Taking an Equity Lens: Reconceptualizing Research on Latinx Students’ Schooling Experiences and Educational Outcomes

• Author: Claudia L. Galindo
• Published date: 01 July 2021
• Date: 01 July 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00027162211043770
• Subject Matter: Education

106 ANNALS, AAPSS, 696, July 2021

DOI: 10.1177/00027162211043770

Taking an

Equity Lens:

Reconcept ua-

lizing Research

on Latinx

Students’

Schooling

Experiences

and Educational

Outcomes

By

CLAUDIA L. GALINDO

1043770ANN THE ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMYTAKING AN EQUITY LENS

research-article2021

Previous research has expanded our understanding of

Latinx students’ schooling and outcomes in many ways,

but current knowledge fails to appreciate nuances asso-

ciated with the constantly evolving Latinx population.

In many cases, schools are ill prepared to serve these

students. I offer recommendations for developing a

robust knowledge base on the education of Latinx stu-

dents and the roles that schools play in perpetuating or

ameliorating inequities. Specifically, I discuss strength-

based perspectives and the expansive diversity of the

population as concepts that are essential to framing

research and interventions that aim to improve educa-

tion for the Latinx student population. I review the

empirical evidence on achievement outputs and key

features of the school opportunity gap—segregation,

discrimination, family-school partnerships, classroom

teaching and learning, and instruction language use.

Finally, I propose implications for developing equity-

oriented reforms to support the continuous improve-

ment of Latinx students’ education.

Keywords: Latinx students; schooling experiences;

educational outcomes; equity

Scholars from multiple disciplinary perspectives

have examined Latinx students’ schooling

experiences and educational outcomes over time

and in different places.1 Research has demon-

strated that, on average, Latinx students’ educa-

tion outcomes (e.g., test scores, grade point

average [GPA], years of education) were below

those of their peers. We also learned that Latinx

students’ identity markers, such as country of ori-

gin and generational status, were related to varia-

bility in outcomes (Portes and Rumbaut 2001).

Claudia L. Galindo is an associate professor of educa-

tion policy at the University of Maryland. Her research

examines minoritized and poor students’ learning and

schooling experiences, paying particular attention to

Latinx populations. She also investigates mechanisms in

families, schools, and communities that may perpetuate

or ameliorate inequities. She teaches courses on sociol-

ogy of education and research methodologies.

Correspondence: galindo@umd.edu

TAKING AN EQUITY LENS 107

In addition, researchers have highlighted family and neighborhood attributes

associated with Latinx students’ education disparities. Lower academic test

scores were linked to family demographic characteristics (e.g., parents’ educa-

tional attainment, economic status, and English proficiency), and to “limited”

access to educational resources and neighborhood socioeconomic composition.

Other scholars have identified opportunity gaps by showing that Latinx students

attend schools with varying levels of quality located in high-poverty neighbor-

hoods (Gándara and Contreras 2009). Without doubt, the previous waves of

research have expanded our understanding of Latinx education in many ways.

For many Latinx students, schools are the first U.S. institution that they

encounter, and schools offer the potential to improve their educational opportu-

nities and economic well-being (Suárez-Orozco, Suárez-Orozco, and Todorova

2008). However, our current knowledge on Latinx students’ schooling experi-

ences and outcomes is incomplete and (in some regard) distorted. Policy-makers,

practitioners and researchers, though, fail to fully appreciate that the Latinx

student population is constantly evolving and changing, and schools in many

cases are ill prepared to respond to their multiple needs. I argue that the field

needs to move away from monolithic understandings of the Latinx population

and take stock of the multiple strengths of Latinx students and families. Starting

with the Coleman Report in 1966, analyzing students’ outputs became common

practice to evaluate academic performance; however, students’ outputs are highly

influenced by individual attributes and diverse contexts (e.g., families and neigh-

borhoods). I propose to center the analysis of Latinx education on the trans-

formative potential of schools, considering both schools’ inputs and students’

outputs to understand the roles that schools play in perpetuating or ameliorating

inequities. The resulting knowledge can help education stakeholders and schools

to embrace equity-oriented policies and practices that address Latinx students’

diverse needs, strengthen their instruction, and alleviate educational disparities.

Not all Latinx subgroups face educational struggles, but many do. As I discuss

here, particular subgroups (e.g., first-generation Latinx students living in pov-

erty) show significant educational disadvantages, whereas other subgroups (e.g.,

English-speaking students, middle-class Latinx) have similar educational out-

comes as white students. Besides the multiple benefits for society of improving

the educational outcomes of one of the fastest growing segments of the youth

population, students’ outcomes and experiences have cumulative consequences

for their future learning and upward mobility. Multiple studies have documented

the importance of early learning for later achievement and high school comple-

tion. For example, Chetty etal. (2011) demonstrated that the features of kinder-

garten classrooms (e.g., class size, teacher experience) were associated with

NOTE: This article was partially funded by the Spencer Foundation and a research and schol-

arship award from the Graduate School, University of Maryland. Special thanks to graduate

researchers who assisted with the literature review for the article: Antoinette Waller, Nicole

Mejia, and Marissa Sariol-Clough. I appreciate the feedback provided by the editors, an

anonymous reviewer, and Betty Malen on earlier drafts of this article. The opinions included

are those of the author.