St. Paul, MN – It’s not just about textbooks and test scores. A groundbreaking report focusing on successful Minnesota high schools reveals that the keys to unlocking the full potential of Latino students lie in fostering deep, meaningful relationships and championing their cultural identities.

Research conducted by HACER, in collaboration with the Chicano-Latino Affairs Council and the Minnesota Humanities Center, examined six secondary schools across the state that have achieved above-average success rates for Latino students. Through in-depth interviews with students, staff, and program leaders, eight critical themes emerged as successful strategies:

1. Building strong relationships and providing individual attention.
2. Fostering motivation by helping students identify and achieve goals.
3. Providing exposure to career and higher education opportunities.
4. Creating an environment of high expectations and academic rigor.
5. Ensuring a welcoming and respectful school environment.
6. Recognizing and valuing students’ cultural identities and needs.
7. Encouraging family involvement through respectful relationships.
8. Utilizing partnerships, collaboration, and community involvement.

“These themes carry with them a series of implications for public policy changes that have the potential to improve educational opportunities for Latino students,” the report states. Crucially, while these strategies benefit all students, their distinctive application in the selected schools was that they were applied equitably to all students, inclusive of Latinos, which “does not appear to be the norm in most schools.”

The emphasis on cultural identity and family involvement stands out. The report notes that traditional school systems often view multilingualism as a liability rather than an asset, pushing students out of English Language Learner (ELL) programs quickly without nurturing their native language skills. This contrasts sharply with research underscoring the “significant advantage of speaking multiple languages” in today’s global economy.

Furthermore, the study acknowledges that many barriers Latino students face, such as financial hardship, immigration status, and language barriers, are often compounded by a disconnect between their culture and the dominant school culture. Successful schools actively work to bridge this gap by building mutually respectful relationships with parents and families, recognizing their needs, and valuing their contributions to a student’s education.

The findings advocate for significant policy shifts, including state-level policies that fund programs prioritizing individual student support and recognize that “education takes place beyond the classroom in students’ families, cultures, and communities.” For teachers and staff, the report recommends intensive training in practices that foster culturally meaningful connections with students, moving beyond just pedagogical strategies.

Ultimately, the report argues that the success of Latino students is not just achievable, but “essential to the success of Minnesota’s culture and economy in an increasingly globalized world,” and that focusing on these holistic, relationship-driven approaches is a “roadmap” to get there.