Increasing Latino Enrollment in Our Catholic Schools October 28, 2014

Hispanic Recruitment Initiative Catholic Schools Foundation, Boston Background Results Strategies

Step One: Outreach/Relationship Building HRI Strategies Step One: Outreach/Relationship Building Understand Your Community Demographics Build Community Bridges Reach Out to and Inform New Parents Step Two: Admissions Provide Enrollment Assistance Track and Follow up in Spanish Step Three: Retention Offer Family Support Celebrate Culture

Understand your Community Demographics Know your community Keep track of demographic trends Identify growing immigrant communities Step One: Outreach/Relationship Building

Where to Find Resources U.S. Census; census.gov Topics  Population  Hispanic Origins Pew Research Hispanic Trends Project; pewhispanic.org “Mapping the Latino Population, By State, County and City” by Anna Brown and Mark Hugo Lopez Masses, local stores, and advertisements Step One: Outreach/Relationship Building

Latinos are the nation’s largest minority group and among its fastest growing populations. The Latino population in 2012 was 53 million, making up 17% of the U.S. population. Latino population growth between 2000 and 2010 accounted for more than half of the nation’s population growth. Brown & Lopez, 2013 Step One: Outreach/Relationship Building

Hispanic Population in Connecticut Latinos are the largest minority group in CT Puerto Ricans are the majority origin group of Hispanics in CT (54.8%) Total Hispanic Population: 494,000 (U.S. rank: 17) Hispanics as Percent of State Population: 14% (U.S. rank: 11) Number of Hispanics Enrolled in K-12: 115,000 (U.S. Rank: 19) Hispanics as Percent of All K-12 Students: 19% (U.S. Rank 13) Step One: Outreach/Relationship Building

Hispanic as Percent of Population by County Hartford: 16.6% 38% increase since 1990; 3% increase since 2000 26.8% of the population under 18 is Hispanic Litchfield: 5.2% 104% increase since 1990; 5% increase since 2000 New Haven: 16.4% 63% increase since 2000; 2% increase since 2000 Between 2000 and 2010, Waterbury’s Hispanic population increased by 11,000 individuals Step One: Outreach/Relationship Building

Focus on Building a Relationship with and Presence in your Parishes Provide a constant school presence at local churches Speak at Masses; be present following Host a coffee hour after Mass Speak to religious ed. classes and directors Speak to parents individually; ask pastors and deacons to refer families Survey parish communities Step One: Outreach/Relationship Building

Address Reasons Why Families Are Not Applying Ask families why they do not enroll their children Current Interested families that do not enroll Survey your parishioners (in English and Spanish) Erase the myths surrounding public and Catholic schools Step One: Outreach/Relationship Building

Sample Parish Survey and Results The purpose of this survey is to collect data for the Catholic Schools Foundation on Catholic schools. Your answers will help schools to reach out and offer assistance to interested families.   What type of school does your child attend?  Public Catholic What grade is your child in? ________ If your child is in a Catholic school, please skip to question # 7 if not, please continue. Do you know what Catholic schools are in your area?  Yes  No If you answered yes, please list the school/s ______________________________ If you answered yes, please indicate how you know of the school. (Mark all that apply  I have seen the school building  I know someone who has a child in the school  I have seen the school advertised  The church promotes and talks about the school Other: _______________________ What keeps you from having your child attend a Catholic school? (Mark all that apply)  Cost of tuition  Language  Difficult applications  They will ask for personal information I am not comfortable providing  My child will struggle (academically or behaviorally)  I don’t know much about the school Other: _________________________ How much, approximately, do you think Catholic schools cost without financial assistance? $_____________monthly (or annually) What can the Catholic school in your area do to help you to apply and register your child? _____________________________________________________________ What do you believe are advantages to sending your child to a Catholic school? (mark all that apply)  Religion in school  Strong academics  Good morals/ethics  Student behavior is better  School is open to accepting families  Student will have a better future  there are no advantages Other:____________________________ Thank you for filling out this survey! Your answers are important to us! Sample Parish Survey and Results

Step Two: Admissions Models of Admissions Hispanic Recruitment Initiative 2008-Present Catholic Schools Admissions Collaborative 2011-Present Madrinas or Family Liaisons 2013 Step Two: Admissions

Create a Relationship with the Family Keep in mind how important “relationship” is to a Hispanic family Track and follow up in Spanish Provide language support if necessary Step Two: Admissions

Provide Translated Materials Work with local translation services Translate websites Provide translators at large events Bilingual Front Office Staff “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, it goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, it goes to his heart.” –Nelson Mandela Parent Volunteers, Google Translate, Apps such as Vocre Step Two: Admissions

Step Three: Retention Identify Key Players in your School Who do families communicate with when reaching out to your school? Are they the best person for this job? Which teachers and staff members are passionate about outreach to Latinos? Step Three: Retention

Hispanic Families’ Relationships to Education Respect for the Teacher and School High Expectations Family Relationships Belief that Catholic Schools are for the Elite Step Three: Retention

Partnering with Families Communicate in the parents’ first language as much as possible Explicitly explain parts of U.S. school culture we may take for granted: Back-to-school nights, conferences, PTO functions, fundraising, field trips, lunch forms Keeping in Mind: Scheduling Transportation Childcare Step Three: Retention

Provide Student Support Address ELL students early Teachers should not assume students are already receiving additional help Provide opportunities for leadership roles Step Three: Retention

Celebrate Culture Connect school, home and community Step Three: Retention

Understanding Your Students’ Backgrounds Incorporate children’s cultures into the curriculum Ask students to teach you about their culture Classroom or School Ideas: Family Shields, Questionnaires, Student Interviews, Parent Letters, Home Visits Step Three: Retention

Resources ColorinColorado.org PewHispanic.org “Helpful Words and Phrases in Spanish” “How to Reach Out to Parents of ELLs” “Lessons Learned from Immigrant Families” “FAQs: Multicultural Education” “Getting to Know Your ELLs: Six Steps for Success” “Hispanics of Puerto Rican Origin in the United States, 2011” “Hispanics of Dominican Origin in the United States, 2011” “US Hispanic Population by County ” “Second-Generation Americans: A Portrait of the Adult Children of Immigrants”

Resources ESL Certification Programs USCCB Web Searches and Handouts National Hispanic Month Our Lady of Guadalupe Las Posadas National Migration Week Oscar Romero Megan

Conclusion “The Church of the twenty-first century will be, as it has always been, a Church of many cultures, languages, and traditions, yet simultaneously one, as God is one – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – unity in diversity.” (USCCB, 2000)

Megan Adzima Director of the Catholic Schools Admissions Collaborative Director of Hispanic Outreach Catholic Schools Foundation 260 Franklin Street suite 630 • Boston, Massachusetts 02110 madzima@csfboston.org