Retention and Success
of ESL Latino/a Students

Those students who were interviewed at the North County campus felt very appreciative for the support and encouragement they have received from the North County ESL recruiter, Mrs. Margarita Ramirez. The most common response from the students was the following: "Margarita makes us feel welcome, and she is caring."

Students in the South County also expressed positive comments about the ESL recruiter, Mrs. Estella Vazquez. One student said the following:

"I come from a small village in Mexico, and it was scary for me to come to school because I didnít know if I was going to be accepted or welcomed. Thanks to Estella I am here. She was the one who encouraged me to attend."

Generally speaking, students also expressed high regards for their ESL instructors. Students were very appreciative of those instructors who made an effort to include all of the students in the classroom activities and discussions. Students mentioned one instructor that uses 3 x 5 cards to make sure that everyone has a chance to speak in class.

However, the findings of the study also indicate that although students are satisfied with their college experience, some students expressed concerns with their experiences inside the classroom. For example, students expressed that the amount of material was sometimes extensive, and often it was hard to process all of it on a timely fashion. As an example, one student said the following:

"It is too fast sometimes, and it is worst when we take a test because sometimes I am not even done with my test when the teacher is already explaining the material for next class. I get nervous because I am trying to complete my test and trying to understand what the instructor is explaining, and I can not catch up."

Interestingly, students also expressed their desire for coming to class more often. For the majority of the ESL students the classroom is the only place where they can practice their English skills. According to the students, "this makes it more difficult to retain the material specially from Thursday to Tuesday."

This research study also uncovered that some students felt isolated when instructors concentrated only on those students who repeatedly raised their hand and participated in class.

Very importantly, it became clear from the survey data collected that students were not aware of the support services available to them, and they also expressed that they would like to see more offices open at night. Eighty percent (80%) of the students surveyed indicated that they were not aware of the services provided by the counselors. Ninety (90%) of the students also indicated that they were not familiar with Latino organizations on campus and they also indicated that they were not aware of cultural events on campus.

Students were asked to identify some of the greatest challenges they faced. These included: language barriers, lack of financial support, long working hours, lack of childcare, and the amount of material presented in class. "Financial challenges" and "lack of progress in language acquisition" were the main reasons why the majority of the students thought about dropping out.

Students perceived the following as barriers to their course success and program retention: 1) language, 2) financial aid, 3) lack of family support, and 4) fear of failure.

The factors that students identified as the most influential to their course retention included: 1) financial aid, 2) caring and competent bilingual staff, 3) support programs and services available to students, 4) encouragement of family and friends, 7) campus climate, and 8) encouragement by Cuesta staff in general.

Recommendations to Overcome These Challenges

The research data indicated that in order to ensure that Cuesta increases the retention and academic success of ESL students, consideration should be given to the following recommendations:

… Provide students with more information regarding support programs and services available at Cuesta College including counseling, financial aid, childcare, etc.

… Hire more bilingual staff.

… Provide support groups for ESL students and inform them about the Latino/a studentsí organizations on campus.

… Promote mentoring programs for ESL students.

… Explore the possibility of changing ESL class offerings from two days a week to four days a week

… Reconsider the establishment of a small multicultural center where students could come and access information regarding campus resources, cultural activities and establish personal connections with peers, faculty and staff. (The "Re-entry Center" might act as a model).

… Offer more support services at times when ESL students are on campus (mainly in late afternoon and during the evening).

… Conduct more research to explore in further detail the individual and personal dynamics that students are experiencing inside the ESL classroom at Cuesta:

o Study the extent to which cultural values affect studentsí interactions in the classroom and how these relate to course completion, academic success and persistence.

o Isolate and document the ways in which Latino students find Cuesta a "Latino-friendly" institution.

 

1 This research study was conducted as part of a Master of Arts Research Project entitled "Retention and Success of Latino/a Students at Cuesta College" conducted for the College of Education, Cal Poly, May 2004. For more information or to initiate a dialogue, contact Glenda Moscoso at gmoscoso@cuesta.edu.