'They Might Need a Little Extra Hand, You Know': Latino Students in At-Risk Programs

This is a qualitative study in a school district in a large city in the Southwest in response to the research question, "What are staff and student expectations for, and assessment of, three "at-risk" programs in this large school district?" Four thematic findings from observations and interviews in four classes in two high school alternative programs and one alternative high school over one semester are reported, concerning (a) commitment to the programs, (b) labeling of students, (c) student satisfaction, and (d) academic expectations. The impact on students of color, especially Latinos/as, is a focus of this study. Results show that students appreciated the caring and support of the smaller communities. However, academic expectations were low, the school work was remedial, and although they gained extra credits toward graduation, students were not being prepared for more challenging academic work. Such programs do not narrow the achievement gap for students of color. (Contains 1 table and 1 note.)