Disparities In STEM Study

Latino/a first generation college students are also stressed due to financial anxiety. Since, Latino/a first-generation college students come from predominately low socioeconomic status families that never thought about saving money for college, the stress about how to pay for college and tuition arises. Since these students are the first from their family to attend college, academic and financial expectations are increased with the now need to balance school and work in order to pay for their education and basic life expenses. Most low income families will benefit from the FAFSA and government grants; however, if the lack of necessary resources as mentioned above is not present. The guidance of how to fill of the FASA was mostly likely not there.

Michael S. Teitelbaum argues in his report, “ The Myth of the Science and Engineering Shortage” that while it may be true that there is an increase in STEM jobs in the US, the fact is for the majority of STEM jobs the wages have been stagnant or declining, indicating that there is no demand for STEM graduates. Teitelbaum continues by stating that it is very simple to claim there is a shortage in STEM by hand-picking specialized fields in STEM that may currently have a shortage due to location and specific years, as a result of changing technology, But to state that all STEM related occupations are experiencing a shortage because a few specialized fields are experiencing a shortage is dangerous as it paints a false a narrative of reality to pursuers’ of STEM degrees. In addition when comparing the unemployment rate of occupations such as registered nurses, physicians, dentists, and lawyers to occupations in STEM, that proponents of STEM have valiantly claimed are experiencing a massive shortage, the unemployment for STEM occupations is staggering. With recent graduates suffering the most with unemployment rates in engineering and computer science above seven percent, as well as an unemployment rate hovering slightly below twelve percent for graduates in information systems ( Teitelbaum). Teitelbaum states that while it may be true that the US is consistently scoring in the middle in international assessments, they are still producing a third of all high-performing students in science and fourteen percent of high-performing students in math. In addition, he states he is not against the push for science and math, as he believes all high school students should be adept in both, but that there is “a big disconnect between this broad educational imperative and

In a 2004 journal by Susan Auerbach, the concept of parental influence and support for Latina/o students is addressed. Auerbach shares that, “Research suggests the pivotal role of parents in promoting students’ college going” (Auerbach, p.127). It is no mystery that parents have great influence over their children, and when a parent is uneducated on how to best advise their child regarding higher education, they are unable to use this influence to encourage attendance. Auerbach states, “Families without a tradition of college going do not have sufficient knowledge to help their children navigate pathways to college” (Auerbach, p.140). According to the Latino Eligibility Study, the single most important barrier to college access for Latino students in California is lack of active knowledge of the steps needed to go to college (Gandara, 1998,2002). Parents of first generation students need tools that can aid in the child’s success and serve as a means of knowledge on what can be a challenging and confusing process. Another issue tied to parent involvement and understanding is that, “Poor and working class Latino families come to college preparation relatively late in students’ careers, with fewer resources and more obstacles” (Auerbach, p.136). The journal supports the idea that Latino/a parents are in need of early access to college preparation education in order to be able to challenge and support their

First generation students are characterized as unprepared for college. The Latino first generation is so pervasive and over population that many Latino first generation do not have a affliction as those whose family has been in the United States for a while. A first generation student especially that is Latino, are usually from income are notoriously low compare those to all American family. Over the past decade, the latino population has grown from 35.3 million to 50.5 million , composing 16.3 percent of the total population. In fact, more than half of the growth in the total population in the U.S from 2000 to 2010 can be attributed to the increase in the Latino population. Latinos clearly constitute a vital population of the U.S population. Only 37% of Latino high school complete between the 18 and 24 are enrolled in college and one at of ten hold a college degree. Overall , there household plays a huge part into the minds of a first generation

Families are now aiming low when it comes to college- or are simply not going at all. Money could play a huge part in this decision- after all, the cost of college has skyrocketed over the years, and so has the amount of student loan debt. This is something even Leonhardt admits, stating that, because of this, only about 33 percent of young adults get a four-year college degree today, while another 10 percent receive a two-year degree (Leonhardt). And even though many colleges offer financial aid packages, that money may soon be cut and the cost of college will continue to grow. It is true that, in my personal experience, just because a student is awarded financial aid does not mean they have a golden ticket to University. This leaves many desperate students the only option of taking out as many loans as they think they can handle- often more than they should. Debt is not a new issue for America, but it is still a problem. Although David Autor, an M.I.T. economist, laments: “not sending [young adults] to college would be a disaster”, no one can ignore the rising rates of loan defaults, and some think it

Studies show that although the number of Latino college enrollment rates have increased significantly, persistence and graduation rates tell a different story. Latinos are graduating high school and enrolling in college at higher rates, becoming the largest minority group in our nation’s colleges and universities. Yet only 22% of young Latino adults have an associate’s degree or higher, 8.1% have a Master’s degree, and only 6.5% have completed a PhD (White House Initiative,

This same topic was both supported and echoed in an article by Nunez and Crisp. The data set provided by Nunez and Crisps elucidates that 41% of Mexican Americans and 42% of Puerto Ricans shared that family reasons affected their choice in pursuing higher education (Nunez & Crisp, 2012). When further investigated that data went on to conclude that “family reasons” specifically meant that the family had in some way held the student back from achieving the higher education. Particular instances identified were that the students were being advised against attending a four-year institution due to distance from the family home or lack of familiarity with the four-year college model. However, not all research is consistent in supporting the idea of family influence serving in a negative role. On the contrary Kristin Calaff’s article states that, “Many first generation Latino parents encourage their children with stories of a successful relative, either real or invented, to help solidify the importance of higher education” (Calaff, 2008). Calaff’s research goes on to explore that intense determination instilled in these students from the parents to provide and encourage for a future and life better then their own (Calaff, 2008). Calaff’s evidence that Latino parents want more opportunities for their children really coincides with Auerbach’s reasoning on why it is vital that parents are aware of

Zarate shows us the reality that minorities face when wanting AP courses; “It appears that schools with high minority student concentrations did not increase their AP course offerings to mirror similar-sized schools’ AP offerings” (Zarate,15). Even within these students who are under the college pathway, the limited college exam preparations, AP and honors classes that they receive are not enough to make them competitive when wanting admissions to higher education. These students who are under the college pathway are usually identified as “gifted” or talented students which is only around ten percent of the total student population. For the rest of the students who have the same ability to be taking these classes if their parents, teachers, counselors or themselves do not make an effort for the students to experience these classes they will always be behind and not be in the college pathway as the other students. “Their history, which involves educational tracking and sub-standard schools, has affected Latinos’ entry into higher education. Rather than accept the prevailing myths that Latinos and other students of color come from families that do not value higher education, this insists that we recognize how they have traditionally been tracked by ineffective schools into non-college-bound majors, which has resulted in their disproportionate attendance”

The typical black family has only six percent of the typical white household, and Latinos has eight percent of the typical white household. The median white household had $111,146 in wealth in 2011, $7,113 for the median black household and $8,348 for the median Latino household. This is a huge gap because of the economic disadvantages for people of color. The economic gap means that families of color cannot have the same benefits as white families. With homeownership, about 73% of white peoples own homes, while only 45% of black families and 47% of Latino families own homes. Also white family’s homes are worth more than other families of color. That inequality comes from the 1934 National Housing Act that redlined black neighborhoods, which

“Kids who are the first in their families to brave the world of higher education come on campus with little academic know-how and are much more likely than their peers to drop out before graduation” (1). Many people believe that school isn’t for everyone, and whoever goes is privileged for doing so. Countless people in the world today do not attend college, and this is mainly due to an influence of those in their family. Perhaps they are unsupportive of higher education, their parents and family members may view their entry into college as a break in the family system rather than a continuation of their schooling and higher learning. Most of the first-generation students decide to apply to colleges, because they aspire to jobs which require degrees. However, unlike some students whose parents have earned a degree, they often seek out college to bring honor to their families, and to ensure they make a decent amount of money for their future.

Students from all over the United States are told all through their life that they need to attend college if they ever want to be successful, however, this is far from the truth. Often schools are culprits for driving students to attend money driven colleges, in other cases it is family. While schools all too often make the push on students to continue their schooling, parents can cause the same situation, as they may not have a degree and be working a low-paying factory job. Now kids already don’t want to be like their parents when they get older, so seeing them suffer in poverty or barely above the poverty line can cause some dissatisfaction, further seeking a degree to live a life that they never got. What many

This report navigates the current state of STEM demographic in the country. It examines the reasons why there are less females undertaking STEM majors and gives recommendations on the problems. A brief history on STEM is outlined and the discussion follows with in depth analysis on the subject. STEM is a very critical education discipline with an importance in the economy of the country. Much as it is important, few students choose a career path in STEM. Although, there are more than 50% female students in Colleges and Universities, 12% take STEM related course. Why is this? This report is a compilation of empirical data collected in journals on the same subject explaining

Today’s college students have the opportunity and freedom to choose their major and their career path. Many factors influence the decision of a college student’s career paths including background, general interests, personal strengths, time commitment, and job outlook. Although many important decisions are made in college, one of the most important is the choice of major and career track. Out of hundreds of majors the science and engineering fields are under-represented by women. Although the numbers of women in science technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM, majors has been increasing in the past years, women still are in the minority in the STEM fields. In her study, Lona Whitmarsh

The Science and Engineering Indicators 2014 Report shows that the average annual income for those employed in a STEM occupation in 2012 was $82,160, nearly twice the average for all U.S. workers. This average income also grows faster than the average U.S. income, with an average annual growth rate of 2.4% compared to 1.8% (3-32). Furthermore, STEM occupations have lower unemployment rates than non-STEM disciplines. As David Langdon and others from the Economics and Statistics Administration indicate, by 2010, unemployment rates for STEM occupations evened out to 5.3% while non-STEM occupations saw a continued to rise to nearly 10% (5). STEM degrees are also applicable to many jobs not traditionally considered STEM. Over 65% of STEM graduates in non-STEM jobs state that their occupations do relate to their degree (“Science and Engineering Indicators 2014”, 3-17). This implies that a STEM degree opens many doors for students and does not limit them to traditional STEM

This is a significant majority of students who are graduating ill-prepared for careers in essential fields. If students continue graduating with a consistent level of STEM- literacy, the glut of efficient workers will continue to grow as STEM job opportunities continue to develop. In fact, as a result of this vacuum in education there will be almost 24 million unoccupied American jobs by 2020— unoccupied because STEM education is not matching the job market’s expansion. As a result, high-skilled jobs will continue to be outsourced to more prepared nations, and the remaining jobs will find themselves filled by imported talent “using H-B1 visas to keep the tech-based economy operating (Gordon).” This serious issue is evident in the statistics, the numbers, because there is no way of making them add up. America is not preparing enough of its students for the demands of the constantly developing technology-based economy. As a result, it is paying for other nations with better-developed education systems to fill in where Americans can not— not because of a lack of manpower, but because of a lack of STEM-focused education that that body of people has access to.