Capítulo 4 Características de las economías
4.6 Propiedad intelectual
Although many Latino parents plan for their children to attend college, they may not always know how and when to start preparing. This project was designed for Latino parents with little to no academic experiences who are consequently unable to guide and support their children through the college process. The purpose of this project was to develop a series of workshops that will be given to Latino, middle school and/or high school parents throughout an 8-week period. Parents will be educated on topics such as A-G requirements, AP and honors classes, SAT/ACT exams, GPA, and extra-curricular activities. In addition to the workshops, a newsletter will also be included to be sent home on a biweekly basis. The newsletter will summarize the content of the workshops for those who were unable to attend. The workshops and newsletters should be provided in both, English and Spanish.
Development of Project
While interning at a middle school and at a high school in the same area, I began to notice some areas of concern. At the middle school, I realized that there was a lack of collaboration between the school and the parents. Although the school was mostly composed of Latino parents who were often Spanish speaking only, the school rarely provided professional translators. Instead, they often had teacher assistants or students translate important information. At the middle school, I was also shocked to hear a few parents on different occasions mention that it was “too early to start preparing for college” when in fact it is almost too late. On the other hand, at the high school level I witnessed some of the repercussions that resulted from a lack of academic guidance.
After talking to some of the Professional School Counselors at the middle school and high school I felt that there was a need for support through this type of program for Latino families with little or no academic experiences.
Intended Audience
This program is designed for middle school and high school Latino parents who are unable to guide their children through the college process. At the middle school level, workshops should be given to the parents of 7th and 8th grade students. It is important at this time for pertinent topics to be introduced to parents who will soon transition to high school. At the high school level, the workshops should also be offered to the 9th and 10th grade Latino parents that still lack information. When implementing the workshops in high schools, it is important that topics are covered with much more detail. The Professional School Counselors will be asked to promote the workshops so those interested can sign-up. However, Professional School Counselors will also be asked to identify families who would benefit from the workshops and reach out to them.
Personal Qualifications
It is important that those presenting the workshops have knowledge of the topics to be covered during the workshops. School Counselors would be ideal presenters as they are often attending workshops for professional development to remain current with trends in the field. It is recommended that local high school counselors be invited to present to the middle school parents to help promote collaboration. However, any administrator, teacher, or counseling intern (under the direct supervision of a credentialed school counselor) who is informed and up to date could present to the parents. If areas of
expertise differ or time conflicts arise, various professionals are encouraged to present the
workshops. It is important that for the duration of the workshops, there is an assigned Professional School Counselor overseeing the entire program. In addition, if the presenter(s) do not speak Spanish, it is necessary that an experienced translator be present. Those presenting must look through the material beforehand to ensure that they are familiar with important key terms and subject matter.
Environment and Equipment
The workshops should take place inside the schools, in a room big enough to accommodate all of those who have signed up. The room must have desks for the parents to be able to write. A white board, markers, a laptop and a projector will also be needed to present the information. In addition, the parents will need copies of the material presented (hole punched), filler paper, pencils/pens, and a binder with eight pocket dividers for parents to store handouts according to topic.
Project Outline
Workshop #1- Introduction/Calculating GPA
The counselor will give the parents an overview of the different topics that will be covered during the workshops. Parents will be engaged in a discussion about the importance of parental involvement in the college process. During this meeting parents will be asked to complete a pre-test. In the end, parents will learn how to calculate GPA.
Workshop #2- A-G Requirements
The counselor will review the A-G requirements to help parents understand how many years are required of each subject. Parents will be given a chart where they can keep track of A-G courses their child has completed.
Workshop #3- Honors and AP Courses
The counselor will help the parents understand the differences between an honors course and an AP course. The counselor will then facilitate a group discussion about the pros and cons of taking honors and AP classes.
Workshop #4- California Colleges and Universities
The counselor will explain to parents what community colleges, public universities, and private colleges/universities are. The counselor will identify what types of
degrees/certificates students can obtain at each school. In addition, counselors will ask parents to name a couple of public and private universities to search tuition costs.
Workshop #5- College Entrance Exams
The counselor will explain to the parents what the SAT, SAT Subject Tests, ACT, and ACT Plus Writing exams are and the content that they each measure. In addition, the counselor will review the registration process and fees for each exam. The counselor will then show parents the index charts for CSUs and UCs so parents can see what score their child needs to aim for depending on GPA.
Workshop #6- Exploring Careers and Colleges
The counselor will talk about different careers and their corresponding major(s). The counselor will also discuss the importance of selecting a college based on major.
Websites will be shown to assist with both career and college exploration.
Workshop #7- Financial Aid Options
Counselor will go over all financial aid options. The counselor will also show parents the different sites students must visit to apply. Parents will be given a checklist of items they will need to fill out the applications.
Workshop #8- Final Workshop/Extracurricular Activities
The counselor will talk to parents about the importance of extracurricular activities. A list of extra curricular activities will be provided to parents. The counselor will briefly go over the different topics discussed and will ask parents to share any comments they may have. In the end parents will be asked to take a post-test to measure knowledge gained.
Chapter 4: CONCLUSION