Empowering parents helps students

School's programs aim to reduce dropout rates among Hispanics

By Aaron Falk

Deseret News
Published: Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 12:06 a.m. MST
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At Northwest Middle School, Viviana Solari once explained to a Spanish-speaking mother that an F did not mean "fantastic" — no matter what her child had told her.

"Those parents lose their power when they come (to the United States)," said Solari, who works as a student advocate in the west-side school, where more than half the students are Hispanic.

It's one of the reasons why one in four Hispanics in Utah will drop out of school, according to data from the State Office of Education. The state's second-largest racial group's 72 percent graduation rate is the lowest of any group.

Through adult English and technology education programs, however, Solari and others at Northwest have seen those parents become empowered and involved in their children's education.

"This is key for the development of our community," said Guido Arochi, community affairs coordinator for the Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake City. "It encourages adults to get an education and set an example to their children."

The Mexican government chipped in $53,000 last week to help Utah schools teach English and computer skills to Hispanic adults. The money is part of more than $1 million the government will spread around the United States, the Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake announced.

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Northwest will receive $15,000 of that money to pay for computer classes. About 25 parents take the free, five-month course at Northwest. Solari hopes to expand the program to include elementary through high school education for some parents.

Already, teachers at the school have seen parents who had never touched a mouse before learn to use the Internet to keep tabs on their children's grades.

"Parental involvement sends just a powerful message," said Jay Smink, executive director of the National Dropout Prevention Center at Clemson University. "If parents are involved, it sends the message ... that education is valued and I expect you to do well. It sends a very positive message. That's true for all kids, but it's sometimes much more important for Hispanics because of language issues."

Spanish-speaking parents are at times reluctant to involve themselves with their students' performance because they feel frustrated by language barriers and overwhelmed by unfamiliar teachers and administrators, Solari said.

The community education center inside Northwest has allowed parents to familiarize themselves with the school.

Educators hope parental involvement at an early age will carry over into better graduation rates.

"If you can get them while they're young, they're more successful in high school," said Shannon Clough, a truancy specialist at Northwest. "These are big years."

There was a time when Clough had 20 students, most of them Hispanic, with more than two dozen absences each year. But the school's truancy specialist says things are improving. As parents have become more comfortable dealing with teachers and administrators, the number of chronically truant students has been slashed to about three a year, Clough said.

"The school is more like a community home now," she