Institutional Support

The most complicated and time-consuming form of special assistance that most Hispanic students require ultimately is the organizational commitment of the schools themselves. Both administrative and faculty support are essential to address the special linguistic, social, emotional, and academic needs of these students and their families that are determinative of their scholastic achievements. Faculty understandably recognize the importance of adopting new pedagogical competencies designed to meet Hispanic students’ needs rather than simply relying on the general knowledge and skills that were demonstrably appropriate with non-Hispanic students in other settings.

Effective teaching of Hispanics requires organizational commitment to create the institutional capacity and will that support development of the faculty skills and knowledge intended to serve Hispanic students. Changes in classroom practice must be compatible with changes in policy suited to the nature of student diversity. Importantly, although instructional practices are vital, alone they are insufficient to serve all the academic needs of Hispanic students. Schools first must build organizational capacity to change as a prelude for achieving greater teaching effectiveness.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Idea Book entitled “Helping Hispanic Students Reach High Academic Standards” was created to foster collaboration between schools and communities designed to provide education that ensures all students with the opportunity to attain high academic standards. Though more than 20 years old, it is nonetheless relevant to today’s challenges because its comprehensive content was informed by the ideas and insights of various categories of practitioners and professionals involved with outstanding examples of high-quality education for Hispanic students.

Among the most significant ideas are the foundational elements recommended to establish institutional support for effectively interacting with Hispanic students.

These are:

“Effective, aligned, standards-based programs. Teaching, curricula, materials, tests, and instructional schedules are aligned and mutually reinforcing

Enhanced professional and organizational capacity. Schools must offer professional development geared to new demands on faculty skills and knowledge, adopt governance structures that enhance collective learning, acquire the equipment and materials they need to implement their programs, and adjust the school environment to support their work.

Engaged family and community resources. Effective schools for Hispanic students bring the resources of families and the broader community to bear on student success

Sturdy foundations for postsecondary options. Effective schools for Hispanic students keep paths to postsecondary options visible, attainable, and inviting.”

To the extent that collaborative strategies involving administrators, faculty, and parents can be formed, schools are more likely to surmount barriers posed by differences in student language, culture, and social class.

Many bona fide organizations have prepared material intended to build inclusion and belonging of Hispanic students through engaging class discussions and activities, as well as by outreach to parents. A few of these are identified. Note that the materials may be used without charge.

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Center for English Language Acquisition is a marvelous source of information and research-based teaching exercises that serve as a foundation for creating optimal learning conditions for newcomers who are learning the English language. Its Newcomer Toolkit is designed to assist faculty, administrators, and other school staff who work directly with newcomers and their families.

It is important to read the Introduction to become acquainted with the terminology and scope of the five chapters. The topics addressed include defining newcomers and providing appropriate welcomes to school environments, supporting their non-academic needs, offering quality education, and engaging with parents.

Each chapter includes:

“Discussion of topics relevant to understanding, supporting, and engaging newcomer students and their families or guardians;

Tools, research-based strategies, and examples of classroom and schoolwide practices in action;

Chapter-specific professional learning activities for use in staff meetings or professional learning communities; and

Selected resources for further information and assistance, most of which are available online at no cost.”

Colorín Colorado

For more than a decade, Colorín Colorado (CC) has been recognized by educators throughout the U.S. as a bountiful source of bilingual, research-based information, activities, and advice for English language learners (ELLs) and their families. It is an educational service of WETA, a public broadcasting station in Washington, D.C., and is the recipient of funding from the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association.

CC is a free, nonpartisan bilingual website that offers a wealth of multimedia materials, much of which is produced by its staff such as classroom videos, toolkits, multilingual tip sheets, newsletters, and social media. Lists of books, resources, and links to other web sites are provided. CC material is age-specific and organized by grades PreK-12.

Advice on educating ELLs is presented for teachers inexperienced with this type of student. Classroom tips from ELL experts are contained in 15 brief videos. It is noteworthy that web pages are available that assist parents to teach their ELL children to learn to read and by forming partnerships with school personnel to accomplish this learning.

To become acquainted with the contents of this vast collection of material, it is recommended that the set of program menus heading each page be explored.

Discussion Questions

The number of Hispanic young people attending high school and college in America is increasing. Why do you think that this is so?
What are some of the difficulties that face many Hispanic high school students that are not as much of a problem for non-Hispanic students? What can non-Hispanic students do to help Hispanic students overcome some of these difficulties?
What are Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs)? Ask Hispanic students why they would want to attend an HSI.
What kinds of assistance are available to Hispanic students who want to attend college?

Additional Resources

Making It: Latino Students’ Pathway to College is a wonderful video funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences that carefully presents the special issues that confront Hispanic high school students. Importantly, educators at César Chávez Academy High School in Detroit point out the types of special support and training that is necessary to fully prepare Hispanic students to be ready for the experiences of a college education.

The U.S. Census bureau has prepared a very readable 2023 report entitled “Significant Educational Strides by Young Hispanic Population.” The topics covered include the increasing level of educational attainment, especially college enrollment, and educational differences between Hispanic origin groups.

Of the many websites that list sources of financial support for Hispanic students applying for college, two that are respected and reliable are identified below.

Two provocative articles describe the importance of understanding and reinforcing cultural context in classroom learning. Teach for America (a nonprofit organization devoted to elimination of educational inequity) published ”Understanding the Diversity of Latinx Identities Helps Customize Learning.” Culturally responsive teaching (using student characteristics, experience, and perspectives as tools for better classroom instruction) and culturally sustaining pedagogy (views schools as places where the cultural ways of being in communities of color are sustained, rather than eradicated) should guide teachers’ approach to connecting and customizing learning for students. EducationWeek’s “What Is Culturally Responsive Teaching?” elaborates the thesis that cultural differences should be viewed as potential assets rather than barriers in teaching students of color. The article contains a brief useful video.

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