eta.) the basic college

include: statistics in earlydecision/early action, high schoolcourse requirements, special non-academic admissions considerations,freshman financial aid statistics, anddeadlines for out-of-state applicants.Also included are i]lustrated essays byadmissions officers at over 600 collegesand universities across the country(Peterson's Guides: 1983, 2,000 pages).

Peterson's Annual Guides toStudy:

1984. Covers over 1,450 accreditedinstitutions that grant associatedegrees in the United States and Canada.This volume also contains basic collegeprofiles, 1,800 word essays, a readerguidance section, and directories ofschools by geographical area and bymajor (Peterson's Guides: 1983, 450pages).

College Planning/Search Book. Offers apractical 8-step method to help studentsdecide what they want from college andprovides information on more than 3,0004- and 2-year colleges and universities.The practical method takes the studentthrough the entire planning process --from identifying main priorities tomaking a final decision. Collegeinformation provided includes location,selectivity, size, cost, majors and

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-4

career programs available, and studentcharacteristic' (American CollegeTesting Program Publication: 1983).

A Guide to Christian Colleges. Thisbook provides descriptions of thehistory, location, and upiritualemphasis of over 60 denominational andnon-denominational colleges.and universities.Basic information on academic majors, costs,and enrollments is included (ChristianCollege Coalition, 1776 Massachusetts Avenue,NW, Washington, D.C. 20036: 1983, 129 pages).

Every, Woman's Guide to Colleges and

Universities. Contains information andstatistics on the services andfacilities available to women on collegecampuses. Descriptions of nearly 600two- and four-year colleges include thenumber of women administrators andfaculty, policies to ensure fairness towomen, minority staffing and services,athletics for women, and theavailability of counseling, health care,day care, and other services (OldWestbury, New York: The Feminist Press.1982, 512 pages).

There are numerous other guides anddirectories available to guidancecounselors. Peterson's, for example, also

publishes a guide on competitive colleges,and there is also a series of guidespublished by Barron's Educational Services,Inc., including Barron's Profiles ofAmerican Colleges. Finally, there is theComparative Guide to American Colleges, by

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James Cass and Max Birnbaum, and publishedby Harper A Row.

It is costly and unnecessary forcounselors to have all of these publicationsin their guidance libraries. If a goodsupply of current college catalogs ismaintained, a counselor may need only one ortwo of the major directories. The key, ashas been stated previously, is for studentsto learn how to utilize the informational

materials available. Unless that isaccomplished, the quantity and type ofcollege guides acquired are of littlesignificance.

Financial Aid Information Materials

Students and counselors can look at avariety of financial aid publications forinformation and assistance. These includecollege pamphlets that describe specificinstitutional requirements and financial aidpolicies; state and community publicationsthat describe local sources of Financialdid, such as the Texas example noted earlierin this paper; booklets that list generalsources of financial aid (i.e., grants,scholarships, and loans); directories thatlist costs of colleges and universities inthe United States; and materials that aredesigned to assist students with the complexfinancial aid application process.

The latter are usually provided free ofcharge by the educational organizationsresponsible for the two major need analysisforms, the Financial Aid Form anul and theFamily Financial Statement (FFS). These

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include Applying for Financial Aid,distributed by the American College TestingProgram, and Meeting Collis. Costs,distributed by the College ScholarshipService of The College Board. Both containa general description.of the financial aidprocess and the procedure used to determinethe size of a student's parent contribution.

The following list describes otherhelpful publications:

The Student Guide: Five FederalFinancial Aid Programs, 1983-84.Provides a description of the federalfinancial aid programs: Pell grants,Supplemental Educational OpportunityGrants man, College Work Study,National Direct Student Loans (I L),and Guaranteed Student Loans (GEL).Free copies may be obtained by writing:Federal Student Financial Aid, P. 04 Box84, Washington, D.C. 20044.

The College Cost Book, 1983-84. .ontainsdetailed advice for students and theirparents on how to plan to meet collegecosts. Explains how to estimate collegecosts and individual financial need,what types of aid are available to meetthat need, and how to apply to thefederal, state, local, and privateagencies that administer financial aid.Also includes detailed information oncosts at Wbre than 3,200 two- and four -year public, private and proprietaryinstitutions, as well az lists ofcolleges that offer tuition and fee

5665

waivers and special tuition paymentplans (College Board Publication: 1983,204 pages).

Need A Lift? Sources of career,scholarship, and loan information forall students are listed, with emphasison scholarship opportunities forveterans, their dependents, and childrenof deceased or disabled veterans.Published by the American Legion, P. 04Box 1055, Indianapolis, Indiana 46206:1983.

Selected List of Post SecondaryOpportunities for Minorities and Women.Lists educational opportUnities forminorities and women at the post-secondary level by fields of study.Also provides general information aboutseeking assistance in pursuingadditional educational and career goals.(U. S. Government Printing Office,Washington, D.C.: Stock Number 065-000 -000 -52 -0, 1983).

The Guidance Information System

The Guidance Information System (GIS) isa comprehensive, computer-based informationsystem designed for use by anyone involvtain career planning, such as high school andcollege students, counselors, librarians,veterans, and executives. The systempr7.vides information on occupations,colleges, and financial aid. The more than3,500 college, university, and technicalinstitute descriptions include programs ofstudy, costs, admissions and enrollment

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policies, residence information, sports andcampus activities, accreditation, andspecial programs. The system also-containsinformation on 873 occupations and explainsjob duties, employment potential, salaryrange, work condition*, lifestyle, personalinterests, and aptitudes. an is 'Easeequipped to identify general types Offinancial aid available through individualcolleges as well as through nationalfinancial aid resdaces. It is produced byTSC, a Houghton-Mifflin-Company.

Community and Professional Organizations

Unlike the publications listed, thecommunity and professional organisationsidentified herein were established toaddress a specific need in the Hispaniccommunity. Two different groups areidentified: organizations whose primarypurpose is to address the educational needsof Hispanics and associations formedprimarily as support systems and networksfor Hispanic professionals.

Those organizations addressing theeducational needs of Hispanics include thefollowings

LULAC National Educational ServiceCenters (LNESC): Initiated by the LULACcommunity of San Francisco in 1973,LNESC is a community-based multiservice

educational organization that supports avariety of programs ranging from talentrecognition to talent development.There are 12 field centers across thecountry, each designed to provide

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students with college and careercounseling, job training, and financialaid assistance. The national officelocated in Washington, D.C., coordinatesthe LULAC National Scholarship Fund(LNSF). The address of the nationaloffice and the location of the 12 fieldcenters are as follows:

National Office:

L.IESC National Headquarters400 First St., N.W.Suite 716Washington, D.C. 2000]

(202) 347-1652

Field Center Locations:

Pomona/Fast Los Angeles, CASan Francisco, CAColorado Springs, CONew Haven, CTMiami, FLChicago, ILTopeka, KSAlbuquerque, NMPhiladelphia, PACorpus Christi, TXHouston, TXSeattle, WA

Aspire of America, Inc. Since 1961Aspira has been giving young Hispanicsthe moral and financial support tocomplete their education. Primarilyoriented toward young Puerto Ricans, thesix field centers offer a variety ofeducational services, including college

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counseling and financial aid assistance.The address of the national office andthe location of the six field centers areas follows:

National Office:

Aspire of America, Inc.114 East 28th StreetNew York, NY 10016(212) 889-6101

Field Center Locations:

Miami, FLChicago, ILNewark, NJBronx, NYPhiladelphia, PARio Piedras, PR

dhile not developed specifically for theHispanic community, Talent Search Programscan also be of tremendous help to Hispanicstudents involved in the college application.process. Originated in the Higher EducationAct of 1965, Talent Search Programs areconsidered a part of a federal triumvirateof Special Programs for DisadvantagedStudents more commonly known as "TRIOPrograms" Thesft programs, Talent Search,Upward Bound, and Special Services aredesigned for economically disadvanta, dstudents and are funded uneer Title IVthrough the United States Department ofEducation.

The services provided vary from oneTalent Search organization to the next,

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depending on location, target population,and program size. To some degree all TalentSearch agencies use individual and groupcounseling to encourage students to completehigh school and pursue a post-secondaryeducation, to provide information tostudents on financial aid opportunities, andto assist students with the mechanics ofapplying for college admission and financialaid. To a large extert their effectivenessin researching and helping students dependsupon the cooperation provided by schools andcounselors.

The large number of Talent SearchPrograms makes it impossible to list eachone individually. In fiscal year 1980, 158agencies received approximately $15,300,000in program funds. Information on thelocation of these programs can be obtainedfrom the U.S. Department of Educationregional offices. A Directory of FundedPro ects is prepared annually. Inquiriesregarding this publication can be directedto:

Information Systems Section, ISPSBDivision of Student gervices, ONCEU.S. Department of EducationRoom 3514, ROB-3Washington, D.C. 20202

(202) 245-2424 or (202) 245-2426

There are numerous other Hispani,7praessional associations that can be ofassistance to onunselors. As is exu.plifiedby COSSMHO, some of these groups sponsorspecial activities for Hispanic youth.Others provide special scholarships for

Hispanics. The names and addresses of thoselisted here were extracted from a 1980Philip Morris Company publication, A Guideto Hispanic Organisations.

A copy of this booklet can be obtainedfrom Philip Morris, USA, Public AffairsDepartment, 100 Park Avenue, New York, NY10017.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION or SPANISH-SPEAKINGCERTIFlOt PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS paamKs14'1010 South Flower StreetSuite 200Los Angeles, CA 90015(213) 748-8627

Or

236 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.Suite 603Washington, D.C. 20002(202) 546-3424

ASSOCIATION OF CUBAN EFGINEERSP. 0. Box 557575Miami, FL 33155(305) 949-4289

ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC ARTS20n East 87th StreetNew York, NY 10028(202) 369-7054

ASSOCIATION OF MEXICAN AMERICANEDUCATORS (LAMA

2600 Middlefield RoadRedwood City, CA 94063(415) 364-7340 or (408) 299-4016

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LA RAZA NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATIONc/o South Bay Judicial DistrictTorrance, CA 90503

(213) 320-6010

MEXICAN AMEIICAN ENGINEERING SOCIETY(MIAES)

P. 0. Box 41Placentia, CA 92670(213) 864-6011, Ext. 3523

MIDWEST COUNCIL OF IA RAZANotre Dame UniversityP. O. Box 606South Bend, IN 46556

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC

NURSES (KAHN)12044 7th Avenue, N.W.Seattle, WA 98177(206) 367-0862 or (206) 543-9455

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PSYCHOLOGISTSFOR LA RAZA

1333 IrisBoulder, CO 80102(303) 443-8500

NATIONAL ODALITION OF HISPANIC MENTALHEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESORGANIZATIONS (COSSMHO)

1015 15th Street, N.W.Suite 402Washington, D.C. 2n005(202) 638-0505

NATIONAL HISPANIC INSTITUTE3301 Kim LaneP. O. Box 1812

Austin, TX 78767

(512) 476-3595

SOCIETY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF CHICANOSAND NATIVE AMERICANS IN SCIENCE(SACNAS)

P.O. Box 3831

Albuquerque, NM 87190(505) 884-5259

SOCIETY OF HISPANIC PROFESSIONALENGINEERS (SHPE)

P. 0. Box 48Los Angeles, CA 90053

(213) 292-0970

SOCIETY OF SPANISH ENGINEERS, PLANNERS,AND ARCHITECTS (SSEPA)

P. O. Box 75Church Street StationNew York, NY 10017(212) 292-0970

TEXAS ALLIANCE FOR MINORITIES INENGINEERING, INC. (TAME)

c/o Dean of EngineeringUniversity of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TX 76019(817) :73-2571

Hispanic organizational efforts havecontinued to increase during the pastdecade. Counselors are urged to go beyondthis list and seek out otheL communityorganizations and associations.Organizations such as the Latino Institutein Chicago, Illinois; the National Councilof La Raza; Project SCR, Inc.; and the

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American G. I. Forum may also be availableto provide help on a local level.

Summary

The resources identified here can beuseful to counselors in their work withHispanic college-bound high school students.Numerous other local resources exist. In

San Antonio, Texas, for example, Hispaniccollege -bound students have an opportunityto participate in the Pre-FreshmenEngineering Program (PREP) held at theUniversity of Texas at San Antonio everysummer, or in the High Technology HighSchool operated under the auspices of theAlamo Community College District. In

Philadelphia, Hispanic students canparticipate in PRIME and in northernCalifornia, in the Mathematics, Engineering,Science Achie ;ement (MESA) Program, bothdesigned to develop minority students forengineering and science fields.

A large number of these resources can bemade available to Hispanic students at nocost to the school or to the student.Moreover, most of these resources aredesigned for all college -bound students.However, it should be clearly understoodthat although these resources are forcollege-bound students in general, it doesnot mean they are of little value toHispanics or other minority groups.

It is the school's and counselor'sresponsibility to identify, interpret, andfacilitate the utilization of resources bystudents. To simply direct students to

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publications or to wait for resources suchas community organizations to contact thehigh school will not maximize the impactthese resources can have.

The preceding sections have addressed avast array of issues related to thecounseling of Hispanic college-bound highschool students. Included are a review ofthe research literature, an overview of thestatus of Hispanics in higher education, alook at characteristics of one segment ofthe Hispanic college -bound population, adiscussion of key elements in a systematiccounseling approach, and a brief list ofresources.

While this paper is comprehensive inscope, the writer acknowledges that eachsection could be the focus of a much morein-depth manuscript. One of the intents isto stimulate discussion and encourageresearch in this area. As the literaturereview indicac,s, research in the specificarea of counseling Hispanic students ispresently insufficient. Not only doeducators and policy makers need to knowmore about the consequences of counselor-Hispanic student relationships or lackthereof, but there is also a need toinvestigate further the impact of specificschool practices and policies on Hispanichigh school students.

The data presented on Hispanic highereducational attainment illustrates thefailure of the educational system to developa proportionate number of Hispanic college-

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bound students who can compete successfullyin the higher education arena. Hispanicstudents that do survive and succeed are notonly few, but are exceptions to the rule.

A counselor, and indeed any educatorwhose client population includes Hispanics,should be aware of the current status ofHispanics in higher education. Theassumption throughout this paper is thatcounselors have an izipect on a student'sdecision to enter the college-going processand are, therefore, partly responsible forwhatever gains have or have not been made.

If the overall picture is dismal, whichit is, then the counseling profession mustacknowledge the fact and share some of theresponsibility. The profession must alsorecognize that the notion that Hispanicshave achieved widespread success in highereducation is an illusion. one created(unintentionally) by the successful few whohave survived the educational system.

For reasons not totally clear, theAmerican high school has respondeddifferently to Hispanics in general, and toHispanic subgroups in particular, than ithas to whites. The data presenteddemonstrate that the educational experiences(extracurricular and curricular) of Hispanichigh school students differ from those ofwhite students. More importantly,differences in academic experiences can alsobe seen between the college-bound studentsof these groups. This is criticalconsidering that both Hispanic and whitecollege-bound students have similar degreeexpectations.

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Why do these differenoes exist? Forschools and school personnel to attributethem merely to socioeconomic and socio-cultural differences is simplistic and ashirking of responsibilities. True,counselors, and schools for that matter, cando very little about the educational andmedian income levels of parents of Hispanichigh school students. However, given aproper understanding of the Hispanicpopulation and a desire'. to have an impact,they can develop institutional policies andpractices that will affect not only currentstudents, but future generations as well.

An argument made in this paper is thatmore Hispanic students could successfullycomplete hJ-h school and the college-preparatory curriculum if high schoolsdeveloped systematic approaches toaccomplish that aim. In most cases Hispanichigh school students are not part of asystematic process that develops tiles intosuccessful college students. This need not,and cannot, continue to be the case.Creative initiatives can be developed andundertaken to make the college -going processa much smoother and productive ons forHispanic high school students.

Equally important to realize is that inorder for those initiatives to have asignificant impact they must be undertakenby the schools themselves. Frequently,educators seek quick answers and superficialformulas in attempting to servicenontraditional populations. They bring inoutside programs rather than develop themfrom within.

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Most of these programs are characterisedby a short life span and a shifting ofresponsibilities from regulaedchool staffto special staff. This creates_:athz",unique inconsistenciek..* Beeauseef,,theirlimited life span many seh001441e4iitratOrsdo not perceive the need to integrate.theseprograms into the scbo4 1.1stew NeWever,since they do provide-a iervi."4; theyZegoeptthe shifting of responsibilities thataccompany then. Consequently. Viten thisfunding runs out and the programiterninates,little structural impact has occurred andthe need for similar or other approachessoon reappears.

These comments are not intended tocriticize special programs. Indeed, acme ofthem merely seek to serve as catalysts.Others survive numerous years and become apart of the very system that Ince treatedthem as temporary tenants. Nonetheless,looking outside of a school system forassistance in serving nontraditionalstudents may not be in the best long-terminterests of these students.

The counseling rind development oftalented Hispanic high school studentsshould not be a new concern for educators.As professionals deeply committed to thetwin goals of quality and equality, alleducators should be concerned with thecounseling and development not only ofHispanic students, but of all students.

However, schools should also realizethat the changing demographic situation inthis country makes the development of

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initiatives one of self-interest. Whatschools once considered nontraditionalpopulations may no longer be nontraditional.For example, in the Los Angeles IndependentSchool District, Hispanics represented 54percent of the 1980 elementary slhoolenrollment, almost double the 28 percentfigure of 1974 (Estrada, 1983). Hodgkinson

(1903) contends that:

By 1990, minorities of all ageswill constitute 20 to 25% of ourtotal population, while theirpercentage among youth cohorts will

be over 30 percent (it is 26percent today). In some states,

particularly Texas and California,minorities will be over 45 percent

of the state birth cohort. It is

difficult to deliberately avoid theeducational needs of 45 percent ofa state's youth. (p.4)

Even though some may do so, it will be verydifficult for educators from areas such asthe ones mentioned above to neglect theeducational needs of the majority of theirstudents, even if they are minority. There

is simply too much at stake, not onlyeducationally, but economically,politically, and socially as well. Thestate of Texas, for example, is presentlyseeking to comply with a federal court order

to develop and implement programs 'xiincrease the number of black and Hispanicstudent"; admitted to and graduated frompublic colleges and universities.

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Individui.la and systems often encounter

difficulties in accepting and accommodatingchanges in the environment that encempaasesthem. It is recognised that certain schoolsystems in this countr7 will experience somaturmoil as they adapt to higher enrollmentsof so-called nontraditional populations. Ofcourse, some systems will adapt. Without toomany problems, in part because they have hadthe leadership and vision to plan andprepare adequately.

The counseling of Hispanic college -boundstudents should be approached in the samevein. For the process to produce results,such as a larger number of Hispanicocompleting high school and entering college,leadership is needed. It is a leadershipthat, in some cases, can be provided only bycounselors.

The ability and desire to assume thisleadership role are key factors. This paperand others like it can help counselorsacquire the expertise or ability to develop

strategies ar3 procedures for the counselingof Hispanic college-bound students. Thedesire to do so, however, is an individualcharacteristic that at times is influencedby external circumstances, but morefrequently comes from within. It is thisinternal decision maw by individuals in thecounseling profession, and in allprofessions, that lay the foundation forthe success or failure of any actions taken.

References

Academic preparation for college: Whatstudents need to know and be able to do.(1983). New York, NY: College Board

Publications. (ERIC Document ReproductionService No. ED 232 517)

Arce, Carlos H. (1982). The status ofhigher education of Hispanics. TestimonyPrepared for the Hearings on HispanicAccess to Higher Education Before theSubcommittee on Postsecondary Educationof the Committee on Education and Labor.House of Representatives, 97th Cong.,1st Sess., September 16, 1982.

Astin, A. (1982). Minorities in Americanhigher education. San Francisco, CA:Josey-Bass. (ERIC Document ReproductionService No. ED 219 985)

Belkin, G. S. (1975). Practical counselingin the schools. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. BrownCo.

Brown, G. H., Rosen, N. L., Hill, S. T., &Olives, M. P.. (1980). The condition ofeducation for Hispanic Americans.Washington, DC: National Center forEducation Statistics. (ERIC DocumentReproduction Service No. ED 188 853)

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Career information enu Hispanic high school

students. (1982). Washington, DC:National Council of La Rasa.

Caskey, 0. L. (1967). Guidance .seeds of

Mexican American youth: An introduction.

In Guidance Needs of Mexican American Youth.

Lubbock, TX: Southwest Educational

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Castille, N. A., Payan, R. M., & Peterson,

R. E. (1984). Access to college forMexican Americans in the southwest:Replication after 10 years. New York, NYu

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Christensen, B. IL ;1975). ^ounaeling

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our children. East Lansing, MI: Michigan

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Estrada, L. F. (1983, April) The dynamicgrowth and dispersion of the Latinopopulation. Paper presented at theSouthwest Regional Forum, San Diego, CA.

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Hernandez, D. (1970). Mexican Americanchallenge to a sacred cow. Los Angeles, CA:Aztlan Publications, University ofCi ifornia.

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