Hispanic students get help from scholars

Hispanic Scholars Program Helps Rogers Students
By Lana F. Flowers THE MORNING NEWS November 30, 2008

ROGERS -- Hispanic students who performed well on standardized tests, but whose families do not speak English at home, can learn more about the American college and scholarship system.

Mark Sparks, Rogers School District deputy superintendent, has started an Hispanic Scholars program to inform students about credits needed for high school graduation, how to apply to colleges and how to get college scholarships.

High school counselors and others offer the same information to non-Hispanic white students, but Hispanic students need the information more, Sparks said, as they might not have as much family support for going to college.

“Look at a high school education as college prep. Instead of an end, it is more of a means for the education,” Sparks said.

About 60 people attended the first Hispanic Scholars meeting on Oct. 28, Sparks said, including students, their siblings and parents. They learned how much more a student can earn in a lifetime with a college education.

A bachelor's degree in today’s dollars is worth more than $2.1 million over 40 years, according to an article posted on salary comparison Web site www.salary.com.

Statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor show job categories predicted to grow faster than average during the next decade all require college diplomas. These careers -- including teaching, health care and technology -- will account for 42 percent of the nation’s projected job growth by 2013.

High school students must take rigorous courses -- such as Algebra II and science -- to pass the ACT test and get into college.

The next Hispanic Scholars meeting will be held in February and will provide students and their families information about how to register for the ACT. Students will go online in a computer lab, register for the test and learn how to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, Sparks said.

Others in the district are working with the Hispanic Scholars program and monitoring progress to ensure students know about college opportunities.

Jessica Sallis, an English as a Second Language specialist in elementary schools, said she is working with high school teachers to see what district officials already do and what else must be done to get more Hispanic students prepared for college.

For example, district officials on Nov. 24 held a workshop, “Helping Your Child Reach Higher Expectations,” at Grace Hill Elementary School. The workshop targeted parents who speak English as a second language. Topics included encouraging self-esteem, motivation and responsibility among high school students.

Sparks’ Hispanic Scholars program is targeting sophomores and juniors, but he eventually wants to start the program with students as early as sixth grade.

“It’s a family culture issue” that takes time to solve, he said.

Sallis said another issue is identifying students’ strengths and interests to help determine future careers.

“First, they have to graduate high school and then choose a path,” she said.

“It might be welding, so they want to go to welding school,” or it might be going on to a four-year university, Sallis said.

“The third thing is to finish that path. What we do in high school can impact the first two steps,” she said.

Sallis will examine programs targeting Hispanic students throughout the year, then report to administrators and the Rogers School Board at year’s end.