Promoting Latino student achievement and development through the ASCA National Model[R].

This article provides a contemporary view of assisting the large and growing Latino student population in K-12 schools, particularly as it relates to current demographic shifts, school reform, and the ASCA National Model[R]. The article highlights concerns for Latino students and families, culturally appropriate school counseling strategies for promoting Latino student development and achievement, and methods for incorporating Latino students' strengths and concerns into the four elements of the ASCA National Model.

**********

The Latino population is the largest and fastest-growing ethnic/racial group in the United States, making up 14.1% of the overall population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2005). (For the purposes of this article, Latino will be used as the core descriptor for students and families of Spanish and Latin American descent, such as Cuban, Colombian, Dominican, Hispanic, Mexican, Mexican American, and Puerto Rican.) Moreover, 34% of the U.S. Latino population is under age 18, in contrast to the 23% of the entire non-Latino, White population; and the Latino student population in 2000 accounted for 17% of the nation's entire public school population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003a). Latino children and adolescents now make up the largest minority group in U.S. schools. School counselors working in U.S. schools must start addressing the specific needs of the large and growing Latino population.

Professional school counselors can use the ASCA National Model[R] as a template for serving the needs of the burgeoning Latino student population. The ASCA National Model can be considered a "call to action" for school counselors to provide comprehensive and effective services to children and adolescents. In particular, the model includes themes of advocacy and accountability that can enhance services for members of diverse groups (Baggerly & Borkowski, 2004; Dahir & Stone, 2003; Trusty & Brown, 2005). In this article, we provide an overview of challenges facing Latino students as well as present contemporary school and community strategies that both are culturally appropriate and align with the ASCA National Model.

PARTICULAR CHALLENGES TO LATINO STUDENT DEVELOPMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT IN SCHOOL

Though all students potentially can face developmental and academic challenges, Latino students often face additional obstacles from their White, non-Latino peers in school and at home. While in school, Latino students are more likely to attend impoverished schools, demonstrate lower performance in math, science, and reading, and are more often retained and disciplined than their White peers (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003a). According to a survey of individuals between the ages of 16 and 24, 21% of Latinos dropped out of school in 2000, compared to 7% of White students and 12% of African American students (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003b). Furthermore, a survey of recent high school graduates found that the Latino graduation rate of 53% is lower than the national average of 68% (Swanson, 2004). Among students who graduate from high school and pursue undergraduate degrees at 4-year institutions, only 11% are Latino (National Center for Education Statistics, 2002).

These trends suggest that access to economic or educational capital is limited for Latinos in the United States. The available data illustrate an epidemic of educational struggles and limited future options for the growing population of Latino students, one with potential overwhelming academic, economic, and personal/social costs (Sorenson, Brewer, Carroll, & Bryton, 1996). The following factors, though not an exhaustive list, are significant challenges for Latino students in U.S. schools: English-language difficulties, acculturation and racism, and limited educational and economic capital accrued by Latino students and their families. These three challenges are particularly detrimental to Latino students' scholastic success.

English-Language Difficulties

For many Latino children and families, the most evident and significant obstacle upon entering the academically English-centered educational environment of U.S. schools is the language barrier (Crawford, 1999). Non-English-fluent Latino students and their families often are not aware or properly informed of school policies, from mandatory attendance regulations to requirements for high school graduation (Davidson Aviles, Guerrero, Howarth, & Thomas, 1999). The resulting lack of communication between the school and Latino students and families creates frustration on the behalf of school staff and students alike, creating tension and strain in these relationships. Further complicating matters for these Latino students is the fact that limited English proficiency can lead to lower academic performance in math and reading (Carol et al., 2004), particularly when their academic performance is measured by instruments written in English instead of Spanish (Abella, Urrutia, & Shneyderman, 2005).

The issue of language differences for Latinos is compounded by misconceptions of language acquisition, and the incorrect presumption by many educators that English proficiency can be attained in a limited amount of time (Guerrero, 2004). Many school personnel often fail to distinguish between "social" English, also known as basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS), and "academic" English, or cognitive academic language proficiency (Cummins, 1994). Social English is an individual's ability to engage in informal conversation, usually conceptualized as face-to-face/peer-to-peer communication, while academic English requires a more comprehensive and analytic level of understanding, typically required for tasks such as math word problems and technical writing (Cummins; Garcia, 2003). Research suggests that English learners generally require at least 5 to 7 years to achieve academic fluency, whereas social English can be attained in as few as 2 years (Cummins). Often, school professionals lower expectations when they misinterpret the struggles of students with a BICS level of fluency, concluding that these students have motivational or cognitive-ability deficits rather than language difficulties (Garcia).

Language abilities also have specific implications for counseling activities. Language fluency is an important consideration for determining how to deliver appropriate interventions (Gopaul-McNicol & Thomas-Presswood, 1998). For example, although it may be assumed that a BICS level of fluency is all that is needed to actively engage in an individual counseling session, developmental growth and clinical goals may not be attained if a student lacks the fluency needed to analyze and interpret the specific objectives in a session. Furthermore, even if English-language learner (ELL) Latino students attain an academic level of English-language acquisition, they may speak in a thick accent, causing them frustration or shame when communicating. Although it is a daunting task for school counselors to differentiate classroom guidance and accommodate the lingual and learning differences of every child, failure to accommodate student needs could render the interventions ineffective or even harmful.

Acculturation and Racism

Historically, U.S. immigrants have been sent the clear message that acculturation to the American way of life is required to survive, oftentimes by sacrificing aspects of their culture and identity. In fact, many Latino parents warn their children that some of them are assimilating too quickly, leaving behind those in the best position to help and understand them--family members (Garcia, 2003). The combined effects of racism, discrimination, and the struggle to assimilate to a new host nation while adhering to traditions and customs from a native country can result in stress, depression, anxiety, family conflicts, sleep deprivation, and low self-esteem in Latino immigrants and U.S.-born adults and children (Bryant-Davis & Ocampo, 2005; Ogbu, 1987; Steffen & Bowden, 2006). The effects of forced assimilation on Latino students and families also are manifested as latent and overt racism and discrimination in schools (Fennelly, Mulkeen, & Guisti, 1998). Though the experiences of Latino students related to racism and discrimination are different from their African American or Asian/Asian American peers, the effects can be equally detrimental to their academic and personal/social development as it is for their non-White peers (Ogbu; Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 1995).

With the accumulation of negative experiences in the U.S. public schools, many Latino students grow increasingly doubtful, losing confidence in their ability to achieve academically and experiencing diminished academic self-efficacy. Researchers have reported that Latino students who left before completing high school have identified alienation, lack of concern, and discrimination in school as systemic factors that influenced their cessation of formal academic pursuits (Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 1995; Valencia, 2002). These Latino students further indicated that discipline at school was often perceived as unjust, and many of the verbal and physical altercations leading to suspensions of the Latino students were instigated by racial name-calling by non-Latino students (Valencia). They also recalled that the non-Latino students involved in incidents such as these frequently went unpunished (Davison Aviles et al., 1999). Moreover, to help cope with these feelings of oppression and discipline, Latino students often turn to their peers, which can result in gang activities and other potentially dangerous behaviors (Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco). The ultimate outcome of disengagement from school is a present and future group of students and citizens with limited economic and educational capital.

Limited Economic and Educational Capital

For both English-proficient and non-English-proficient Latinos, the perception of limited educational or occupational opportunities is partially responsible for a Latino graduation rate of 53% (Swanson, 2004). For example, some Latino students may feel economic pressure to abandon their education in order to contribute to family income (Santiago-Rivera, Arredondo, & Gallardo-Cooper, 2002), as 21% of Latinos in the United States live below the poverty line (Ramirez & de la Cruz, 2003). In fact, many Latino students begin working because they already have given up on school (Trusty, 1996; Valladores, 2002). Furthermore, students who are not U.S. citizens face barriers to higher education because most do not qualify for federal student financial aid and cannot qualify for in-state tuition rates in most states, even if they attended public schools in this country since kindergarten (Martinez, 2003). All of these factors contribute to a large portion of the U.S. population with limited formal education experiences (educational capital) and fewer occupational opportunities (economic capital).

Many Latino students who come to the United States do not have an academically sufficient educational background due to differences in formal education in their native country or laws enforcing mandatory attendance only until the end of Grade 7, making the transition into the United States and school much more than a language issue (Wilen & Diaz, 1998). Additionally, many Latino students are unfamiliar with the setting, the daily routines, and the social expectations of their peers and teachers, and many of their families are unable to assist them in this learning process (Garcia, 2003; Lucas, 2000). Many Latino students born in the United States share similar experiences with their recently arrived Latino peers due to the predominance of the Spanish language in the home and the presence of other social barriers such as poverty, poor health, and parents who work more than one job (Pew Hispanic Center, 2005). These experiences all negatively impact the educational capital of Latino children and adolescents in U.S. schools.

THE ASCA NATIONAL MODEL AND LATINO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

As the Latino population continues to grow, professional school counselors are presented with the unique opportunity to expand their school counseling services to include the needs and strengths of their Latino students. The ASCA National Model can provide school counselors with the guidance necessary to effectively and efficiently enhance the academic, career, and personal/social development of Latino children and adolescents. In particular, closing achievement gaps between diverse groups of students and their White peers through advocacy and action (Education Trust, 2003) is a priority in the ASCA National Model. School counselors can address the previously mentioned challenges (e.g., language, racism) and seek to promote Latino student development and achievement through the four elements of the ASCA National Model.

Latino Students and the Foundation of the School Counseling Program

The foundation of a school counseling program is grounded in a school counselor's beliefs about school counseling, how the program relates to the school's mission to serve all children, and understanding the intricacies of the ASCA National Standards (ASCA, 2005; Campbell & Dahir, 1997). Professional school counselors must be able to consider their program's foundation in a culturally relevant way, which can be facilitated by understanding the relationship between their worldview and their students' worldviews (Arredondo & Arciniega, 2001). For example, school counselors are encouraged to analyze their beliefs and philosophies about different ethnic/racial groups of students within their schools and how social factors contribute to these groups' strengths and needs. In addition, school counselors can consider how their school and school counseling program mission accommodate and respect students' culture, customs, norms, and traditions. With Latino students particularly, school counselors should, advocate for outcomes that increase students' educational capital and support a school context abundant with understanding of culture. School counselors who advocate for the school-wide inclusion of Latino culture and history will give Latino students a source of pride while creating an environment and a curriculum that reflect the diverse school and national population (Davidson Aviles et al., 1999; Pagan & Veloz-Jefferson, 2003; Wilen & Diaz, 1998).

One way to promote Latino culture may be through pep rallies, talent shows, or cultural fairs during which a variety of student groups may perform, share their talents, or be presented, ensuring that Latino cultures and countries of origin embodied in the student body are represented (Pagan & Veloz-Jefferson; Reveles, 2003). School counselors also may create opportunities to spotlight achievements of the Latino students in their school, not only as role models for Latinos but also for the entire school community, by facilitating an environment accepting and encouraging of success for all of its students (Davidson Aviles et al., 1999; Valencia, 2002). This may be accomplished by making sure to include academic and school-related efforts of all students in school-wide newsletters, bulletin boards, and announcements, while seeking to understand and respond to reasons for certain groups of students being absent from receiving merited accolades.

Professional school counselors can advocate for Latino students by serving as a liaison between the school environment and the surrounding community, which is in accordance with a school counseling program founded on the principles of assisting all children to succeed (Davidson Aviles et al., 1999; Stanard, 2003). Methods that school counselors may use to assist the Latino community include locating community resources specifically equipped to provide services to Latino students and their families, maintaining a current list of these groups and referring Latino clients to these resources regularly, finding and supporting Latino parent school volunteers who can serve as positive role models, and recruiting Latino professionals and business partners for career-related presentations (Davison Aviles et al.). Appendix A provides school counselors with additional resources and strategies to enhance the school ecology for Latino youth, and it provides information on cultural developmental needs.

Latino Students and the School Counseling Program's Delivery System

A school counseling program delivery system, including the guidance curriculum, individual student planning, and responsive interventions (ASCA, 2005), should be congruent with the cultural composition of the school. School counselors may assume that students in need of services will seek out the school counselor; however, this is not necessarily true for many Latino students or students from other racial/ethnic groups, particularly if they are being discriminated against or if they are uncomfortable with their English fluency and proficiency (Arredondo & Arciniega, 2001). Furthermore, Latino students seldom consider school counseling services due to unfamiliarity with the school counselor's role or because of cultural characteristics that emphasize the dependence on family members, religion, and spirituality for solving personal/social problems (Davidson Aviles et al., 1999; Santiago-Rivera et al., 2002). Therefore, school counselors should seek to connect with Latino students through introductions in the classroom, consulting with teachers, promoting available services (in Spanish and English) from the counseling department directly to Latino students and their parents, and demonstrating an understanding of reservations or fears Latino students may have disclosing feelings and information to the school counselor.

Guidance curriculum. The guidance curriculum is a vehicle for infusing the counseling program into the school-wide curriculum plan, and it includes designing and implementing structured guidance units and lessons (ASCA, 2005). According to ASCA, the guidance curriculum also may include parent and teacher workshops and informational sessions. As "cultural interpreters" of diverse cultures, including Latinos, school counselors can provide information about the Latino students and their families to all school staff through the use of workshops and in-service activities (Davison Aviles et al., 1999). This could lead to increased educational capital for Latino students.

An additional step in advocating for mutual understanding may be to organize meetings between school personnel and Latino families and community leaders. In regards to families, school counselors can organize parent workshops for Latino families in which they share school and community resources, student transition information (from elementary to middle school or middle school to high school), and post-high school options including college and career opportunities, while providing parents with an opportunity to share their experiences and backgrounds with the school counselor and related school staff.

Whether or not the focus of the classroom guidance units and lessons is specifically on cultural diversity, professional school counselors should incorporate classroom activities, experiences, and role models into all classroom guidance exercises that portray the successes and contributions of a variety of cultures and people, including Latinos (Lee, 2001; Wilen & Diaz, 1998). Considering the previously listed challenges for Latino students, school counselors may elect to organize classroom guidance lessons on coping with discrimination, expanding post-graduation options, or coping with difficulty acquiring a new language. In an effort to show Latino students that school counselors can serve as their advocates, counselors also can use classroom guidance lessons and units as opportunities to teach themes, such as tolerance, racial/ethnic identity development, and respect to all students, while exploring the value of differences that may exist among different individuals and cultures (Clemente & Collison, 2000). In addition, due to the detrimental implications of stereotyping, particularly upon a Latino student's career path selection, school counselors can use classroom/large group guidance to provide educational and career planning to Latino students. Through creative and innovative means, counselors can facilitate career exploration by encouraging Latino students to pursue and develop hobbies, talents, and special abilities (Pagan & Veloz-Jefferson, 2003; Wilen & Diaz, 1998).

Individual student planning. School counselors need to ensure that all students have active and evolving academic and career plans, as manifested in the development of personal goals (ASCA, 2005). In line with ASCA recommendations, individual student planning can take place on a one-on-one basis or with groups of students, and it may include student assessment and advisement. While it is important to consider all students as individuals first, school counselors should work to eliminate systemic, scholastic, and social obstacles that interfere with student goal-setting. For example, a high school counselor helping a Latino student may want to consider the available accommodations for English-language proficiency in honors or advanced-placement courses. Also, school counselors can promote Latino students' participation in extracurricular activities by creating activities of cultural interest (e.g., cultural dances, soccer, Spanish club).

School counselors also can work systemically with staff to influence school policy as it relates to student planning. For example, recent research suggests that placing at-risk students in classes with academically achieving peers focused on college preparation motivates and increases achievement of the at-risk students, which can lead to increased Latino student participation in curricular and extracurricular school activities (Aspira Inc. of Illinois, 2003; Mehan, Villanueva, & Lintz, 1996). This may help Latino students to foster greater self-efficacy and enhanced self-appraisals, important sources of motivation that are two of the most critical determinants to academic success (Goodenow & Grady, 1993; Lee, 2001). Therefore, school counselors can disaggregate data on advanced placement and college preparation classes and advocate for boosting Latino opportunities in school by providing information, presented in English and Spanish, to students, parents, and members of the Latino community through workshops, publications, and home visits.

Responsive services. Individual counseling is one way of providing responsive services to Latino students. During initial contact with Latino children and adolescents, the school counselor should focus on establishing an immediate, strong, and respectful relationship (Santiago-Rivera et al., 2002). For example, a means for demonstrating immediate interest, respect, and appreciation of Latino students is to ask them how to pronounce their name, and malting an effort to pronounce it correctly (Wilen & Diaz, 1998). Obviously, Spanish speaking skills are enormously useful to establishing rapport; therefore, learning salutations and common expressions in Spanish is another simple manner to help students feel initial comfort in seeking the assistance of the school counselor (Pagan & Veloz-Jefferson, 2003). A school counselor's willingness to address a Latino child in "new and broken" Spanish also may help the child feel more at ease in communicating in English, even if he or she has a thick accent.

Because some Latino students and families are likely to be unfamiliar with counseling, professional school counselors must inform and educate Latino students about the role of and services provided by the school counselor, including but not limited to an explanation about the nature of counseling, resources available through the school counseling office, student and counselor expectations, and confidentiality and its limits (Padilla, 1996; Paniagua, 1998; Valencia, 2002). In order to determine potential counseling goals and interventions, the school counselor's initial meeting with a Latino student should include a formal or informal assessment of the student's degree of acculturation--country of origin, amount of time he or she has lived in the area, English proficiency, socioeconomic status, and reports of discrimination (Clemente & Collison, 2000; Trusty, 1996; Villalba, 2003). Establishing a respectful, empathetic, and genuine counseling relationship from the start will facilitate exploration of strengths, weaknesses, problems, concerns, and solutions.

A vital part of providing responsive serves to Latino students is determining an appropriate counseling approach; however, the literature is inconclusive on what counseling approaches work best with Latino children. Some researchers advocate the use of cognitive-behavioral approaches when working with Latino adolescents (Trusty, 1996), while others advocate for an indirect, caring, open, person-centered theoretical orientation (Kasturirangan & Williams, 2003). Others propose an eclectic and person/problem-specific approach in which the client's issues, acculturation, and counseling goals lead to a specific theoretical approach (Atkinson, Morten, & Sue, 1998; Atkinson, Thompson, & Grant, 1993). Clearly, additional research to determine the types of techniques and theories to use when counseling Latino students is needed. Regardless of the therapeutic orientation used with Latino students, it is most important to focus on the cultural perspective of the child and his or her individual traits (Santiago-Rivera et al., 2002).

Group counseling interventions, particularly psychoeducational groups, are another example of responsive services. The simple yet beneficial act of bringing Latinos together in a group setting can produce feelings of empathy, universality, and cohesiveness among the group participants, assisting them in realizing they are not alone in their experiences and struggles, principally with discrimination, racism, or English-language acquisition (Akos, 2000; Baca & Koss-Chioino, 1997; Torres-Rivera, Wilbur, Roberts-Wilbur, & Phan, 1999; Yalom, 1995). Well-structured psychoeducational counseling groups that explore school adjustment, healthy self-concept development, racial/ethnic identity, and coping with racism provide a safe forum for Latino students to share experiences, ideas, concerns, and coping strategies, in addition to receiving mutual respect, validation, and encouragement from peers (Villalba, 2003). These benefits, garnered through the experienced facilitation of a school counselor who demonstrates and encourages equal respect and concern for all members, can be extremely empowering for participants, particularly as they appeal to the collectivistic values of many Latino students (Baca & Koss-Chioino; Torres-Rivera et al.).

Finally, a unique group counseling technique to use with Latino students is cuento (folklore) therapy. Cuento therapy and counseling techniques, pioneered by Costantino, Malgady, and Rogler (1986), are a type of technique in which the school counselor uses Latino/Hispanic folk stories and fairy tales to convey experiences, morals, solutions, empathy, and counselor rapport. Through cuento counseling groups, Latino students learn social concepts and skills by examining metaphors used in specific stories and then compare the stories to their own lives. Using stories and books about Latino heroes/heroines, political leaders, and social justice advocates in group counseling (or in individual counseling and classroom guidance sessions) adds a real relevance and applicability of ideas for Latino students (Costantino & Rivera, 1994). School counselors would be wise to research, consult, and collaborate with Latino students, parents, staff, and community members to discover resources for infusing cuento techniques into their repertoire of counseling tools.

Systems support. The ASCA National Model (2005) considers professional development and collaboration with school personnel as integral facets of a school counseling program's delivery system. The notion of collaborating and consulting with school personnel is particularly relevant when working with Latino students and families. As indicated, Latino students may be unfamiliar with or hesitant to seek out counseling services. One particularly relevant example is school counselors collaborating with teachers in ELL programs. School counselors are encouraged to work with the ELL teacher in order to learn more about the unique concerns of Latino ELL students (even for Latino students not eligible for ELL services) while presenting a united front to better assist these students (Clemente & Collison, 2000). ELL teachers and school counselors working together for the benefit of Latino students may help foster a collectivistic learning environment as they encourage all teachers to provide safe and accepting opportunities to promote teamwork and cooperative learning in their classrooms. This may include small groups, peer tutoring, classroom "buddy systems," and inviting older Latino students and family members into the classroom to read in Spanish and English to promote positive peer interaction and active learning (Conchas, 2001; Pagan & Veloz-Jefferson, 2003).

By partnering with school staff, particularly those members whom Latino students identify with most, school counselors increase their visibility within the Latino student body. Also, school counselors can work via indirect means by advocating for policy changes at the local, state, and national levels to improve the academic experience of all children, particularly as it pertains to post-high school options for all Latino students.

Addressing Strengths and Needs of Latino Students Through School Counseling Program's Management System

Of all the parts--management agreements, school counseling advisory councils, use of data, action plans, time/calendar management--of a school counseling program's management system (ASCA, 2005), disaggregated data for Latino students can make the biggest impact. Similar to how the Education Trust (2003) uses data on Latino achievement to advocate for policy change and educational interventions to close the achievement gap between Latino children and their White peers, school counselors can use school-specific data to determine their role in assisting Latino students in their school. School counselors can use disaggregated data regarding Latino student academic progress, attendance, extracurricular activity participation, school-wide behavioral referrals, percentages of free/reduced lunch participation, and so forth to develop action plans for alleviating gaps between Latino students and their peers or encouraging areas of success.

School counselors also can justify specific interventions or time spent with Latino students in their management agreements with school administrators. If school counselors decide to organize a counseling advisory council within their school, and if they work in a school with a significant number of Latino students and parents, they should invite Latino parents or community members to become part of this council. A Latino parent on a counseling advisory council should provide the school counselor and other council members with at least one Latino perspective, which may prove beneficial when reviewing data, developing action plans, or justifying Latino-specific details in management agreements. A management system that takes into consideration all stakeholders, including the Latino student body, Latino families, and the Latino community, will enhance and facilitate a school counseling program's accountability system.

School Counseling Program Accountability Related to Latino Student Achievement and Development

School counselors should be able to demonstrate the success of their school counseling programs by implementing accountability measures and procedures, including results reports that show a program's effectiveness in addressing school-wide initiatives, program audits, and documents that depict how a school counselor is adhering to performance standards (ASCA, 2005). One method of accomplishing this task is by demonstrating how school counseling services have helped Latino students become more successful (e.g., increased school engagement, closing achievement gaps). For example, consider the use of psychoeducational small groups focused on reviewing study skills. The school counselor can record each student's academic grades prior to the first group session. Then, each group member's grades can be recorded during the halfway point of the group unit and again after the last group session has occurred. Next, during the last session, the school counselor also should ask each group member how the group has impacted his or her academic performance and academic habits, recording some of the positive and constructive feedback provided by students for future groups with different students. School counselors then can share the results of the group with teachers, administrators, and the counseling advisory council.

Finally, the school counselor can continue to check in with students who participated in the group activity throughout the school year, to determine if the group intervention has benefited these students over extended periods of time. In short, school counselors have a responsibility to determine intervention effectiveness, and in particular to determine which activities promote the development and achievement of Latino students.

As school counselors develop their yearly school program audit, centered on school counseling performance standards, they can again illustrate how their program's foundation, responsive services, and management system have contributed to all school stakeholders, including Latino students, families, and community members. When counseling programs contribute to closing the achievement gap between Latino students and their peers, focus on assisting and supporting these students and their families, and advocate for improvements in Latino student achievement and development, they inevitably will enrich school counselor performance standards.

SUMMARY

Professional school counselors have been encouraged to incorporate the ASCA National Model (2005) into their counseling program. Latino students and families stand to benefit from a comprehensive and culturally relevant school counseling program. As a school's Latino stakeholders perceive a sense of understanding and witness specific services from the school counseling program, they may reciprocate these efforts by becoming more engaged members in the school community (Aspira Inc. of Illinois, 2003; Mehan et al., 1996). The end result may be a school where all children and families, including those of Latino heritage, actively attempt to ensure positive student academic, career, and personal/social development.

APPENDIX A
Resources and References for Helping Latino Students

Source              Contact Information

ASPIRA              www.aspira.org

Colorin             www.colorincolorado.org
Colorado

Congressional       www.chci.org/chciyouth
Hispanic
Caucus

Council for         www.trioprograms.org
Opportunity
in Education

Education           www2.edtrust.org
Trust

Hire                www.hirediversity.com
Diversity.com

Hispanic            www.hacu.net
Association
of Colleges
and
Universities

Hispanic            www.hispanic
Heritage            heritageawards.org
Awards
Foundation

La Familia          www.lafamilianet.net
Network

Mexican American    www.maldef.org/education
Legal Defense
and Educational
Fund

Mexican-American    www.hermana.org
Women's National
Association

Mundo Latino        www.mundolatino.org

National            www.hispanichealth.org
Alliance
for Hispanic
Health

National            www.nclr.org
Council
of La Raza

Pew Hispanic        Pewhispanic.org
Center

Self Reliance       www.selfreliance
Foundation          foundation.org

U.S. Department     www.ed.gov
of Education

U.S. Department     www.soyunica.gov
of Health and
Human Services

White House         www.yesican.gov
Initiative on
Educational
Excellence for
Hispanic
Americans

Source              Brief Summary of Resource

ASPIRA              Nonprofit organization working to promote the
                    education and leadership development of Puerto
                    Rican and other Latino youth. ASPIRA provides
                    youth with the personal resources needed to remain
                    in school and contribute to their community.

Colorin             Project named after a phrase that is used after a
Colorado            good story has been read. The project is designed
                    to provide information, activities, and
                    advice for Spanish-speaking parents and educators
                    of English-language learners.

Congressional       Goal is to promote the development of future
Hispanic            Latino leaders. The information and resources
Caucus              provided on the youth page have been
                    growing and include college searches, daily
                    profile of teenage role models, book
                    recommendations, scholarship information,
                    internships, and many other educational-related
                    links and resources.

Council for         Nonprofit organization working to expand
Opportunity         educational opportunities. One of its
in Education        major programs, TRIO, includes federally
                    funded programs aimed at assisting students
                    in overcoming class, social, academic, and
                    cultural barriers to achieving higher
                    education.

Education           Independent, nonprofit organization
Trust               dedicated to K-12 educational
                    reform efforts and closing the achievement
                    gap through research, advocacy, raising
                    public awareness and knowledge, and providing
                    assistance to schools and organizations in
                    accordance with this mission. This is
                    accomplished through various initiatives,
                    including but not limited to efforts to
                    "transform school counseling."

Hire                Commercial Web site that provides a forum
Diversity.com       for posting various vacancies and resumes
                    for different minority groups. The site provides
                    current events and recent articles regarding
                    Latinos in the workforce, in addition to links
                    and contact information for a number of reputable
                    career-related organizations and resources.

Hispanic            Represents more than 350 universities and
Association         colleges committed to addressing the needs
of Colleges         of Latino/Hispanic university and college
and                 students. The Web site provides information
Universities        on scholarships, employment opportunities,
                    and colleges and universities. The site
                    also contains a list of all Hispanic
                    serving institutions (HSIs) in the U.S.,
                    as well as HSI affiliate institutions.

Hispanic            Nonprofit organization promoting youth
Heritage            and professional Hispanic role models.
Awards              Profiles of previous role models are
Foundation          available in addition to the high school
                    student application for award consideration.
                    Other demographic information also is provided.

La Familia          Promotes opportunities for the Hispanic
Network             community to take a role in developing and
                    teaching children and professionals about
                    technology.

Mexican American    Nonprofit Latino litigation, advocacy, and
Legal Defense       educational outreach organization, dealing
and Educational     with a variety of issues important to the
Fund                Latino community. Its community education
                    resources include a national parent-school
                    partnership program, leadership development
                    programs, and scholarship programs, among
                    other information, programs, and resources.

Mexican-American    Nonprofit advocacy organization that
Women's National    empowers Latinas through programs designed
Association         to develop leadership, community service, and
                    advocacy.

Mundo Latino        Spanish Web site that provides a large number
                    of Spanish-language links and interactive Web
                    sites on topics related to specific countries,
                    education, kids, culture, and much more.

National            Advocacy and research forum designed to
Alliance            improve Hispanic health and well-being.
for Hispanic        The organization offers programs that include
Health              capacity development of community-based
                    organizations, diabetes education and outreach,
                    prenatal help lines, family help lines, and
                    outreach programs.

National            A "private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-ex-exempt
Council             organization" dedicated to improving the quality
dedicated to        of life for Latinos. Education is one of its many
of La Raza          foci, with downloadable publications regarding
                    current trends, successful programs, and
                    interventions, in addition to links to a
                    variety of other resources.

Pew Hispanic        Clearinghouse-type Web site with current
Center              information on a variety of issues for the
                    Latino community. The site includes press releases,
                    information, and survey results on the following
                    topics: demography, economics, education,
                    identity, immigration, labor, politics, and
                    remittances.

Self Reliance       Nonprofit organization that empowers
Foundation          disadvantaged minority populations by linking
                    them with a wide variety of practical
                    information, printable flyers, and links to
                    both national and local
                    community resources.

U.S. Department     By linking to the "Recursos en Espanol," much
of Education        of the information for the Department
                    of Education is provided in Spanish. Also,
                    a links page lists Web sites providing
                    further information in Spanish,
                    including the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

U.S. Department     Sponsors "!Soy Unica! !Soy Latina!"--an
of Health and       interactive, bilingual Web site directed
Human Services      toward Latinas. The site provides numerous
                    resources, including those in print
                    format, that address topics such as drug use
                    and mental and physical health.

White House         Responsible for strengthening the capacity
Initiative on       to provide high-quality education while
Educational         increasing opportunities for Hispanic
Excellence for      Americans to participate in federal education
Hispanic            programs. Information is provided related to
Americans           closing the achievement gap of Hispanic
                    Americans.

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Jose A. Villalba is an assistant professor, Department of Counseling and Educational Development, University of North Carolina at Greensboro. E-mail: [e-mail]

Patrick Akos is an assistant professor, School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Kara Keeter is a school counselor at Millbrook High School, Wake County Public Schools.

Abigail Ames is a school counselor at the Inter-American Academy, Guayaquil, Ecuador.