Date of Award

2014

Degree Type

Dissertation

Department

Education and Human Services

First Advisor

Bagaka's, Joshua

Subject Headings

Hispanic American college students, Hispanic Americans -- Education (Higher) -- United States, Academic achievement -- United States, Postsecondary education -- United States, Minorities -- Education -- United States, Academic attainment High School Latino-a Students Institutional Support College Enrollment Dropout Prevention Programs Mentoring Programs Family Educational Aspirations

Abstract

The study was designed to determine the extent to which individual and institutional support variables can predict Latino/a students' successful completion of high school and enrollment in post-secondary institutions in the U.S. Current research suggests that the Hispanic population will constitute approximately 25 of the national workforce in the USA by the year 2050. However, according to the NCES (2002) data, the high level of dropout rates from high school among Latino/a (11.5 for males and 10.3 for females) is alarming. The study examined individual student factors as well as institutional and family variables that may enhance the likelihood of Latino/a students' completion of secondary education and enrollment in post-secondary institutions. Using the 2002-2006 Education Longitudinal Study data, consisting of a sample of 2,217 Latino/a students, the binary logistic regression model identified students' socioeconomic status, their educational aspirations as well as the aspirations of their parents, and school support programs to be significant predictors of high school completion as well as enrollment in post-secondary education. The findings indicate significant differences between the predictive power of the individual and institutional variables on the completion of high school and enrollment in post-secondary institutions of first, second and third generations of Latino/a students in the U.S. In this study, females of first and second generation Latino/a students were found to be two times more likely than males in the same group to complete high school on time. This trend did not apply to third generation female students who were found to be less likely than males of the same group to complete high school on time, with males holding 20 more chances of completion of high school. The presence of institutional based Dropout Prevention Programs was significantly associated with less likelihood of Completion of High School and Enrollment in Post-Secondary Institution across all generation of Lat

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