The Varied College Pathways of Latino Young Adults: A Narrative Study of Empowerment Theory

Abstract

School counselors are uniquely positioned to promote college going and improve lagging postsecondary matriculation for Latino men. Hipolito-Delgado and Lee’s empowerment framework guided this narrative inquiry to consider how school counselors (dis)empower Latinos via (in)access to college-going information. Findings revealed that participants experienced clear pathways or prohibitive roadblocks through the actions of school counselors as gatekeepers. Implications for school counseling practice and future research are situated within recommendations for creating more equitable college pathways.

Keywords

access to education empowerment theory Latinos school counseling social justice

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Acevedo-Gil

(2019). College-going facultad: Latinx students anticipating postsecondary institutional obstacles. Journal of Latinos & Education, 18, 107–125. doi:10.1080/15348431.2017.1371019

Allen

T. O.

(2016). Managing expectations and striving to succeed: A portrait of a Latino male student’s experience in an early college high school. Journal of Applied Research in the Community College, 23, 93–105.

Allen

T. O.

Sáenz

V. B.

Arámbula Turner

Yamamura

E. K.

(2016). Increasing Latina/o student success: Examining culturally responsive college-readiness in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Journal of School Leadership, 26, 153–182. doi:10.1177/105268461602600106

American School Counselor Association. (2014). ASCA mindsets & behaviors for student success: K-12 college- and career-readiness standards for every student. Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association.

American School Counselor Association. (2015). The school counselor and cultural diversity. ASCA Position Statements. Retrieved from https://schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/PositionStatements/PS_CulturalDiversity.pdf

American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association. Retrieved from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf

American School Counselor Association. (2019). ASCA school counselor professional standards & competencies. Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association. Retrieved from https://schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/home/SCCompetencies.pdf

Ashkenas

Park

Pearce

(2017, August 24). Even with affirmative action, blacks and hispanics are more underrepresented at top colleges than 35 years ago. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/24/us/affirmative-action.html

Arámbula Turner

(2016). Caballeros making capital gains in college: The role of social capital in first-year persistence at a predominantly white 4-year institution. In Sáenz

Ponjuan

Figueroa

J. L.

(Eds.), Ensuring the success of Latino males in higher education (pp. 152–173). Sterling, VA: Stylus.

10.

Betters-Bubon

J. J.

Schultz

J. W.

(2018). School counselors as social justice leaders: An innovative school–family–community partnership with Latino students and families. Professional School Counseling, 21, 1–11. doi:10.1177/2156759X18773601

11.

Bogdan

Biklen

S. K.

(2003). Qualitative research for education: An introduction to theory and methods (5th ed.). London, England: Pearson.

12.

Carillo

J. F.

(2016). I grew up straight ‘hood: Unpacking the intelligences of working-class Latino male college students in North Carolina. Equity and Excellence in Education, 49, 157–169. doi:10.1080/10665684.2015.1086247

13.

Carnevale

A. P.

Strohl

(2013). Separate and unequal: How higher education reinforces the intergenerational reproduction of white racial privilege. Retrieved from https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/separate-unequal/

14.

Carr

E. S.

(2003). Rethinking empowerment theory using a feminist lens: The importance of process. Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work, 18, 8–20.

15.

Clark

M. A.

Ponjuan

Orrock

Wilson

Flores

(2013). Support and barriers for Latino male students’ educational pursuits: Perceptions of counselors and administrators. Journal of Counseling & Development, 91, 458–466. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6676.2013.00118.x

16.

Denzin

N. K.

Lincoln

Y. S

. (Eds.). (2000). Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

17.

Deruy

(2016, June 7). Where calculus class isn’t an option. Students of color are less likely to have access to advanced courses. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/06/where-calculus-class-isnt-an-option/485987/

18.

Duncan

Lhamon

C. E.

(2014). Civil rights data collection data snapshot: Teacher equity. Retrieved from https://ocrdata.ed.gov/Downloads/CRDC-Teacher-Equity-Snapshot.pdf

19.

Engberg

M. E.

Gilbert

A. J.

(2014). The counseling opportunity structure: Examining correlates of four-year college-going rates. Research in Higher Education, 55, 219–244. doi:10.1007/s11162-013-9309-4

20.

Engberg

M. E.

Wolniak

G. C.

(2010). Examining the effects of high school contexts on postsecondary enrollment. Research in Higher Education, 51, 132–153. doi:10.1007/s11162-009-9150-y

21.

Freire

(1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York, NY: Herder & Herder.

22.

Gonzalez

L. M.

Borders

L. D.

Hines

E. M.

Villalba

J. A.

Henderson

(2013). Parental involvement in children’s education: Considerations for school counselors working with Latino immigrant families. Professional School Counseling, 16, 185–193. doi:10.1177/2156759X1701600303

23.

Gutierrez

L. M.

(1995). Understanding the empowerment process: Does consciousness make a difference. Social Work Research, 19, 229–237.

24.

Harris

(2018, April 18). When disadvantaged students overlook elite colleges. Many poor, minority high-schoolers don’t apply to top institutions even though they could get in—A decision that can have lasting consequences. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/04/when-disadvantaged-students-overlook-elite-colleges/558371/

25.

Hipolito-Delgado

Lee

(2007). Empowerment theory for the professional school counselor: A manifesto for what really matters. Professional School Counseling, 10, 327–332. doi:10.1177/2156759X0701000401

26.

Huerta

A. H.

McDonough

P. M.

Allen

W. R

. (2018). “You can go to college”: Employing a developmental perspective to examine how young men of color construct a college-going identity. The Urban Review, 50, 713–734. doi:10.1007/s11256-018-0466-9

27.

Jacquette

Salazar

(2018, April 13). Colleges recruit at richer, whiter high schools. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/04/13/opinion/college-recruitment-rich-white.html

28.

Kang

Torres

D. G.

(2018). Study snapshot: College undermatching, degree attainment, and minority students. Paper presented at the American education research association, New York, NY.

29.

Lee

C. C.

(1991). Empowerment in counseling. Journal of Counseling & Development, 69, 229–230.

30.

Lyddon

W. J.

(1998). Social construction in counseling psychology: A commentary and critique. Counseling Psychology Quarterly, 11, 215–222.

31.

Martin

N. D.

Spenner

K. I.

Mustillo

S. A.

(2017). A test of leading explanations for the college racial-ethnic achievement gap: Evidence from a longitudinal case study. Research in Higher Education, 58, 617–645. doi:10.1007/s11162-016-9439-6

32.

Martinez

Jr Huerta

A. H

. (2018). Deferred enrollment: Chicano/Latino males, social mobility and military enlistment. Education and Urban Society. doi:10.1177/0013124518785021

33.

Maxwell

J. A.

(2005). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

34.

Melguizo

(2008). Quality matters: Assessing the impact of attending more selective institutions on college completion rates of minorities. Research in Higher Education, 49, 214–236.

35.

Meraji

S. M.

(2017, November 7). More than half of Latinos surveyed say applying to college wasn’t discussed with them. National Public Radio: All Things Considered. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2017/11/07/562619867/more-than-half-of-latinos-surveyed-say-applying-to-college-wasnt-discussed-with-

36.

Merriam

S. B.

Tisdell

E. J.

(2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (5th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

37.

Moreau

M. J.

(1990). Empowerment through advocacy and consciousness-raising: Implications of a structrual approach to social work. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 17, 53–67.

38.

Morgan

Amerikaner

. (2018). Funding gaps: An analysis of school funding equity across the U.S. and within each state. Washington, DC: The Education Trust. Retrieved from https://edtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/FundingGapReport_2018_FINAL.pdf

39.

Nelson

J. A.

Bustamante

Sawyer

Sloan

E. D.

(2015). Cultural competence and school counselor training: A collective case study. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 43, 221–235. doi:10.1002/jmcd.12016

40.

Ohrt

Lambie

Ieva

(2009). Supporting Latino and African-American students in advanced placement courses: A school counseling program’s approach. Professional School Counseling, 13, 59–63. doi:10.1177/2156759X0901300104

41.

Parikh

S. B.

Post

Flowers

(2011). Relationship between a belief in a just world and social justice advocacy attitudes of school counselors. Counseling and Values, 56, 57–72. doi:10.1002/j.2161-007X.2011.tb01031.x

42.

Perna

Rowan-Kenyon

Thomas

S. L.

Bell

Anderson

(2008). The role of college counseling in shaping college opportunity: Variations across high schools. The Review of Higher Education, 31, 131–159. doi:10.1353/rhe.2007.0073

43.

Peterson

N. A.

Hamme

C. L.

Speer

P. W.

(2002). Cognitive empowerment of African Americans and Caucasians: Differences in understanding of power, political functioning, and shaping ideology. Journal of Black Studies, 32, 336–351.

44.

Riessman

C. K.

(2008). Narrative methods for the human sciences. London, England: Sage.

45.

Rodriguez

Rhodes

Aguirre

(2015). Intervention for high school Latino students in preparing for college: Steps for consideration. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 14, 207–222. doi:10.1177/1538192714551369

46.

Rossman

G. B.

Rallis

S. F.

(1998). Learning in the field: An introduction to qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

47.

Sáenz

V. B.

Drake

A. P.

Garcia-Louis

Ryu

W. J.

Ponjuan

(2018). Conceptualizing latina/o college-going behavior in high school. Journal of College Access, 4, 20–39. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jca/vol4/iss1/4

48.

Sáenz

V. B.

Ponjuan

(2009). The vanishing Latino male in higher education. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 8, 54–89. doi:10.1177/1538192708326995

49.

Santiago

D. A.

Galdeano

E. C.

Taylor

(2015). The condition of Latinos in education: 2015 factbook. Retrieved from https://www.edexcelencia.org/research/publications/condition-latinos-education-2015-factbook

50.

Schak

J. O.

Nichols

A. H

. (2017). Degree attainment for Latino adults: National and state trends. Retrieved from https://edtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Latino-Degree-Attainment_FINAL_4-1.pdf

51.

Smith-Adcock

Daniels

Lee

Villalba

Indelicato

(2006). Culturally responsive school counseling for hispanic/Latino students and families: The need for bilingual school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 10, 92–101. doi:10.1177/2156759X0601000104

52.

Snodgrass Rangel

Arámbula Turner

. (2019). Structuring opportunity: Explaining college-going using a typology of school-level counseling resources and norms. Manuscript in preparation.

53.

Strauss

A. L.

Corbin

(1998). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

54.

University of Texas. (2019). Facts & figures. Retrieved from https://www.utexas.edu/about/facts-and-figures

55.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2018). Quick facts Texas. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/TX

56.

Valencia

R. R.

(2015). Students of color and the achievement gap. Systemic challenges, systemic tranformations. New York, NY: Routledge.

57.

Vega

Moore

J. L.

III Miranda

A. H.

(2015). In their own words: Perceived barriers to achievement by African American and Latino high school students. American Secondary Education, 43, 36–59.

58.

Vela-Gude

Cavazos

Jr Johnson

M. B.

Fielding

Cavazos

A. G.

Campos

Rodriguez

. (2009). “My counselors were never there”: Perceptions from Latino college students. Professional School Counseling, 12, 272–279. doi:10.1177/2156759X0901200407

59.

Venezia

(2005). Inequitable opportunities: How current education systems and policies undermine the chances for student persistence and success in college. Educational Policy, 19, 283–307. doi:10.1177/0895904804274054

60.

Welton

Martinez

M. A.

(2014). Coloring the college pathway: A more culturally responsive approach to college readiness and access for students of color in secondary schools. The Urban Review, 46, 197–223. doi:10.1007/s11256-013-0252-7

61.

Willen

(2018, July 17). After a tough but promising freshman year, dartmouth student tackles change at elite campuses. The Hechinger Report. Retrieved from https://hechingerreport.org/after-a-tough-but-promising-freshman-year-dartmouth-student-tackles-change-at-elite-campuses/

62.

Wolniak

G. C.

Engberg

M. E.

(2010). Academic achievement in the first year of college: Evidence of the pervasive effects of the high school context. Research in Higher Education, 51, 451–467. doi:10.1007/s11162-010-9165-4

63.

Yosso

T. J.

(2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race Ethnicity and Education, 8, 69–91. doi:10.1080/1361332052000341006

64.

Yosso

T. J.

(2006). Critical race counterstories along the Chicana/Chicano educational pipeline. New York, NY: Routledge.

65.

Zimmerman

M. A.

(1995). Psychological empowerment: Issues and illustrations. American Journal of Community Psychology, 23, 581–599.