| Purpose. The purpose of this study was to identify areas in which Hispanic at-risk students in Pre-Advanced Placement (Pre-AP) and Advanced Placement (AP) courses were being supported academically from home, at school and in the community. The rationale for this study is that approximately 3000 secondary students are dropping out of school daily. Only about 55% of Hispanic students graduate from high school and less than 12% earn a bachelor's degree. However, some at-risk students are being successful in Pre-AP and AP courses.; Subjects. The subjects were from a large urban independent school district where the ethnic composition is 63% Hispanic, 27% African American, 7%, White, 3% Asian, and <1% other. Four inner-city high schools with 6,614 students provided a random sample of 430 Pre-AP and AP at-risk students for this study.; Methodology. Content validity of the HY-SUCCESS (Hispanic Youth - Students Underrepresented in College-Prep Courses Educational Success Scale) instrument was established using content analysis, an expert panel, and a pilot test. HY-SUCCESS was based upon the tenets of the Hispanic Academic Advancement Theory and Overlapping Spheres of Influence Theory. A Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .89 for scores from this sample determined internal consistency reliability. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used as the statistical procedure for determining differences between several independent and dependent variables.; Findings. My study found that parents' level of education, Bilingual, ESL, and Gifted and Talented programs had positive significance influencing student support. No positive significance was found linking areas of support to passing the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) test.; Conclusions and implications. This study: (a) added to the literature related to areas of support for Hispanic at-risk students, (b) focused on Hispanic students in Pre-AP and AP courses, a population not traditionally studied in this context, (c) confirmed the importance of parental education, which indirectly benefits the children, (d) identified pre-requisite programs for AP courses, (e) offered a new theoretical framework and instrument to identify lack of support for at-risk students, and (f) provided data for decision makers to evaluate effective programs that support at-risk students.; Keywords. Hispanic, At-Risk, Advanced Placement Courses, Support, Home, School, or Community... |
