High Schools' Role in Promoting Equity for Multilingual Learners' Access to College

Abstract

High school plays a pivotal role in preparing students for college. Accordingly, a large body of research examines how high schools shape general education students' postsecondary options. However, there is a dearth of research on high schools' role in promoting multilingual learners' (MLs) college access. MLs' educational experiences differ from those of other minoritized students because MLs are still developing English language proficiency while also learning academic content. It is thus important to examine high schools' role in shaping MLs' postsecondary pathways. Adopting a multisite qualitative case study approach and an ecology of equity framework, we compare the policies and practices of two Massachusetts public high schools that both successfully expanded MLs' postsecondary options but in different ways. We argue that expanding equity in MLs' college access looks very different depending on the context of schools and the socioeconomic circumstances and the immigration status of the students they serve. Sending many MLs to 4-year colleges need not be the only measure of success; expanding MLs' awareness of other postsecondary options and helping them choose a path that is aligned with their goals is also a valid approach to equity.