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SALT LAKE CITY -- In Utah, a Caucasian student has an eight percent chance of dropping out of high school while a Hispanic student has a 26 percent chance.
At Jackson Elementary in Salt Lake City educators are trying to bridge the gap by getting their students to aim for college through a unique mentoring program. Starting in kindergarten, students are given mentors from the University of Utah.
"It's an opportunity for them to make a connection with somebody who again looks like them, has had the same experiences as them, and they are able to understand, ‘If they can make it then I can make it too,'" explained principal Sandra Buendia.
Jackson Elementary is one of the most diverse schools in Utah. Over 75 percent of the population is minority, and the poverty level is high. Many could become the first generation in their families to graduate from high school, even college.
"If you set the bar low then of course the kids aren't going to. You have low expectations for the kids, they are only going to meet the bar at the level that you set it," said Buendia.
She believes many minority kids fall behind because the community doesn't expect as much from them as they do from white students. "It's our failure and society's failure when students are pushed out of school. If we invest in it, it's going to happen. It's just a matter of our belief system," Buendia said.
The mentor program began six years ago and its impact is apparent in test scores. For the past three years, Jackson Elementary has made the Adequate Yearly Progress Report, which is tough to do in a school with a diverse student population.
E-mail:cmadsen@ksl.com
