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Article
Four Steps to a Paradigm Shift: Employing Critical Perspectives to Improve Outreach to Low-SES African-American and Latino Students and Their Parents
Journal of College Admission
  • Michael J. Smith, Portland State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-1-2008
Disciplines
Abstract

Access to American higher education is increasingly becoming a privilege for upper-class youth while low-socioeconomic status (SES) youth are increasingly marginalized and unable to compete in the college choice game. In order to increase parent involvement in college choice for low-SES African-American and Latino parents, a paradigm shift must take place. Specifically, these parents must be acknowledged for how they are already involved, and encouraged to convert their non-college aspirations for their children into college dreams. This paper argues that, for this to happen, admission and outreach offices would have to approach outreach and recruitment to this demographic as service for the public good, thereby encouraging cooperation between colleges and universities rather than competition. Finally, it would be essential that regional collectives established for the public good be established to make such efforts cost effective and more evenly spread throughout all Carnegie Classification levels (of nonprofit, degree granting, higher education).

Description

This is the publisher's final PDF. Originally published in the Journal of College Admission.

Persistent Identifier
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/10314
Citation Information
Smith, M. J. (2008). Four Steps to a Paradigm Shift: Employing Critical Perspectives to Improve Outreach to Low-SES African-American and Latino Students and Their Parents. Journal Of College Admission, (201), 17-23.