Reframing Deficit-Oriented Questions Deficit-Oriented  How does family dysfunction affect Black and Latino male student achievement in school?  What makes young men of color so apathetic and unmotivated at school?  Why are Black and Latino male teens so easily lured into gangs, drug trafficking, and other criminal activities?  Why are Black and Latino men so underrepresented in college and overrepresented in prisons?  Why are generations of Black and Latino families trapped in urban ghettos and seemingly inescapable cycles of poverty?

Reframing Deficit-Oriented Questions Anti-Deficit  How do students maintain academic focus despite instability at home?  What strategies engage these young men and excite them about learning?  How do these teens effectively resist pressures to join gangs and commit crimes?  Fact: There are considerably more year old Black and Latino men in college than in prison – what made higher education more appealing to them?  What inspires young men from low-income neighborhoods to see beyond their present condition?

About the Study  40 public high schools that are part of the NYC Expanded Success Initiative – 93.9% Black and Latino – 66.9% Free Lunch  325 individual interviews with Black and Latino male high school juniors and seniors who: – Maintained grade point averages above 3.0 (or ‘B’) – Were engaged in multiple school clubs and activities – Planned to enroll in college immediately after high school – Had taken a sequence of courses (thus far) that qualified them for admission to a four-year postsecondary institution  90 individual interviews with Black and Latino undergraduate men at 44 colleges and universities

Key Finding How Their Schools Foster College-Going Cultures  Innovative, No-Cost College Messaging Efforts  An oversized spreadsheet  Teacher placards with colleges/universities they attended  College pennants  Intercom announcements  Public displays of acceptance letters and scholarships received  Partnerships with College Access Networks and Preparation Initiatives  Formal Courses in Applying to College

Key Finding Threats to College Success  More than one-quarter of the college men were employed in off- campus jobs.  58.4% were commuters who still lived at home with their families.  Disengagement in clubs, organizations, campus activities, residence hall programming, and enriching educational experiences (e.g., learning communities, study abroad, internships in their fields, collaborative research with faculty, and service learning).  Few substantive relationships with faculty.

Recommendations Correcting Problems in College Counseling and Expectations  Strengthening curricula in counselor education programs (and professional development programs).  Confronting the “no one from here goes there” mindset.  Including tours of community colleges.  Ensuring achievers know about the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, Posse Scholars Program, and income-dependent financial aid initiatives at highly selective postsecondary institutions.  Stronger partnerships with college access networks and higher education graduate programs.  All-school approach to college counseling.

Contact Information Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D. Executive Director Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education Phone: (215) Center website: Faculty website: