Perceptions of Barriers to K-12 Academic Achievement Among Latinos in the U.S

The Latino population in the United States increased 57.9% from 1990 to 2000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). There are currently almost 10 million school age Latino children in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008). Unfortunately, Latino children tend to have lower grades, standardized test scores, and high school completion rates than White students (National Center for Education Statistics, 2005; Pew Hispanic Research Center, 2004). Since the Latino population in the U.S. continues to grow, it is important to determine what factors contribute to the problem of low K-12 academic achievement. This study utilized social construction theory to examine the differences in perceptions of barriers to K-12 academic achievement among Latinos in the United States based on the participants' level of linguistic acculturation, generational status, academic achievement, and socioeconomic status.

Data were drawn from the 2004 National Survey of Latinos: Education compiled by the Pew Hispanic Research Center between August 7 and October 15, 2003, from 3421 adults regarding their attitudes toward education. This study utilized data from the 1508 participants who identified themselves as being of Hispanic/Latino heritage. Over 63 percent of the Latino participants identified themselves as being of Mexican descent. Forty-four percent of the identified Hispanic/Latinos were male and 56% were female. The mean age of the participants was 43. Forty-four percent of the self identified Hispanic/Latino participants preferred to be interviewed in Spanish. Fifty-nine percent had annual family incomes of $35,000 or less and 56.8% had a high school diploma/GED or lower. Participants were asked to respond to various statements as “not a reason,” “minor reason,” or “major reason” why Latino students perform as well academically as White students.

Contrary to the hypothesis, multinomial logistic regression results indicated that participants with higher levels of linguistic acculturation and socioeconomic status were more likely to perceive barriers to K-12 Latino students achieving academic success at the same level as White students. Higher socioeconomic status participants and those with higher levels of linguistic acculturation were significantly more likely to perceive cultural differences between teachers and students as a possible barrier to high academic achievement among Latino students. Female participants and participants with higher levels of academic achievement were also more likely to perceive the quality of teachers in schools with predominantly Latino students as being lower than schools with predominantly White students. Women in this study were also more likely than men to perceive barriers to K-12 academic success among Latino students.

The results support the theory that certain individual characteristics such as linguistic acculturation, academic achievement, and socioeconomic status, are related to the social construction of perceived barriers in education. Addressing perceived barriers in education is important because if not addressed, Latino students may continue to have lower levels of academic achievement and as a result, not be able to graduate from high school or continue on to college. Social workers can use this information to collaborate with schools, parents, and policy makers to address the perceived and structural barriers to high academic achievement among Latino students.