Indicators of academic readiness for college: Evaluating an advanced Spanish language program

Abstract

Students who participate in advanced coursework in high school are more likely to enroll and persist in college. This study measured college readiness indicators of high school seniors enrolled in the Utah Spanish Bridge Program and analyzed whether performance differed based on race/ethnicity or on parent college completion. Findings show that race/ethnicity played a role in inequitable distribution of college readiness indicators to a larger extent than parent college completion. Hispanic students, although enrolled in advanced coursework at a higher rate than the school overall, were still at a disadvantage compared with their White peers. Findings can inform programs to improve educational outcomes and may suggest areas for future research.