The challenge of staying in school
Proyecto Latino enables students to address a tough problem
When a study by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) was published in 2008, the findings took everyone by surprise.
Test scores for Latin American students were consistently among the lowest across core school subjects, as well as on standardized literacy tests.
Not only that, but close to 40 per cent of Latin American students were dropping out of school and not earning their high school diplomas. The average dropout rate among all TDSB students: below 18 per cent.
Obviously, something was wrong. But what, exactly, was it?
Discussion began among TDSB officials, the Toronto Latino community and researchers at the Centre for Urban Schooling at U of T’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE).
“What became clear to us was that we didn’t know why this was happening,” says OISE professor Rubén Gaztambide-Fernández. “There was no basic research on Latin American immigrants in Canada. This is in contrast to the United States, where, because of significant Latin American migration, there is a wealth of research. But in Canada, Latino immigration didn’t really begin in great numbers until the 1970s and ’80s. So, although the research from the U.S. was helpful, we had to start from scratch.”
With colleagues from OISE and the TDSB’s equity office, Gaztambide-Fernández designed a research program that would come to be called Proyecto Latino and would concentrate on learning about the challenges faced by Latin American students. “Adults always have a lot of ideas about why students drop out, but they rarely ask the students why they do or don’t stay in school. We felt we could get closer to the root problems if we focused on getting the students’ stories and opinions.”
About 60 students with varying levels of academic achievement took part in the study, expressing their opinions through focus groups, individual interviews and a survey. All students self-identified with and felt a personal connection to the nations of Latin America. (The interviewees included Canadian-born students, some of whom identified with more than one country.)
Students pointed to a number of factors as leading to the high dropout rate, such as the need for easier access to ESL programs and incidences of stereotyping where Latino students are thought of as poor and lazy.
“One of the factors most often cited was the need to work to help their families, which interrupts their ability to stay in school,” says Cristina Guerrero, an OISE PhD student member of the research team and herself a TDSB high school teacher. “And they often felt an adult could make a negative or positive difference. Some adults and teachers speak to them in detri-mental ways, but many students were inspired to stay in school because of teachers who were supportive. We learned a lot from these positive interactions.”
Students suggested a variety of ways to help the TDSB address the barriers identified in the report. Ideas included more courses in Latin American history and culture to help debunk stereotypes; funding of a peer-to-peer support program; more Spanish-speaking instructors, ESL instructors and guidance counselors and smaller class sizes.
The OISE researchers began a follow-up pilot program in February where students will receive a course credit for conducting further research. “They are going to identify the problems they feel are most relevant,” says Guerrero. “Then they’ll engage in research projects where they can do something about the problems they are encountering. We will help them, but this is their project. They learn to form partnerships, such as working with the school board. Maybe they’ll even be able to affect educational policy. The point is to get them involved in solving this problem.”
“This study gives us further insights into the issues affecting achievement of Spanish-speaking students,” says Lloyd McKell, senior advisor to the TDSB’s director of education. “We will use this research in our plans to close the achievement gap for Spanish-speaking students in our schools.”
Gaztambide-Fernández feels a more robust and thorough system of creating opportunities for all immigrant students will enable Canada’s reputation for multiculturalism to thrive.
“Multiculturalism is official policy in Canada, but the potential of it hasn’t been fully realized. We can really start to capitalize on that potential by opening up opportunities for immigrants through the schools. That is where new Canadians can engage in the production of a culture of diversity that might eventually permeate Toronto and Canada. Then the possibilities of multiculturalism can start playing out.”