Empowering Latine Students: Unveiling the Role of High School College Counseling Support

Conference Strand

Practice, Strategies, Techniques, and Interventions

Abstract

A high school college center and counselor are important especially for Latine students in their college journey. The themes learned from interviewing Latine students were: the impact of the pandemic, the differences of a first-generation student who had family members who had attended college; and nonprofits and teachers' role in maintaining and entering in dialogue with the college adviser.

Description

  • Research has suggested that educators, including counselors, tend to espouse deficit thinking when it comes to their students (Cavazos et al., 2009; Martinez, 2003). However, Bishop and Noguera (2019) argued that the expectations for students of color and White students are very different. School counselors provide key resources for high school students to succeed in their educational careers and reverse the deficit thinking that exists. Vela-Gude et al. (2009) found that the high school participants were negatively impacted by insufficient advisement by their counselors. Stanton-Salazar’s (2011) definition, institutional agents include counselors, teachers, and other staff who can help students access resources and information. Stanton-Salazar argued that underserved students need institutional agents to help them navigate successful pathways in School. Those agents are counselors for this particular presentation. Latine students are the fastest growing population in the U.S. which has economical implications.

    This presentation will provide counselors ideas that come straight from socioeconomically disadvantaged Latine students about what has worked for them in terms of college advising and what has not. Students stated that they found the college center an important element of their college journey. The interviews were analyzed using LatCrit and using platica methodology. Some practical solutions are to use a peer counseling program, ensuring to use teachers as resources, and creating a social media presence.

    • Participants will be able to explore and analyze the impact of high school college centers on students' college journeys based on student feedback

    • Participants will be able to explore student ideas and experiences shared by socioeconomically disadvantaged Latine students regarding their college advising experience

    • Participants will be provided with actionable recommendations and resources for counselors to enhance their support of Latine students’ college journeys

Evidence

Bryan, J., Holcomb-McCoy, C., Moore-Thomas, C., & Day-Vines, N. L. (2009). Who sees the

school counselor for college information? A national study. Professional School

Counseling, 12(4), 280-291. doi:10.5330/PSC.n.2010-12.280

Bryan, J., Moore-Thomas, C., Day-Vines, N.L., & Holcomb-McCoy, C. (2011). School

counselors as social capital: The effects of high school college counseling on college

application rates. Journal of Counseling and Development, 89(2), 190-199.

https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2011.tb00077.x

McDonough, P. M. (1994). Buying and Selling Higher Education: The Social Construction of

the College Applicant. The Journal of Higher Education.

McDonough, P. M., Korn, J. S., & Yamasaki, E. (1997). Access, Equity, and the Privatization of

College Counseling. The Review of Higher Education, 20(3), 297-317.

McDonough, P. M. (1997). Choosing Colleges: How Social Class and Schools Structure

Opportunity. Albany: State University of New York Press.

McDonough, P M. (2004). The school-to-college transition: Challenges and prospects.

American Council on Education, Center for Policy Analysis.

McDonough, P. M. (2005a). Counseling and college counseling in America’s high schools.

National Association for College Admissions Counseling.

McDonough, P. M. (2005b). Counseling matters: Knowledge, assistance, and organizational

commitment in college preparation. In W. G. Tierney, Z. B. Corwin, & J. E. Colyar

(Eds.), Preparing for college: Nine elements of effective outreach (pp. 69-87). State

University of New York Press.

Format

Individual Presentations

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Maritza Cha, Ph.D., M.Ed. graduated from Garfield High School in East Los Angeles and became the first in her family to attend and graduate from college, the University of California, Los Angeles. She graduated in 2005 with two Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and History, with a minor in Education. UCLA was so nice she went there twice, earning a Master’s Degree in Education, as well as a teaching credential, from UCLA’s Teacher Education Program in 2007. She taught social studies at her alma mater, Garfield High School for 4 years. In 2010, Dr. Cha and several colleagues designed and launched a pilot school within the Los Angeles Unified School District – Social Justice Leadership Academy at Esteban Torres High School. Dr. Cha then decided to work towards her lifelong dream of becoming a college counselor. Dr. Cha earned her second Master’s Degree, a counseling credential and child welfare and attendance credential, from Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2015. Dr. Cha worked as a school counselor for 8 years. Dr. Cha completed her PhD at Claremont Graduate University in Education, Urban Leadership. Dr. Cha has presented about school counseling topics at the national, state and local level including, NACAC, ASCA, WACAC, ACES and in the future will be presenting at AERA. Dr. Cha co-authored a book chapter named “Servant Leadership: School Counseling During the Pandemic.” Dr. Maritza Cha currently is a National School Counselor Fellow and part of the Professional School Counseling Emerging Scholars Fellow Program. Her educational focus is on college advising, Latine students and undocumented students

Location

Room 145

Start Date

3-8-2024 2:05 PM

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
Mar 8th, 2:05 PM

Empowering Latine Students: Unveiling the Role of High School College Counseling Support

Room 145

A high school college center and counselor are important especially for Latine students in their college journey. The themes learned from interviewing Latine students were: the impact of the pandemic, the differences of a first-generation student who had family members who had attended college; and nonprofits and teachers' role in maintaining and entering in dialogue with the college adviser.