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##  Strategies for Improving the Educational Outcomes of Latinas. ERIC              Digest.                                                                      

The educational experiences of Latinas are challenged by the high               rate of poverty in their communities, the learning problems caused              by a lack of English language proficiency, racism, and sexual                   harassment (Ginorio & Huston, 2001). Despite such obstacles, many               Latinas persist and achieve in school, and the number of Latinas in             college has been steadily increasing, although their rate is still              much lower than that of their white counterparts. Some Latinas                  return to school to pursue a higher education in adulthood after                their children require less supervision or at their employers'                  urging (S. Saez, Educational Testing Service, personal                          communication, September 2001). Others of high school or college age            may have great difficulty in reconciling their belief in the                    necessity of getting an effective education with the tenet in the               Hispanic community that they put family obligations first. As a                 consequence, some Latina adolescents may drop out of school and                 engage in other self-defeating behaviors, like getting pregnant,                that affect their futures even more adversely. However Latinas                  manage the stresses in their lives, the result is that they lag                 behind other ethnic groups on most academic and economic measures of            success, and suffer disproportionally from emotional                            disorders (Ginorio & Huston, 2001; The State of Hispanic Girls,                 1999). 
With guidance from educators, though, all Latina                       adolescents can make self-fulfilling choices. There are dozens of               in-school and after-school programs, many involving their families,             that are working successfully with Latinas (see Slavin & Calderon,              2001, and White House Initiative, 2000, for descriptions of such                programs). But it is also important that the school generally is                sensitive to Hispanic culture, accounts for the wide-ranging                    constraints of poverty, and meets the learning and developmental                needs of Latinas to promote their academic achievement. This digest             presents a range of strategies that schools serving Latinas can                 employ. The strategies will likely be most relevant for Latinas                 whose families have been in the U.S. for only a few generations, are            poor, less fluent in English, and more culturally isolated, although            all Latinas can benefit from them. UNIQUE CHALLENGES FOR LATINA               STUDENTSSome of the challenges facing Latinas in their efforts              to achieve are common to all students from poor and/or immigrant                backgrounds. Their families may lack the communication skills,                  knowledge, and experience to take advantage of educational,                     cultural, and social opportunities; and they may not have been able             to foster development of school readiness skills. Equally important,            the short-term economic needs of the family may supersede the                   desires of parents to support their children's long-term education              goals (Ginorio & Huston, 2001). 
Additional challenges to Latinas'             education outcomes ironically relate more directly to their strong              and rich Hispanic culture. The belief that the welfare of the                   family (and community) supersedes individual aspirations is fairly              fixed in the various Hispanic communities. It can cause adolescents             to drop out in order to bring another much needed paycheck into the             household. It might also dampen Latinas' efforts to succeed in the              classroom if achievement requires competition rather than                       cooperation with other students. Further, Latina adolescents often              assume adult roles in their homes; their families expect them to do             housework and take care of their elders and siblings, and, if                   needed, to serve as interpreters and intermediaries when contact                with the outside world must be made (i.e., at medical appointments,             job interviews, social service agency meetings). Premature adulthood            can lead Latinas to feel ready for marriage and motherhood before               completing their education (Ginorio & Huston, 2001; Valdivieso &                Nicolau, 1992; Weiler, 2000). 
Finally, Latinas are least likely               among population groups to take advantage of physical and mental                health care services. Despite the turmoil that may plague their                 lives, poverty, a lack of local Spanish-speaking providers and a                cultural bias against asking outsiders for help conspire to prevent             them from seeking services (The State of Hispanic Girls,                        1999). SPECIAL SCHOOL SUPPORTSIn general, schools need to                 communicate that Hispanic culture is valued and to integrate it into            programs and services that help ameliorate the differences between              school and home. Schools also need to individually tailor the                   supports they offer Latinas and their families to accommodate their             diverse needs and perspectives (Weiler, 2000). SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS            FOR LATINASSchool staff members need to convey the message that             all students are expected to graduate and to succeed academically.              More specifically, they can help Latinas understand how it is                   possible to value familial interdependence without subverting                   personal goals because individual achievement not only reflects well            on their community but can be materially beneficial to others as                well. 
Educators can work with Latinas to integrate the possibly               contradictory demands of their community with their personal desires            for the future. If they understand that some Latinas want to have               large families, and place particular value on a traditional female              social role, they can better help them set goals and make a                     practical life plan that includes first pursuing a higher education             and then building a family. School staff especially need to help                these students prepare for an educational future without the                    interference of their own bias and advanced education; some students            should be prepared for higher and advanced education, but all of                them should be helped to complete high school and to appreciate the             value of some form of postsecondary and higher education, even if               attending college needs to be delayed (Ginorio & Huston, 2001;                  Kitano, 1998; Valdivieso & Nicolau, 1992). 
Schools can help                   Latinas develop the contacts and access the community resources                 which will increase their opportunities for future fulfillment and              are readily available to their more advantaged peers. They can                  introduce students to Latina role models who demonstrate the                    transcendent value of an education and represent a range of viable              careers. And they can invite recruiters who will discuss their                  colleges' benefits for Latinas, such as culturally-sensitive                    programs and educational supports and financial aid                             packages (Ginorio & Huston, 2001). EDUCATIONAL                                STRATEGIESSchools can facilitate Latinas' learning and increase             their feelings of attachment to the school community by providing               the educational services needed to ensure their educational                     preparedness and by developing a fully multicultural curriculum. The            presence of Latino staff members can increase the students' comfort             level through an innate understanding of their lives. Schools can               accommodate Latinas' inclination toward cooperative learning and                encourage them to create study groups to enhance learning, combat               feelings of isolation, and be a place for sharing feelings about                cultural dissonance (Ginorio & Huston, 2001; Weiler, 2000; White                House Initiative, 2000). 
To help Latinas broaden their choices,               schools should evaluate them for special talents and place them in              classes that prepare them for higher education and teach higher                 order job skills, whatever their degree of English fluency. But,                ultimately, schools must ensure that students master the English                language as they also acknowledge the value of Spanish language                 proficiency (Valdivieso & Nicolau, 1992). PROVISION OF ANCILLARY              SERVICESSchools need to create an environment where students                believe that their requests for help to support their persistence               will receive a positive response. For example, schools can                      accommodate the needs of students who must be absent for                        family-related reasons (i.e., care for siblings, translation                    services for adults). Even better, they might work with families to             find a community resource to draw upon instead of their daughters.              Using the Spanish language can facilitate staff communication with              students and their families whose English is limited and help staff             provide necessary services. 
Schools can help Latinas access                   community health services. While a sex education                                curriculum (especially if it covers contraception) can be                       controversial, teaching "refusal skills" can help adolescents                   withstand the social pressure to become sexually active. Latinas in             particular may benefit from a school or community source for                    information, given Hispanic cultural or religious reticence to deal             with the topic. Couching a discussion on sexuality in a curriculum              on general women's health can be a way to cover the subject while               still respecting community values. Providing pregnant students with             on-site medical care and parenting classes can increase their school            persistence, as can providing day care for students with                        children (Ginorio & Huston, 2001; The State of Hispanic Girls; 1999;            Valdivieso & Nicolau, 1992; White House Initiative, 2000). PARENT             INVOLVEMENTSchools need to appreciate that while Latino families            want their daughters to have a good education, many have immediate              problems to solve that may supersede that desire, personal histories            of being failed by U.S. institutions, and a tradition of preparing              males and females for very different roles. Educators can explore               with parents the idea that making an investment in their children's             education--not only a financial contribution, but time for regular              school attendance and homework--may be extremely worthwhile for both            their sons and daughters (Kitano, 1998). Recommending that parents              talk with their daughters about sex and family planning might be                even more contentious, but family support for postponing motherhood             might encourage Latinas to complete school first (Valdivieso &                  Nicolau, 1992). 
Schools can provide families with useful benefits:            English language instruction and other on-site services for adults,             such as job counseling (Ginorio & Huston, 2001). Helping families               acquire the assistance they are entitled to (i.e., food stamps,                 health insurance) can help keep their children in school since the              need for an additional income often forces families to withdraw                 their children from school as soon as they are old enough to work.              In fact, referrals to culturally sensitive and bilingual community              services of all types can increase the probability that families                will use them to support their efforts to keep their children in                school (White House Initiative, 2000). 
Involving parents in the               school is a particularly good way to increase their commitment to               their children's education. Inviting them to functions, asking for              their input on curriculum and activities, and suggesting specific               ways that they can promote their children's learning and avail                  themselves of free educational resources in the community, can                  benefit the school as well as the family. Providing information                 about community colleges--which are close to home, have flexible                schedules, and relatively affordable fees--can encourage families to            consider the viability of a higher education for their                          children (Ginorio & Huston, 2001). REFERENCESGinorio, A., &               Huston, M. (2001). Si se puede! Yes, we can. Latinas in school.                 Washington, DC: American Association of University Women Educational            Foundation. (ED 452 330) 
Kitano, M.K. (1998, Winter). Gifted                  Latina woman. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 21(2),                   131-59. (EJ 562 615) 
Slavin, R.E., & Calderon, M. (Eds). (2001).              Effective programs for Latino students. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. (ED 452            323) 
The state of Hispanic girls. (1999). Washington, DC: National            Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Service Organizations. (ED               439 166) 
Valdivieso, R., & Nicolau, S. (1992). Look me in the eye:            A Hispanic cultural perspective on school reform. Washington, DC:               U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and                Improvement. (ED 362 342) 
Weiler, J.D. (2000). Codes and                      contradictions: Race, gender identity, and schooling. Albany: State             University of New York Press. (ED 441 917) 
White House Initiative             on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. (2000). What works            for Latino youth (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Author. (ED 446                     196) 
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This Digest was developed by the ERIC Clearinghouse              on Urban Education, with funding from the Office of Educational                 Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under                   contract no. ED-99-CO-0035.  The opinions in this Digest do not                 necessarily reflect the position or policies of OERI or the                     Department of Education.                                                     **Title:** Strategies for Improving the Educational Outcomes of Latinas. ERIC              Digest.                                                                      **Note:** Number 167.                                                                  **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education, Institute for Urban and                  Minority Education, Box 40, Teachers College, Columbia University,              New York, NY 10027. Tel: 800-601-4868 (Toll Free). For full text:               http://www.eric-web.tc.columbia.edu.                                         **Descriptors:**  Academic Achievement, Academic Persistence, Adolescents, Cultural              Differences, Cultural Pluralism,  Females,  Hispanic American                   Students, Parent Participation, School Role, Secondary Education,               Teacher Expectations of Students                                             **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests,  Latinas                                                       
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