Clark County School District’s English Language Learners An Analysis of Enrollment, Educational Opportunities, and Outcomes in Nevada and CCSD

As the largest school district in Nevada and the fifth-largest school district in the country, Clark County School District (CCSD) served approximately 310,000 students in 341 schools during the 2010-2011 school year. Typical of urban districts, more than half of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and 68 percent are students of color. Many schools are located in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty, as well as racial and linguistic isolation (Terriquez, Flashman & Schuler-Brown 2009). Also, the patterns of enrollment show dramatic increases in the proportions of English language learners (ELLs) in CCSD over the last two decades

The Educational Experience of Young Men of Color: A Review of Research, Pathways and Progress

This report synthesizes the literature on high school, postsecondary pathways, and higher education for African American, Asian Amerian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American and Alaska Native males. The result is a set of findings that are in common among these groups, as well as a number of distinct challenges and opportunities for each

America's Hispanic Children: Gaining Ground, Looking Forward

The purpose of the study was to "widen the lens" by highlighting the positive trends among Hispanic youth. More young Latino children are enrolling in center-based care programs which are more likely to be of a higher educational quality than home-based care and other alternatives. Other highlights include Latino students posting solid gains on national assessments in key subject areas, more Latinos than ever before earning a high school diploma, and a record number of Hispanics enrolling in two- or four-year colleges. A greater sense of responsibility among Latino youth was also revealed in the study, indicated by falling teen pregnancy rates -- declines have been greater in the last four years for Latinas than other ethnic groups -- and a decrease in smoking and binge drinking habits among high school seniors. Latino teens' use of technology is also promising. While less likely to own a cell phone than their peers, they are avid users of smartphones and tablets. The Pew Research Center Hispanic Trends Project reported Hispanics are the only group to see poverty rates decline and incomes increase, but despite these gains, Hispanics have the largest number of people living in poverty when compared with other minority groups. "Nearly one-third of Latino children live below the poverty line, and a roughly equal share, while not poor by official definition, has family incomes just adequate to meet basic needs," the Child Trends study states

Suspended Education: Urban Middle Schools in Crisis

Examines the rise in school suspensions; their effectiveness; the widening racial/ethnic discipline gap, especially for African-American boys; and the impact of suspensions on academic success and likelihood of incarceration. Makes policy recommendations

Why Students Drop Out of School: A Review of 25 Years of Research

Reviews research on the underlying causes of the high school dropout crisis -- individual and institutional characteristics that predict whether a student is likely to drop out of high school. Discusses student engagement, deviance, and other models

Grit as a Predictor of Retention for First-Year Latino Students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution

ABSTRACT In 2016, Hispanic students comprised 19 percent of all college students in the US, an increase of 11 percent over the last twenty years, representing the fastest-growing demographic in higher education. Latino students are half as likely as white students to gain a bachelor’s degree, a gap that has been continuously widening since the 2000s. There has become an increased need for schools to create student success pathways for Latino students on college campuses. This study’s purpose was to contribute to the existing literature on Latino college students\u27 first-year retention by researching the relationship between grit and first-year retention at an HSI. A conceptual model was developed based on the theoretical framework of Tinto’s Student Departure Theory (1975) and Nora’s student/institutional engagement theory (2004), both of which highlight the theory that students who are engaged and feel as though they are part of the college community learn more, and in turn, positively affect their decision to persist from year to year. Combining these two theories with the concept of grit, the perseverance, and passion for long-term goals” (Duckworth et al., 2007), this study hypothesized that there would be a positive relationship between grit and first-year retention when controlling for all other factors at an HSI. It was thought that individuals with a higher grit score would have a greater likelihood of a first-year retention rate. This study found that there was no statistical significance between grit and first-year student retention. It was discovered that there was a significant relationship between retention and first-semester GPA. Recommendations for policy and practice and future research opportunities were provided for institutional leaders, policymakers, and practitioners. Keywords: Latino Students, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Retention, and Gri

Understanding the success factors for Latino males at two community colleges

textLatino males have one of the lowest college attainment rates among traditional college-aged students. Using a qualitative method, this study examined the experiences of Latino males at a South Central Texas Community College and a North Texas Community College. The proposed study utilized a qualitative design methodology, and a conceptual framework of Critical Theory as a lens to analyze the collected data. The study included, 1) Latino male student focus groups, 2) one-on-one administrator, faculty and staff interviews, 3) document analysis. The study answered two primary questions focusing on factors that influenced Latino males to attend and persist in community colleges. These firsthand accounts provided useful information for staff and community colleges interested in increasing the number of minority and Latino males in higher education. The study also attempts to advance discussion around the reality of the disappearing of Latino males in higher education. Using critical theory, this proposed research study explored relationships of factors that may involve inequities and power, and as Willis (2007), explains, a desirable aspect of critical research is to help those without power to acquire it. As such, data analysis is at the center of this study to understand factors associated to Latino male attendance and persistence at their community colleges.Educational Administratio

Identifying Early Warning Indicators for Improved High School Outcomes for Students

Over the last 100 years, the overwhelming majority of Americans have attended this nation’s public schools. There are clearly documented deleterious effects for students who do not successfully graduate from high school. Further, scholars and practitioners have recognized the adverse impacts on communities and the economy. Unfortunately, Colorado youth persistently have graduated at lower rates than the national average. The information yielded from this study can assist school leaders who wish to identify middle school students at risk of not graduating on time in order to provide an intervention that will set them on a path to graduation. This study provides an extensive secondary data analysis of a cohort of 1,268 students, following them from sixth grade through their high school outcomes. A binomial logistic regression approach was used to test individual performance factors for their correlation to the outcomes of graduating on time, dropping out, and being on track to graduate at the end of the ninth grade, including core subject grade point average, chronic absence status, and the number of disciplinary incidents students experienced in each middle school year, sixth through eight. The moderation effect of student background factors was examined to determine their moderation effect on individual performance factors for each of the three outcomes. The variables studied were gender, free and reduced-price lunch status, race and ethnicity, disability status, and English language learner status. Three logistic regression models were tested, one for each grade level (sixth, seventh, and eighth), and this was repeated for each of the three outcome variables. The logistic regression models yielded significant results related to dropout status, graduating on time, and being on track in ninth grade. When the unique predictive value of core GPA, number of disciplinary incidents, and chronic absence status were analyzed within the models, core GPA was the single most significant variable. In the sixth grade, the number of disciplinary incidents experienced by students was also significantly associated with the odds of graduating on time. For the dropout status outcome, the background variable of race and ethnicity moderated the results favorably for students identified as White and less favorably for students identified as Hispanic or Latino. For the outcome of graduating on time, students identified as White benefited more than their non-White peers when their absences changed from chronic (absent 17 or more days of school) to non-chronic (absent less than 17 days of school) in sixth and eighth grades. Regarding the outcome of being on track at the end of the ninth grade, students identified as having a disability benefited more than their peers when their core GPA increased by a letter grade at all three grade levels. The implications of the findings from this study can provide specific guidance for school leaders in settings similar in size and demographics regarding which early warning indicators best predict the dependent variables of the study. Furthermore, school leaders can use the specific information about how each year of middle school is correlated with the early warning indicators, signaling that a student is off track for graduating on time and needs support and intervention. This study can positively impact students by increasing the likelihood they are identified for and receive targeted support that sets them on a path to graduate from high school on time, resulting in lifetime benefits for students, communities, and the economy at large

High School Graduation and Dropout Rates in Nevada

The causes and consequences of high school dropout rates are multifaceted and of great importance to society, and that is why this problem has been the subject of close scrutiny by educators, researchers, administrators, politicians and laypersons. Experts do not always agree on the nature of this social problem, but they have pinpointed its economic and social costs, identified key risk factors, and outlined most promising policy options for improving high school graduation rates in our society

Factors Associated with Graduation among Latino Male High School Students

High dropout rates for minority students require additional educational research to understand and implement changes that will increase graduation rates. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine factors that may be associated with graduation for Latino male students. Guided by Tinto\u27s work, which holds that students remain in school when they feel academically or socially connected to an institution, this study addressed the impact of social factors, academic factors, and small learning communities (SLCs) on graduation rates. The research study used archival data and bivariate logistic regression to analyze the data for Latino male participants (n = 208) at an urban southern California high school. Results indicated that grade-point average (GPA), the number of suspensions, and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) may be significant factors associated with graduation rates of the Latino male students. Implications for social change include an increase in support for programs such as AVID, a greater number of tutoring and mentoring programs to help students increase their GPA, and school policies that address discipline without increasing the number of suspensions. Students benefit most from obtaining a high school diploma. Graduation can assist students to have more opportunities in their own lives. Increasing student-graduation rates increases self-reliance and the ability for students to contribute to their own communities