The key findings suggest a multi-pronged approach that requires the involvement of parents, teachers, government and professional organizations and policy makers.
Latinos will remain stranded outside the mainstream as long as the cycle of poverty, poor educational performance and limited employment opportunities that characterize many Latino communities in Illinois are permitted to continue.
By their sheer numbers, Latino youth’s persistently low test scores in STEM subjects and their very low participation rates in college-level STEM are hampering our state’s ability to compete.
Key Findings
K - 12- Latinos are at an educational disadvantage if they continue to have low scores in mathematics and literacy tests.
- Effective early childhood education programs and interventions in secondary school are critical to widen the STEM pipeline.
- Schools in low-income areas have less access to computers and the Internet, and are less likely to use computers for instructional purposes.
- Latino high school students often do not have a full understanding of the timeframes and sequence of activities required for entering STEM. That is, often the Latino student will not seek and obtain guidance until the last year or two of high school and will not be well informed about what classes to choose beginning in the freshman year. By the time the student enters the 12th grade, it is too late to go back and take the appropriate classes needed for IT.
- Knowledge about how to advance to college is low among Latino parents. Knowledge deficits were significantly greater among parents with lower income and educational backgrounds as well as among first-generation immigrants.
- Since many Latino students are the first in their family to attend college, they may not be adept at navigating the pathways between coursework and career success.
K - 12
- Organizations such as the Illinois Technology Association (ITA), the Latino Technology Alliance (LTA) and Latino-focused education organizations should partner with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and a representative group of primary and secondary schools (public and private) with high Latino enrollments to develop and continuously improve practice guides for engaging Latino parents and students in the STEM fields with emphasis on high tech and IT.
- A special working group should be established within ISBE and partner schools on significantly raising the educational achievement of Latinos in math and science.
- Organizations such as ITA, LTA, and Illinois engineering and science schools and departments should jointly sponsor a STEM project fair for high school and college students.
- Recognition and awards events are recommended for exceptional performance by Latino students in STEM at high school and post-secondary levels.
- Organizations should support the expansion of career and education fairs in STEM and offer students a variety of opportunities to meet with employers, Latino college and graduate students, Latino professionals, researchers and faculty in STEM fields.
- Organizations should improve practice guides and support services for Latinos in post-secondary education.