| The persistent Latin@ educational achievement and attainment gap has long been documented and studied. However, a small and significant number of resilient Latin@ students manage to navigate and negotiate their way through the educational pipeline despite being historically underserved by the United States (Yozzo & Solórzano, 2006). Understanding how Latin@ students are able to thrive in spite of, rather than because of, the existing educational pipeline may offer insight into educational transformation that is informed by the experiences of students being served.;The study examined Latin@ adolescents' perspectives on resilience. The main research question asked: What are Latin@ adolescents' perspectives on resiliency and what do they identify for schools to facilitate resilience among middle school students? To address the main research question, the study examined three types of questions, divided into phases, namely: quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods.;A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used, incorporating a three-phase approach: first quantitative data were collected and analyzed on 222 sixth- to eighth-grade Latin@ students at a predominately low-income middle school located in Southern California; secondly, qualitative approaches were used to bring voice to the findings from the quantitative results; and thirdly, a mixed methods phase was used to examine the concordance and discordance of phases one and two.;The study used survey instruments and school database information to assess the relationship among constructs related to resilience and academic performance. The qualitative data, namely semi-structured focus groups, case studies (involving family pláticas), educator interviews, and researcher journal reflections, explored resilience among a subset of students from the same research site.;The salient findings of the study suggest the following: 1. Quantitative trends: High in Individual, Relational, and Communal/Contextual Resilience as well as significant differences when comparing students' grade levels; 2. Qualitative trend: Categories that foster and inhibit resilience emerged in context of study's themes of Individual Resilience, Relational Resilience, and Communal/Contextual Resilience; 3. Mixed methods: Points of Concordance and Discordance were evident when comparing findings from quantitative and qualitative phases of study.;The study offers insights and understanding regarding the complexities faced by Latin@ youth as they successfully maneuver through the U.S. educational pipeline. The study also contributes to the body of research focused on the roles schools can play in facilitating resilience and understanding how Latin@ youth are able to thrive in spite of, rather than because of, the existing educational pipeline. |
