Traditional Approaches to Hispanic Academic Success

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

Wes Montoya, Denver Public SchoolsFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Denver Public Schools

Second Presenter's Institution

N/A

Third Presenter's Institution

N/A

Fourth Presenter's Institution

N/A

Fifth Presenter's Institution

N/A

Location

Sloane

Strand #1

Academic Achievement & School Leadership

Strand #2

Family & Community

Relevance

Hispanic students typically relate well to family, their culture, and traditional values. Traditional approaches in regard to cultural and values should be considered and applied to reach Hispanic students to help them grow and achieve academically.(Academic Achievement) “La familia” is important to the Hispanic cultures and treating Hispanic students the way the family and their community treats and teaches students should be extended to the school classroom. (Family and Community)

Brief Program Description

Educators want to help all students to be successful. Many Hispanic students drop out of school or become disengaged. Educators and other professionals often want strategies that will help Hispanic students stay in school and graduate. This presentation will discuss traditional approaches and strategies that participants can use to keep Hispanic students engaged in school and graduate.

Summary

As a person of Hispanic descent, this presenter has worked with at-risk Hispanic youth throughout his 25 years in education. This presentation will give effective strategies to participants who want to be successful in teaching students of Hispanic heritage. He will also be providing several methods and strategies to participants that motivate and inspire Hispanic students that will help keep them in school. The presentation will discuss the traditions that Hispanic families often follow in order to teach their children and in this process discuss how students of Hispanic heritage learn to become successful adults.

Information such as how to build relationships with Hispanic students and families, providing Hispanic students with a family-like atmosphere in the classroom, providing students with challenges and assisting in their growth without providing the answers, and allowing for the student the process of discovery on his or her own will all be included. Participants will be able to learn strategies that can be used to motivate Hispanic students and learn why Hispanic students tend to drop out of school. The presentation will also discuss the ways in which some strategies educators use turn Hispanic students away from wanting to continue education. Participants will learn how educators’ own biases, approaches, and misunderstandings of culture push students away and discourage Hispanic students from learning. The presentation will discuss how something as simple as a teacher mispronouncing a student’s name or telling students how not to speak and act are approaches that may prevent the academic success of Hispanic students. The presentation will also examine the negative effects of teachers who believe that students who do not speak English are not able to learn as well as English speaking students. Providing strategies and methods to participants that help Hispanic students stay in school will likely increase the number of Hispanic students who graduate and are post-secondary college and career ready.

Handouts with the information discussed will also be provided.

Evidence

The following evidence supports this presentation.

Miranda, et al., (2007) found “Student Success Skills” vital to overall academic success for Hispanic students to be, creating a caring, supportive, and providing an encouraging classroom.

A report from the Hispanic Outlook on Higher Education (2004) on Nurturing Hispanic Success found basic strategies teachers should do to foster Hispanic student success. The report states, “create an inclusive and welcoming classroom atmosphere, build rapport with their students and foster student bonds” (McGlynn, 2004; Saavedra & Saavedra, 2007). The study focused on particular strategies that teachers of Hispanic students can do to ensure students are successful. Saavedra and Saavedra (2007) state “it is particularly important to know each student’s name and be able to express how much we care about them as human beings. Make eye contact, smile, and the use of other positive nonverbals are essential in creating a safe communication climate for Hispanic students. Verbally we affirm their participation, and we get to know their stories, their opinions, and their challenges.”

Contreras, a researcher from University of Washington, stated in an interview with Colorín Colorado (2010) that there are several things Hispanic students need in order to be successful. She says the most important thing is to believe that Hispanic students can achieve. Making positive comments on papers, taking the time to critique work, not dismissing students ability by assuming students don't want to or cannot go to college or graduate, and relate to parents on a more personal level, as partners (Martinez, DeGarmo, & Eddy, 2004). Contreras (2010) says that planning and sharing goals “sends the message that the student can achieve that goal, that going to college is absolutely an expectation they should have, and that the decisions the student makes will affect whether the goal is met”

A report from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (2007) on Hispanic student success found factors such as recognizing the importance of family and community connections to Hispanic students and work to replicate the networks of support that are typical of Hispanic families and communities. The report also found that institutions need to listen carefully to Hispanic students to determine their distinctive needs and experiences and schools need to make an explicit commitment to serving Hispanic students an integral and visible element of the mission, strategic plan, and public messages as vital elements of student success.

Biographical Sketch

Wes Montoya, PhD is currently working as the principal at the Gilliam Youth Detention Center in Denver Public Schools in Denver Colorado. Dr. Montoya has worked with youth at-risk, primarily Latino students, for more than 25 years. As a teacher he taught math, science, and social studies to students sixth through twelfth grade. Dr. Montoya has been a Dean of Students and an assistant principal in both low and high performing schools with free and reduced lunch (FRL) populations as high as 100%. As a principal he currently works in a youth detention center that serves nearly 800 students each year, of which 80% are students of color. Dr. Montoya also worked at the Colorado Department of Education as a Title I Senior Consultant where he visited school districts and was a resource on how to best use Title I funds. He completed his BA at Adams State College, Alamosa CO, MA at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO and his PhD at the University of Denver, Denver CO. Dr. Montoya can be contacted at Wesley_Montoya(at)dpsk12.org.

Keyword Descriptors

Hispanics, academic success, traditional approaches, culture, motivation

Presentation Year

2017

Start Date

3-7-2017 1:00 PM

End Date

3-7-2017 2:15 PM

Recommended Citation

Montoya, Wes, "Traditional Approaches to Hispanic Academic Success" (2017). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 46.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2017/2017/46