Doctoral Dissertation Research: Mexican-Americans and the College Attendance Gap

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SES-0828249Dina OkamotoSarah OvinkUniversity of California-DavisLatinos are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, and also have the nation?s lowest high school graduation rate and the largest gender gap in high school attainment. These realities severely restrict the group?s potential for college attainment, though more so for males than females. In the current ?college for all? culture of educational attainment, what influences the divergent post-high school pathways of Mexican-American students, a large proportion of the Latino population? This dissertation research studies the influences, motivations, aspirations and expectations of Mexican-American students and their potential contribution to gender disparities in their postsecondary pathways. The research addresses the following questions, with an emphasis on understanding gender differences in processes, mechanisms, and outcomes: 1) What are the educational motivations, aspirations and expectations of Mexican-American high school seniors? 2) What factors (including incentives and resources) lead Mexican-American high school seniors to choose a college-bound path? 3) What mechanisms can account for the formation of college aspirations? 4) What do Mexican Americans perceive as the returns to college completion? Do differing perceptions lead to differing aspirations and expectations? The co-PI will interview 50 Mexican-American students attending high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Interviews will take place at three time-points as the students progress through their senior year and transition to their postsecondary educational or labor force careers. These qualitative findings will build a more comprehensive model of Mexican Americans? postsecondary pathways and evaluate the generalizability of the model using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS). Broader Impacts. The research has implications for academic and policy debates on differential attainment and educational inequalities among race/ethnic groups. The focus on the Mexican-American gender gap will help to develop educational policy that can aid the group as a whole, and Mexican-American males in particular. The project will also broaden the participation of underrepresented groups by including Mexican-American students as research participants.. The dissertation research will serve as a means to mentor these students, while training them in empirical research methods. Finally, research findings will be disseminated at various academic conferences, such as the American Sociological Association and American Educational Research Association annual meetings.