Educational disconnect hurts Latinos says Pew

Most young Latinos believe that a college education is vital yet only half aspire to get a bachelor's degree according to a study released by the Pew Hispanic Center (PHC).

The PHC report released on Wednesday gave several reasons why the educational aspirations of Latino students don’t tend to correspond to reality. Chief among these was cited by nearly three out of four respondents who said that their educational plans were cut short by family obligations. Despite most parents’ belief that going to college is "the most important thing…to do right after high school," nearly three in five young Latinos claimed that parents need to play a “more active role” in their children’s education.

Other factors cited by the nearly 2000 respondents in the PHC survey included language and foreign-born Latino students:

Diversity among the young Latino population further complicates educational achievement. The survey found that foreign-born students, who compose 35 percent of Latino youths, are much more likely to drop out of high school or abandon higher education. Only 20 percent of foreign-born Latinos pursue school after age 18, the survey found.

Most of these students are in English as a Second Language programs in public schools. Richard Fry, a Pew Hispanic Center senior research associate, said this group was becoming increasingly isolated.

"They're increasingly going to school with themselves," Fry said. "They're not really upset about the institutions educating them. ... It presents a dilemma."

Mark Lopez- the study’s author- hopes that the report can change negative and false perceptions about Latinos not aspiring for a greater education as well as guide schools on how they can work with students' families.

Image- Denver Post (“Todd Legge, who teaches "Spanish for Spanish Speakers" at (Colorado’s) Jefferson High School, helps Carmen Gomez, 16, left, and Jose Luevano, 17.”)
Online Sources- Pew Research Center, McClatchy, USA TODAY, mydeseret.com