At-Risk Student Populations

1. At-Risk Student Populations A Closer Look at Hispanic Immigrant Students Presentation compiled by: Jane Steiner

2. At-Risk Youth Defined • Not likely to finish high school • Underachievement • At-risk factors affect healthy lifestyles, attitudes, and academic progress • Challenges affect immigrant Hispanic students

3. Contributing Factors-Poverty • Living in poverty and its effects • physically and psychologically • educationally • employment opportunities • future earnings • quality of life

4. Contributing Factors-Home/Family • Familial stressors -all members of the family experience new stressors that make daily tasks very challenging

5. Contributing Factors-School Environment • Rapid increase in Hispanic immigrant population creates school district concerns

6. More Contributing Factors-School Environment • Immigrant student concerns • racism & lack of social acceptance • English language acquisition • inadequate social support networks • different learning styles

7. tardiness absenteeism poor grades truancy low math and reading scores failing one or more grades verbal and language deficiency inability to tolerate structured activities dropping out of school aggressive behaviors rebellious attitude toward school authority At-Risk BehaviorsSchool Perspective

8. drug and alcohol use & abuse eating disorders gang membership pregnancy suicide or suicide ideation aggression withdrawal and isolation low self-esteem school-related problems sexual acting out depression At-Risk BehaviorMental Health Perspective

9. failing to obey rules or directives avoiding taking part in family activities spending a great deal of time alone in their room being secretive about friends & activities not communicating with parents & siblings displaying attitudes and values different from family resisting going to school or discussing school activities arguing about everything staying away from home as much as possible At-Risk BehaviorHome Perspective

10. Resiliency • Resiliency defined • Important questions to ask ourselves 1.-How can school counselors foster resiliency in these students to avoid negative outcomes? 2.-Why is it that students can face the same set of life circumstances and end with completely different outcomes as adults?

11. Characteristics of Resiliency • Personality traits • Protective factors • Detailed protective factors

12. Prevention & Intervention • Academic/School Based • Home Support • School Counselor Specific

13. Approaches to Prevention • Primary • Secondary • Tertiary

14. School Prevention Strategies • Special schools and academic programs for immigrant students • Trained school faculty and staff • Multicultural student citizens

15. Effective Instructional Techniques • Using language purposefully to make meaning • Supporting communication in the classroom • Supporting instruction in the classroom

16. School Intervention Strategies • Discuss student concerns at multidisciplinary staff meeting • Pull-out groups for struggling students • Services provided from community liaison and social worker • Extra-curricular clubs and activities • New student buddy/mentoring programs

17. School Prevention Strategies for Parents and Community Members • Parenting programs • Topic specific informational programs • Economic support programs

18. Home Prevention Strategies • Parent and family involvement -students benefit academically and emotionally

19. Counselor Specific Prevention Strategies • Support groups • Developing life skills • Enhancing interpersonal communication • Achieving self-management & self-control • Coping with stress

20. Counselor Specific Intervention Strategies • Guidance curriculum • Individual student planning • Responsive services • Systems support

21. More Counselor Specific Intervention Strategies • Seek to connect with Hispanic students and inform them of counselor role • Serve as liaison between school and community -resources -school volunteers -professionals

22. Counselor Competencies – Understanding the Hispanic Culture • Family • Religion and spirituality • Linguistic differences • Time orientation

23. Counselor Competencies • Understanding the sociopolitical system oppression in the US with respect to its treatment of minorities • Capable of generating a wide variety of verbal and non-verbal responses and messages • Aware of helping style & recognizing its limits

24. Counselor Competencies • Self-exploration • White Racial Identity Development Model -Contact, Disintegration, Reintegration, Pseudoindependence, Immersion, Autonomy • Cross Model -Preencounter, Internalization • Generic Cultural Identity Development Model (CID) -Conformity, Dissonance, Resistance, Introspection, Integrative

25. 1- What does it mean to be White? What does it mean to be a Black/minority? 2- What are the benefits of being White? What are the benefits of being a Black/minority person? 3- How have you benefited from White privilege? How have you benefited from being a Black/minority person? 4- From the stages of racial identity development, can you identify the stage that describes the phase where you find yourself at the present moment? (Contact, Disintegration, Reintegration, Pseudoindependence, Immersion, Autonomy) Awareness Exercise

26. Using Data • Advocate for change • Use school specific data to determine role • Accountability measures

27. Community Resources • Aspira of Broward • Broward County Family Success Centers - Refugee Services • Family Central - Crianza con Carino program • Hispanic Unity • Urban League of Broward County

28. Internet Resources • www.fldoe.org/ • www.welcometousa.gov/default.htm • www.broward.k12.fl.us/esol/ • www.schoolcounselor.org/ • www.broward.org/arts/home.htm

29. Literature Resources for Counselors, Parents & Teachers • Around the World in 80 Pages Mason, A. (1995). Around the world in 80 pages. Brookfield, CT: Copper Beech Books. • People Spier, P. (1980). People. Doubleday, NY: Peter Spier.

30. Presentation References • Capuzzi, D., & Gross, D. R. (Eds.). (2000). Youth at risk. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association. • Kelly, B. L., & Cooper, C. D. (Eds.). (1999). Parent and family involvement. Retrieved October, 30, 2007, http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/pubs/nysed/languagearts/ch01.pdf • Ter Maat, M. B. (2006). Information presented in lecture handouts from Florida School Counselor Association workshop on multicultural counseling held at Nova Southeastern University. • Vernon, A. (2004). Counseling children and adolescents. Denver, Colorado: Love Publishing Company. • Villalba, J., Akos, P., Keeter, K., Ames, A. (2007). Promoting latino student achievement and development through the ASCA national model. Professional School Counseling, 10 (5). • Watts-Taffe, S., & Truscott, D. (2000). Using what we know about language and literacy development for ESL students in the mainstream classroom. Language Arts, 77 (3), 258-265. • Williams, F. C., & Butler, S. K. (2003). Concerns of newly arrived immigrant students: Implications for school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 7, 9-14.