Motivating Students for College
by Deirdre Newman, Freelance Investigative Reporter
Orange County is home to high-caliber universities like UC Irvine and Chapman. And, while many of the colleges and universities in the county draw from a local pool of students, there is quite a disparity among the cities in terms of residents with college degrees. The areas with the highest percentage are Newport Beach and Irvine, where about 58% of residents hold college degrees. But the statistics are not so sanguine in areas like Santa Ana or Stanton, where only about 10% of residents have graduated from college, according to a report released earlier this year by UC Irvine Prof. John Hipp.
Without a college degree, residents in Santa Ana and Stanton have diminished prospects for high-paying jobs, perpetuating a cycle of impoverishment that decreases the chances for future generations to be able to afford college. While some of the challenges are culturally based, lack of motivation and money also play a part. For Mexican-Americans, for instance, some of the barriers include lack of confidence and fear of not fitting in, pressure or lack of support from friends or teachers and having to leave behind friends and family, according to a study done by the University of Oregon. Other research shows that the shift in aid from grants to loans, and from need-based to merit-based programs, adversely affects enrollment and perseverance for minority students. (StudentRetention.org)
Systemic flaws are also to blame. Across the country, African American and Latino 12th graders read and do math at the same levels as white 8th graders, according to a report by the Stanford Institute for Higher Educational Research. And, while students in high-level high school courses receive information about college from a variety of courses, students in middle- and lower-level courses aren't typically reached by outreach efforts or by college counseling staff, according to the report. Many economically-disadvantaged parents lack experience and information regarding college preparation.
For new immigrants who don't speak English, the situation is even more dire. First-generation English as a Second Language students typically fare poorly in schools enrolling relatively few immigrants, according to a report by UC ACCORD, All Campus Consortium On Research for Diversity.
Whatever the barrier to higher education, the makeup of the workforce in Orange County has changed as a result, as there is a "stubbornly constant percentage," according to Hipp, of those with less than a high school degree. This contributes to shrinkage of the middle-class, blue-collar population, an invaluable segment that usually provides the fulcrum of a region's workforce and keeps the economy sputtering.
On the bright side, there are a slew of organizations that serve areas with a low percentage of college attendees and focus on motivating students to stay in school, finish high school and go on to college. Individually, these organizations chisel away at apathy and uncertainty about education, and provide financial support to college students. Collectively, they build momentum that has the potential of shifting these statistics in favor of more college attendees.
One such program, KinderCaminata doesn't waste any time -- starting in kindergarten to light a spark for education. The aim is to give children, many of whom come from immigrant, low-income families, an introduction to the college dream and help them see the benefits of school as a portal to actualizing their desires for the future. Once a year, KinderCaminata hosts a college fair where kindergartners and their parents go to community college campuses in the county. Kindergarten teachers are also provided with curriculum that promotes literacy, celebration of cultural heritage and career education. Some of the districts KinderCaminata serve include Santa Ana, Anaheim City, Garden Grove and Westminster.
The aptly named Youth Motivation Task Force in Stanton works on keeping students in high school. The organization employs volunteers who visit schools and share their personal stories with students. By sharing the obstacles that they had to overcome to go to college, the volunteers show that it is possible. The volunteers also show the students various career fields and their money making potential to illustrate the tangible benefits of getting a higher education.
The task force also offers a handful of $2,000 scholarships to students who have shown the greatest improvement from failing to passing grades. Stanton Mayor Al Ethans has been involved with the task force for years.
Other outreach efforts include the OC Asian & Pacific Islander Community Alliance, based in Garden Grove, which provides after-school tutoring and mentoring, SAT workshops and cultural awareness programs. On the same site is Project MotiVATe, the goal of which is to provide free mentoring programs for academically and socially at-risk Vietnamese youth. This organization works to ensure that participants graduate from high school and pursue higher education, while creating opportunities for personal growth, cultural connectedness and social responsibility.
Someone who benefited greatly from having a mentor is Santa Ana City Councilwoman Michele Martinez. Growing up in Santa Ana, she had no role models in her family who had attended college. So she looked to her mentor, entrepreneur Mark Press, for inspiration and motivation. Press owned the Gold Coast Baking Company, where Martinez worked, and was also a member of the Boys & Girls Club. He was very active in doling out scholarships and helped pay for Martinez to attend junior college. Press instilled the benefits of education in Martinez. "He told me it would give me the freedom I always wanted," she said.
While Martinez didn't apply herself in school when she was younger, once she realized how education would enable her to give back to her community, she enrolled in Santa Ana College. She then transferred to Cal State Fullerton, where she was inspired by another mentor, Criminal Justice Prof. Jarett Lovell. This professor also made the connection between education and liberation, which more strongly resonated with Martinez at this stage of her life, she said.
"So, when I speak to kids today, I tell them, 'I know you don't like school but it's not really about a good job,'" Martinez said. "' It's about freedom, about liberating you and giving you the opportunity to make choices.'"
Martinez emphasizes the importance of mentorships to keep students on a trajectory that leads to higher education. "[They] need mentors and that stability," she said. "I think a lot of kids drop out not because they want to, but because stuff with their family happens or they have to go out on their own and they just can't afford it."
She also emphasized the need to bring more awareness to parents, especially if their children are the first ones going to college, to help them tap into resources for scholarships and financial aid.
As one of the universities in the county with a diverse student population, UC Irvine conducts myriad outreach programs. Faculty in UCI's Education Dept. have long-standing partnerships with organizations like Think Together in Santa Ana, which provides after-school programs for free to students and their families in disadvantaged communities.
One collaborative effort that has seen great success lately is the The Santa Ana Partnership, an initiative of UCI's Center for Educational Partnerships. The Santa Ana Partnership includes the Santa Ana Unified School District, Santa Ana College, CSU Fullerton, UCI, and business partners. This partnership boasts special initiative like Middle College High School, the Saturday Academy of Law and The Career Academy Scholars Program, which will enable 125 school district students to start college training in four career areas while still enrolled in high school. The results of the partnership are stunning: it has doubled the number of students completing required courses for university admission in five years, from 2003 to 2007. And, it has increased students placing into degree-applicable English classes at Santa Ana College by 227% and increased students placing into comparable levels of college math classes by 244% since 2000.
Some of the strategies that enable the partnership to be successful include working with all students to create plans for attending college and providing special pathways to admission for Santa Ana College, CSU Fullerton and UCI. As a result, 78% of school district graduates enroll in college, up significantly over the past five years.
Last month, the Santa Ana Partnership got some good news, especially in light of the current economic climate. It was awarded its fourth Department of Education GEAR UP grant, and as a result, will receive $800,000 a year for six years, totaling $4.8 million. The GEAR UP Santa Ana project goals are: improving students' math and English language arts achievement, college awareness and preparation, parents' college awareness and increasing students' graduation rates and college enrollment.