13:08:05:15 ��
13:08:06:27 ��
13:08:08:27 ��
13:08:12:09 >>> Good evening.
13:08:13:06 I'm Jose Cardenas.
13:08:14:15 A conference in the valley
13:08:15:21 focuses on educational equity.
13:08:16:15 We'll have a roundtable
13:08:17:18 discussion on striving to close
13:08:18:15 the achievement gaps here in
13:08:20:00 Arizona.
13:08:21:03 >>> And hear about a program
13:08:22:15 advancing first-generation
13:08:23:15 college students up the ladder.
13:08:24:15 Tonight all this coming up next
13:08:25:27 on "Horizonte."
13:08:27:24 ��
13:08:28:15 ��
13:08:31:00 >>> Funding for "Horizonte" is
13:08:33:15 made possible by contributions
13:08:35:27 by the friends of eight,
13:08:37:21 members of your Arizona PBS
13:08:39:03 station.
13:08:41:24 >>> Thank you for joining us.
13:08:43:12 This week, the Arizona school
13:08:45:00 boards association is hosting
a
13:08:46:12 conference in Phoenix called
13:08:47:27 the equity event.
13:08:51:15 It's a first of its kind event.
13:08:57:03 The sessions will focus on
13:08:57:24 education equity.
13:08:58:27 Joining me to talk about
13:08:59:27 striving towards educational
13:09:01:00 equity in Arizona are:
13:09:02:00 Tracey Benson, associate
13:09:03:03 executive director for the
13:09:04:09 Arizona School Boards
13:09:05:15 Association.
13:09:07:06 Paul Luna, president and CEO
13:09:08:15 for the Helios Education
13:09:09:09 Foundation.
13:09:10:12 Adriana Figueroa, director of
13:09:11:15 multicultural community
13:09:12:18 engagement for Expect More
13:09:12:27 Arizona.
13:09:14:15 Thank you all for joining us on
13:09:16:03 our show.
13:09:18:00 Tracy, you guys are the prime
13:09:20:09 sponsors, the school boards
13:09:21:27 association.
13:09:23:09 And I just want to make clear
13:09:24:12 for our viewers that some of
13:09:26:09 this event will have already
13:09:27:18 taken place by the time the
13:09:29:06 show airs Thursday.
13:09:30:12 It kicks off when?
13:09:32:27 >> Wednesday through Friday.
13:09:33:24 >> And Wednesday there's a
13:09:34:24 particular focus on native
13:09:36:06 Americans?
13:09:37:06 >> There is.
13:09:37:27 Our Wednesday pre-conference
13:09:39:06 focuses on looking at native
13:09:41:27 American students and the
13:09:43:09 factors that need to be in
13:09:45:06 place in order for them to see
13:09:48:03 improved outcomes and
13:09:49:00 successes.
13:09:49:09 >> And when we talk about
13:09:50:18 equity, we mean equity in what
13:09:52:15 sense?
13:09:52:27 Everything should be the same
13:09:53:21 for everybody or what are you
13:09:55:09 talking about?
13:09:55:27 >> When we're talking about
13:09:57:03 educational equity, it's really
13:09:58:09 not about everything being
13:09:59:21 equal for everyone.
13:10:00:27 The only thing that would be
13:10:02:00 equal would be the high
13:10:03:18 expectations that we have for
13:10:05:18 all students.
13:10:06:15 But it's looking in differences
13:10:08:03 in opportunity and achievement
13:10:09:06 among various student groups
13:10:10:18 and making sure that we have
13:10:11:15 the programs and the practices
13:10:12:18 and the policies in place that
13:10:14:12 make sure every student can
13:10:15:27 rise to the occasion.
13:10:17:27 >> And I want to ask you,
13:10:20:09 what's expect more Arizona's
13:10:22:00 involvement in this?
13:10:22:27 Before that just a little bit
13:10:23:24 about Expect More Arizona.
13:10:25:15 >> We are a nonprofit.
13:10:29:15 We work across the state of
13:10:31:21 Arizona to give opportunity for
13:10:33:21 student to have access to a
13:10:37:21 equality education.
13:10:38:18 The work that we do focuses on
13:10:41:15 working with parent and
13:10:42:06 communities and helping them
13:10:43:09 understand what are some of the
13:10:44:21 opportunity that aren't in
13:10:47:24 schools, what are some of the
13:10:48:21 questions and what are some of
13:10:49:18 the information that they need,
13:10:52:21 so that their children have
13:10:54:03 access to the opportunities?
13:10:56:18 >> So Paul, as I understand it,
13:10:58:27 this event is appealing to a
13:11:00:06 lot of groups and one of the
13:11:02:09 communities is what the
13:11:06:15 nonprofit community can do to
13:11:07:18 address the issues.
13:11:08:27 Helios is first and foremost.
13:11:12:09 What do you expect to come out
13:11:13:12 of this and what is the role of
13:11:14:27 nonprofits?
13:11:15:15 >> Well, I think from our
13:11:20:12 perspective, we're very proud
13:11:21:21 to partner with the Arizona
13:11:22:27 school boards association to
13:11:23:18 have such an important topic
13:11:25:06 discussed in our state.
13:11:26:06 When you think about the
13:11:27:00 priorities of the state of
13:11:28:21 Arizona and what will drive the
13:11:29:24 future success of our state, it
13:11:31:06 really comes down to education.
13:11:32:24 And in the case of Arizona,
13:11:34:06 when you recognize the changing
13:11:35:18 demographics in our state, you
13:11:37:18 have to understand that with
13:11:39:21 the changing population of
13:11:41:09 students, that equity is the
13:11:43:24 key for education success.
13:11:45:24 From Helios' perspective, we
13:11:48:15 believe fundamentally that
13:11:49:15 every student, regardless of
13:11:50:24 where they're born, where they
13:11:53:15 live, who their parents are,
13:11:54:27 how much money they have, they
13:11:55:27 should have access to a quality
13:11:58:09 education, so this idea and
13:11:59:21 concept of how do we as a state
13:12:01:12 ensure that every student has
13:12:03:06 that access to the quality
13:12:05:00 education is really the most
13:12:06:18 important aspect of education
13:12:09:12 that we need to be focused on.
13:12:10:18 >> So Tracy, I take it we
13:12:12:12 wouldn't be having this event
13:12:15:09 in case we thought there was an
13:12:16:21 equity gap.
13:12:17:24 Can you give us a sense of how
13:12:19:06 severe it is in Arizona and
13:12:20:09 what the measures might be,
13:12:21:12 rural versus urban and then
13:12:23:12 inner city versus other kinds
13:12:24:24 of schools in the state?
13:12:26:21 >> Well, we can look at equity
13:12:29:09 in a variety of ways.
13:12:30:12 One of them might be through an
13:12:31:18 academic lens and we have data
13:12:33:12 that shows us that certain
13:12:35:21 student groups, native American
13:12:38:00 student, Hispanic students,
13:12:39:21 black students, aren't
13:12:42:09 performing at the same levels
13:12:44:03 as Caucasian peers.
13:12:45:27 So that's one way we can look
13:12:47:27 at it.
13:12:48:09 We can also look at equity in
13:12:49:18 terms of access and children
13:12:50:24 who are attending schools in
13:12:52:03 rural communities may not have
13:12:53:27 access to some of the
13:12:54:24 high-level math courses or
13:12:56:27 foreign language or some of the
13:12:58:00 high-level science courses that
13:13:00:06 they need and that our
13:13:01:18 expectations may be in more
13:13:03:03 urban community so it's really
13:13:04:09 about looking at all of those
13:13:05:24 variables and saying what do we
13:13:07:00 need to do to make sure that
13:13:08:12 the student who need these
13:13:11:00 opportunities in order to
13:13:12:12 succeed at high levels have
13:13:13:21 them.
13:13:14:03 >> So we have a special focus,
13:13:15:18 at least the first day on
13:13:16:24 native Americans.
13:13:17:27 You're in charge of
13:13:18:27 multicultural opportunities.
13:13:21:03 What does that mean for a
13:13:22:18 population as distinct as the
13:13:24:09 native American population and
13:13:25:21 are we talking about native
13:13:26:24 Americans in the tribal schools
13:13:28:00 or as they're attending schools
13:13:31:21 in the Phoenix area?
13:13:32:27 >> I think it's both.
13:13:33:27 I believe there's definitely a
13:13:35:09 difference between the student
13:13:36:15 who are attending school in the
13:13:38:03 rural communities regardless of
13:13:39:18 whether or not they are in the
13:13:40:15 native American community,
13:13:42:03 they're Latino students and if
13:13:44:12 they're attending a school in
13:13:46:06 metropolitan Phoenix, also
13:13:47:15 poverty is one of those issues
13:13:48:21 that impacts them heavily, 1 in
13:13:51:27 4 of our kids in Arizona are
13:13:54:00 living in poverty and the
13:13:56:18 quality of education they have
13:13:58:00 access to differs differently.
13:13:59:21 >> What is it that school
13:14:00:21 boards, that's a big part of
13:14:02:00 your audience, right?
13:14:03:06 What can school board members
13:14:04:00 do about those kinds of issues?
13:14:06:00 They seem to be pretty
13:14:07:06 pervasive and broader, perhaps
13:14:10:09 beyond the ability of a school
13:14:11:27 board to deal with?
13:14:13:21 >> Absolutely.
13:14:14:09 School boards to me are
13:14:15:03 probably having the biggest
13:14:17:09 impact in a community, when you
13:14:18:21 talk about efforts in
13:14:20:27 organizing.
13:14:23:12 A school board member can
13:14:25:03 determine what programs are
13:14:26:06 available, how do they better
13:14:27:12 distribute funds and they can
13:14:28:12 better support educators
13:14:30:00 beginning with the
13:14:30:27 superintendents and then
13:14:33:15 principals and then teachers
13:14:34:09 having access to different
13:14:35:21 programs.
13:14:36:00 >> So part of it is better
13:14:37:06 deploying the assets that they
13:14:38:15 do have.
13:14:39:12 >> Absolutely, they play a
13:14:40:18 critical role in our community
13:14:41:21 and in education.
13:14:43:00 >> We just had the budget
13:14:44:09 passed.
13:14:46:06 The governor says it was an
13:14:47:24 increase in funding for K-12.
13:14:49:27 Many people disagree with that.
13:14:53:09 How do you give an encouraging
13:14:56:09 message to school board members
13:14:57:12 and the other people that will
13:14:58:12 be attending, teachers and so
13:14:59:24 forth that there is something
13:15:01:18 they can do even though most of
13:15:02:24 them would think these are
13:15:04:09 tough times, you've got schools
13:15:05:18 thinking of going on a four-day
13:15:07:09 schedule.
13:15:07:21 >> And I think the reality is
13:15:09:06 it is tough times for education
13:15:10:15 in Arizona and we have to look
13:15:12:09 and talk about investment in
13:15:15:06 Arizona.
13:15:15:18 It's investment.
13:15:16:24 Too often what we see in
13:15:20:09 Arizona around funding of
13:15:22:00 education is it's being looked
13:15:23:03 at like it's an expense, and we
13:15:25:09 believe strongly that education
13:15:27:12 is an investment in the future
13:15:29:00 and so we have to talk about
13:15:30:03 that.
13:15:30:18 But just as importantly, I
13:15:32:24 think it is ensuring that we
13:15:34:21 start to have this discussion
13:15:36:21 and dialogue around the concept
13:15:37:21 of equity and not just from a
13:15:39:06 school perspective.
13:15:40:09 We're talking about the
13:15:41:00 importance of the school boards
13:15:41:24 and the role that they play and
13:15:43:09 it is critically important, but
13:15:45:00 I think as much this conference
13:15:46:27 is about ensuring that this
13:15:48:18 dialogue around every student
13:15:50:03 getting a quality education is
13:15:51:09 a community discussion.
13:15:52:27 It's about parents and families
13:15:56:15 and communities and schools
13:15:59:03 coming together with the
13:16:00:00 understanding that we all have
13:16:01:00 a vested interest to ensure
13:16:03:00 that every student has an
13:16:04:03 opportunity to succeed in
13:16:05:12 education, and especially after
13:16:07:00 high school.
13:16:08:18 Some type of postsecondary
13:16:09:18 education because an educated
13:16:11:03 workforce will drive the future
13:16:12:03 of the state of Arizona.
13:16:13:09 It will drive our economy
13:16:15:00 forward and so this issue of
13:16:17:00 equity in education is one that
13:16:18:18 is far beyond any one issue of
13:16:21:00 just funding or any program or
13:16:22:27 policy.
13:16:23:12 It's about changing the culture
13:16:25:09 that we value every student
13:16:26:12 being successful.
13:16:27:27 >> And I know Helios is
13:16:29:06 particularly concerned about
13:16:29:24 the Latino population and we
13:16:33:00 had the morris institute's
13:16:35:06 report dropped and other things
13:16:38:24 indicating that if that group
13:16:40:09 doesn't do good, none of us do.
13:16:42:27 How much of that is going to be
13:16:44:00 addressed in this conference?
13:16:45:06 >> I think talking about the
13:16:46:00 reality of the demographics of
13:16:47:24 our state and the changing
13:16:49:06 demographics, when you
13:16:50:06 recognize that right now in the
13:16:51:09 K-12 education system, the
13:16:53:03 majority of students are now
13:16:54:18 kids of color.
13:16:56:06 And it's not to suggest that we
13:16:58:09 care about any one type of
13:16:59:27 student than the other.
13:17:00:24 We care about all student but
13:17:02:15 we have to recognize that with
13:17:03:18 the changing demographics of
13:17:05:12 our student population, the
13:17:07:12 needs and the challenges and
13:17:08:06 the supports that they require
13:17:09:15 to be successful are changing
13:17:10:21 and evolving, as well.
13:17:12:12 And so we have to come together
13:17:13:24 as a community to discuss and
13:17:15:21 understand how can we better
13:17:17:15 support and prepare these
13:17:18:15 students for educational
13:17:19:21 success?
13:17:20:21 And I think that's what we're
13:17:22:12 trying to make sure we're
13:17:23:12 having open, honest dialogue
13:17:25:12 about and we're also starting
13:17:26:06 to understand what are other
13:17:27:15 doing?
13:17:28:15 You know, we're going to have
13:17:30:09 speakers that come in, the
13:17:31:12 keynote speaker to kick off the
13:17:33:12 conference is the
13:17:34:09 superintendent for Miami-dade
13:17:38:03 schools in Florida, a 2014
13:17:40:12 national superintendent of the
13:17:41:12 year, primarily because of work
13:17:43:00 that they've been able to do to
13:17:45:15 close the achievement gap
13:17:46:21 between students of color and
13:17:48:09 non-ethnic students of color in
13:17:50:15 the Miami-dade schools and the
13:17:53:15 demographics there much like
13:17:55:12 the state of Arizona are a
13:17:56:15 future of what the entire
13:17:57:24 country is going to look like
13:17:58:21 from a demographic perspective.
13:18:00:24 So we need to see and
13:18:02:12 understand what they're doing
13:18:03:09 in Miami to ensure academic
13:18:05:27 success for their students and
13:18:06:21 how do we apply that to the
13:18:08:00 state of Arizona?
13:18:09:03 >> We talked about what's going
13:18:12:06 to happen on Wednesday.
13:18:13:06 What can attendees partake of
13:18:15:12 on Thursday and Friday?
13:18:16:15 >> As Paul said, they'll hear
13:18:17:27 from experts and people who
13:18:19:03 have real experience in equity
13:18:21:03 and have been leading the
13:18:21:24 charge in their communities,
13:18:23:18 people from around the country
13:18:24:27 but also Arizona leaders who
13:18:26:18 are making real progress in
13:18:28:03 their school districts and in
13:18:29:06 their communities in the area
13:18:30:27 of equity.
13:18:31:24 So it's really about promising
13:18:33:27 practices and programs and
13:18:34:21 putting those on display so
13:18:37:03 school board members, school
13:18:38:00 leaders and other community
13:18:39:00 leaders can see exactly what
13:18:40:24 they are and really talking
13:18:41:15 about leadership strategies to
13:18:43:03 say how do we go out in our
13:18:45:03 community and talk about this
13:18:46:00 equity issue?
13:18:46:21 Make sure parents understand
13:18:47:27 what it means and business
13:18:49:21 leaders understand what it
13:18:50:24 means, so that critical piece
13:18:53:06 of leadership and how school
13:18:54:03 boards do play into that.
13:18:55:09 They're elected representatives
13:18:56:24 of their communities so they're
13:18:58:09 in a unique position to bridge
13:19:00:06 that gap between those who are
13:19:01:18 in their community, the public
13:19:03:00 and the school system.
13:19:03:21 So that's really what we're
13:19:05:06 hoping to at the end of the day
13:19:07:09 get out of this event, that is
13:19:09:00 that communication that's going
13:19:12:09 back and forth between those
13:19:13:12 two groups and also, the other
13:19:15:03 organizations within
13:19:15:27 communities like Helios and
13:19:17:21 Expect More Arizona that can be
13:19:19:03 brought in as resources and in
13:19:21:06 many cases leaders of that
13:19:23:12 work.
13:19:24:09 >> So how do you get the
13:19:26:12 parents to attend something
13:19:27:15 like this?
13:19:28:09 I would think most parents,
13:19:31:12 especially if we're talking
13:19:32:00 about some of the immigrant
13:19:33:03 parents and others would be
13:19:35:00 intimidated attending some of
13:19:36:24 these meetings.
13:19:37:18 What are you doing to get them
13:19:38:27 there?
13:19:40:12 >> You would be amazed by
13:19:42:00 giving parents a little bit of
13:19:43:06 knowledge and getting them
13:19:45:09 enough information opens up the
13:19:48:03 doors.
13:19:48:15 I have some parents getting
13:19:52:03 engaged in elections.
13:19:53:15 Parents are eager for more
13:19:54:18 information.
13:19:55:09 Parents want to know what is
13:19:56:15 the power that they have as
13:19:58:15 parents, and where do they fit?
13:20:01:12 How they can make better
13:20:03:03 choices for their students.
13:20:04:12 >> Paul, last question.
13:20:05:24 Good start.
13:20:07:15 Lots of information.
13:20:08:15 What happens next?
13:20:09:27 >> I think it's about
13:20:11:18 understanding.
13:20:12:00 Again, we talked about changing
13:20:13:00 the culture, raising the
13:20:14:12 awareness of the issue of
13:20:15:15 equity and then beginning to
13:20:17:12 take that into action because
13:20:18:27 at the end of the day, if all
13:20:20:09 we do is talk about this, then
13:20:22:00 we're really not going to be
13:20:23:09 impacting students.
13:20:24:03 So the key is with better
13:20:25:12 understanding, with an
13:20:26:12 understanding of the best
13:20:27:09 practices, what others have
13:20:28:09 been doing that have proven
13:20:30:24 successful in ensuring that
13:20:31:21 students are succeeding, all
13:20:34:09 students are succeeding, then
13:20:35:12 we as Arizona through this
13:20:37:06 everybody playing a role, need
13:20:39:06 to then be able to move to
13:20:40:18 action to ensure that we're
13:20:42:12 delivering on that promise of
a
13:20:43:12 quality education for every
13:20:44:18 student in Arizona.
13:20:46:09 >> Sounds like a great
13:20:46:27 conference, thank you all so
13:20:48:15 much for joining us on
13:20:49:21 "Horizonte" to talk about it.
13:20:50:27 >> Thank you.
13:20:52:18 >>> The Department of
13:20:53:03 Transportation recently named
13:20:54:09 sky harbor as the number one
13:20:55:24 airport in the country for
13:20:57:27 small business growth.
13:20:59:18 Mostly restaurants have opened
13:21:00:21 their doors at the airport.
13:21:02:21 Producer Shawna Fisher profiles
13:21:07:21 two of these local
13:21:08:24 establishments.
13:21:09:03 >> It's the perfect recipe.
13:21:10:27 Combine good food with good
13:21:14:18 service and the people will
13:21:15:21 come.
13:21:22:06 >> It's a take on an European
13:21:23:24 gastro pub.
13:21:26:00 We call it a gastro cantina.
13:21:29:03 >> He opened up the restaurant
13:21:31:09 two years ago.
13:21:31:24 He said the keys to success at
13:21:32:24 the airport are simple.
13:21:34:27 >> Speed of service is
13:21:36:09 paramount in the airport
13:21:37:12 business.
13:21:39:00 Portability and convenience is
13:21:40:03 also critical.
13:21:41:00 People usually have just a
13:21:43:12 couple of minutes before they
13:21:45:15 have to get to their flight.
13:21:47:06 So what makes operating in the
13:21:49:21 airport different is that
13:21:50:18 mindset of speed of service.
13:21:52:18 We've driven our speed of
13:21:53:27 service down to three minutes
13:21:55:03 or less in order to accommodate
13:21:57:12 the traveling passenger.
13:21:59:12 >> Over in the b gates area,
13:22:01:03 Helen young and her business
13:22:02:12 partner operate sweet republic,
13:22:06:18 an artisan ice cream shop.
13:22:08:12 >> Because ice cream is all
13:22:09:18 about traffic flow, we need
13:22:11:21 lots of foot traffic and
13:22:13:12 there's no more foot traffic
13:22:15:03 than at the airport.
13:22:18:00 And we have a lot of people
13:22:20:03 that have been asking us to
13:22:21:15 bring our concept to other
13:22:23:09 locations.
13:22:23:27 >> Young says the portability
13:22:26:27 of our ice cream makes it
13:22:29:03 appealing for travelers.
13:22:31:09 Open since March, 2014, young
13:22:33:24 says she has already seen a
13:22:35:18 tremendous difference in
13:22:36:21 airport food offerings.
13:22:39:06 >> People are a lot more
13:22:40:18 excited to come early to the
13:22:42:00 airport and actually have a
13:22:43:00 good time, have a good meal
13:22:45:09 before getting on the plane.
13:22:48:12 >> Airport spokesperson Julie
13:22:50:03 Rodriguez says sky harbor made
13:22:51:27 a conscious effort to attract
13:22:53:21 small businesses and it worked.
13:22:55:00 >> We have had tremendous
13:22:56:00 feedback and social media is a
13:22:57:18 really good gauge.
13:22:58:15 Lots of positive tweets and
13:23:00:03 Facebook posts about how great
13:23:02:21 our food is, people are
13:23:04:09 pleasantly surprised when they
13:23:05:12 get near their gate and find a
13:23:07:18 favorite local restaurant,
13:23:08:18 maybe a restaurant that may
13:23:09:18 have an hour wait in another
13:23:11:09 part of the city they can walk
13:23:12:15 right in and enjoy here at sky
13:23:14:15 harbor.
13:23:15:03 >> Mike Dixon is one of 100,000
13:23:17:15 passengers that passed through
13:23:18:21 sky harbor every day.
13:23:21:03 He says the airport is a great
13:23:22:15 way to connect with local
13:23:24:06 businesses and get an idea of
13:23:25:21 the city.
13:23:27:12 >> What's interesting to me is
13:23:28:18 to be able to see what local
13:23:32:03 things are going on.
13:23:34:00 If you can catch that at the
13:23:34:24 airport, that's kind of fun.
13:23:37:24 I'm going to fly out in an hour
13:23:39:21 but if I get a flavor of what
13:23:41:21 Phoenix is like, that's kind of
13:23:43:06 cool.
13:23:43:21 >> Terminal four has everything
13:23:44:27 from a rib joint to soul food
13:23:47:12 to full-service restaurants.
13:23:49:15 When small businesses thrive at
13:23:50:27 the airport, it's good news for
13:23:53:00 the state's economy, too.
13:23:55:15 >> Small business ownership is
13:23:56:27 really driving our economy for
13:23:58:21 the state of Arizona.
13:23:59:27 If you think about 97% of all
13:24:02:06 jobs in the state of Arizona
13:24:03:15 are small business owned.
13:24:05:09 There's 400,000 small
13:24:06:18 businesses of which 100,000 are
13:24:08:27 minority owned, growing at a
13:24:10:06 rate four times faster.
13:24:12:21 So the future growth of Arizona
13:24:14:09 is really dependent upon our
13:24:15:18 ability to get more women and
13:24:17:21 minority-owned businesses
13:24:19:00 access to capital, contracts
13:24:20:15 and owning their own business.
13:24:21:21 It's really the future.
13:24:25:15 >> The airport will soon be
13:24:26:12 revamping its retail offerings
13:24:27:18 in terminal 4, followed by a
13:24:28:27 rehaul of food and retail
13:24:30:06 businesses in terminal 3.
13:24:32:21 >>> Here at "Horizonte," we
13:24:33:27 want to hear from you.
13:24:35:00 If you have comments, story
13:24:36:00 ideas or questions, e-mail us
13:24:37:27 at horizonte@asu.edu.
13:24:42:09 >>> ASU has started a new
13:24:43:27 program helping
13:24:44:27 first-generation college
13:24:46:00 students that emphasizes the
13:24:47:03 opportunities and benefits to
13:24:48:15 advancing to graduate school.
13:24:50:03 Here to talk about the program
13:24:51:06 are:
13:24:52:15 Lindsay Romasanta, assistant
13:24:53:24 director at ASU�s First Year
13:24:55:21 Success Center.
13:24:57:15 And Laurie Mook, assistant
13:24:58:27 professor for ASU�s School of
13:24:59:27 Community and Resource
13:25:00:09 Development.
13:25:01:27 Thank you both for joining us
13:25:03:15 on our show.
13:25:04:27 >> Thank you for having us.
13:25:07:15 >> This wasn't just something
13:25:08:18 you thought this would be a
13:25:09:09 good thing to do.
13:25:10:15 You did a lot of research to
13:25:11:18 establish the need.
13:25:12:18 Tell us about that.
13:25:13:09 >> Well, ASU has a very high
13:25:17:03 number of first-generation
13:25:18:12 students, probably 40% of our
13:25:19:24 undergraduate students are
13:25:20:18 first generation.
13:25:21:12 >> And you define that --
13:25:23:24 >> First-generation student is
13:25:24:21 a student that's come from a
13:25:25:27 household where the parents
13:25:26:24 have not completed a university
13:25:28:21 education.
13:25:29:21 So it could be --
13:25:31:03 >> Both of them.
13:25:31:18 >> Neither parent.
13:25:32:24 >> Or if they're in a
13:25:33:27 single-family household, the
13:25:35:18 parent they are living with.
13:25:36:24 So yes, we created this
13:25:38:27 program.
13:25:39:21 There's a lot of
13:25:40:12 first-generation students and
13:25:41:21 we also found out that in terms
13:25:43:09 of graduation rates, if you
13:25:45:15 compare the first-generation
13:25:46:21 students to
13:25:47:21 non-first-generation students,
13:25:50:00 there's a significantly lower
13:25:53:00 rate of graduation for that
13:25:54:03 group as well.
13:25:55:03 >> I think we can intuit why
13:25:57:09 that might be but is there any
13:25:59:12 specific difference that you
13:26:00:12 notice between the kids who
13:26:01:03 have role models basically of
13:26:03:18 parents who have succeeded and
13:26:05:18 those that haven't?
13:26:06:27 >> Well, first of all, their
13:26:07:24 families quite often aren't
13:26:09:03 able to help them navigate the
13:26:10:27 university system.
13:26:11:21 That's one thing.
13:26:12:27 Quite often they have to work
13:26:14:21 during their undergraduate
13:26:15:21 years, as well.
13:26:16:15 So there's a lot going on
13:26:17:24 there.
13:26:18:12 They are not aware of all the
13:26:20:06 resources available and often
13:26:22:06 they're reluctant to talk to
13:26:23:12 faculty and actually seek out
13:26:25:00 mentors.
13:26:26:00 They don't know how to do that,
13:26:27:24 what the resources are.
13:26:28:27 So we thought it would be great
13:26:30:21 to have a program that would
13:26:31:24 kind of demystify this journey
13:26:34:03 and we did that by inviting
13:26:36:03 first-generation faculty
13:26:37:12 members to come and share their
13:26:39:06 stories and their backgrounds
13:26:40:03 and their challenges, to kind
13:26:41:12 of connect with the students,
13:26:43:15 because they came from similar
13:26:45:03 places, they had similar
13:26:46:21 experiences and it was quite
13:26:48:00 inspirational for the students
13:26:49:06 to hear those stories.
13:26:50:18 >> So you're involved in this
13:26:53:24 program, but as part of your
13:26:56:27 job, you've been dealing with
13:26:59:15 some of this already.
13:27:00:27 What kinds of things do you do?
13:27:02:18 >> At the first year success
13:27:04:15 center we have a one-on-one
13:27:05:03 coaching program in which we
13:27:06:27 match successful upperclassmen
13:27:09:03 with first year students.
13:27:10:18 In the freshman class, similar
13:27:12:27 statistics, about 1 in 3 are
13:27:14:21 the first in their families to
13:27:15:24 go to college and additionally
13:27:16:27 about 1 in 4 come from
13:27:18:21 low-income families.
13:27:19:12 So looking at that, we knew it
13:27:22:18 was important to target that
13:27:23:18 peer to peer approach and
13:27:25:12 connect students that have
13:27:26:12 navigated the system there
13:27:28:09 before and get them to talk to
13:27:29:12 the freshmen, to inform them of
13:27:33:09 the resources and to celebrate
13:27:35:15 the important achievement that
13:27:37:00 they're doing as the students
13:27:38:21 who are the first in their
13:27:39:21 families to go to college.
13:27:40:21 It's also a pride piece.
13:27:42:06 And ASU is committed to making
13:27:44:15 sure the students succeed.
13:27:47:00 >> One thing that's different
13:27:47:24 about this effort is the focus
13:27:48:27 on getting these students to
13:27:51:00 stay in school, not just to get
13:27:52:15 their bachelor's degree.
13:27:56:00 Why that?
13:27:56:18 It would seem that you got your
13:27:58:27 hands full already.
13:28:02:03 >> We know that graduate
13:28:03:03 aspirations meets the needs of
13:28:05:00 not only the economy, but also
13:28:08:03 meets the needs of the
13:28:09:15 potential dreams of those
13:28:11:09 students.
13:28:11:24 A lot of them had never
13:28:12:21 considered going to college
13:28:13:18 before.
13:28:13:27 So thinking about that next
13:28:15:18 step is what we're thinking a
13:28:17:00 great way to get those students
13:28:18:09 to persist.
13:28:19:12 We know that you need a
13:28:20:18 bachelor's degree to move on to
13:28:22:12 that next step.
13:28:23:09 Connecting those students to
13:28:25:09 the understanding of the
13:28:26:06 potential power of having a
13:28:27:15 graduate degree or even a
13:28:29:15 doctoral degree can do so much.
13:28:31:03 I'm the first in my family to
13:28:32:12 go to college and I'm also in
a
13:28:34:00 doctoral program and I remember
13:28:35:12 thinking wow like is this even
13:28:37:09 possible?
13:28:38:00 Can I make this happen?
13:28:40:24 And it's working so far.
13:28:41:27 >> So how did you convince
13:28:44:09 other people, professors who
13:28:46:18 are very successful, presumably
13:28:48:24 very busy, to get involved in
13:28:50:18 this?
13:28:51:27 >> It really didn't take any
13:28:53:03 convincing at all.
13:28:54:00 I think everybody we talked to
13:28:55:09 was really excited about this
13:28:57:00 program, including also
13:28:58:15 first-generation graduate
13:28:59:18 students.
13:29:00:00 We also invited graduate
13:29:02:12 students to come and mentor at
13:29:03:21 the event, as well.
13:29:05:09 We had lunch tables where we
13:29:06:27 had tables of 10 students sit
13:29:08:09 with the graduate student who
13:29:10:09 was also a first-generation
13:29:11:18 student and share their stories
13:29:12:21 and talk about resources and
13:29:14:00 how they were successful.
13:29:15:15 But really we had so many
13:29:17:06 people interested.
13:29:18:03 We had too many people
13:29:19:12 interested for the event.
13:29:20:27 We had to actually tell some
13:29:22:06 people that we didn't have
13:29:24:12 places for them, volunteer
13:29:25:27 spots for them to participate.
13:29:27:06 >> And how do you make sure
13:29:30:00 that the experiences are
13:29:31:06 relevant?
13:29:32:00 So, for example, graduate
13:29:34:24 students would be closer in
13:29:36:00 age.
13:29:36:27 But some of the professors
13:29:38:09 you've seen, that I've seen in
13:29:40:06 the list, the age difference
13:29:43:18 would be a little different and
13:29:45:21 I'm not sure that their
13:29:46:27 experiences as a
13:29:47:21 first-generation student --
13:29:52:00 >> The people were recommended
13:29:53:21 to us.
13:29:54:06 We knew they had interesting
13:29:55:15 stories and stories that were
13:29:56:09 relevant to the undergraduate
13:29:58:03 population.
13:29:59:00 >> What kind of feedback did
13:30:00:03 you get afterwards as to ways
13:30:01:24 in which you might improve the
13:30:03:15 program?
13:30:04:03 >> Have more of them.
13:30:06:15 Students were saying -- 50% of
13:30:07:27 the students were seniors, and
13:30:09:18 they were saying we wished we
13:30:11:12 had had this earlier on.
13:30:15:18 We want to target around the
13:30:17:09 sophomore, second-year students
13:30:19:03 because we know it can make a
13:30:21:03 difference and do this every
13:30:22:09 year, so that every year, they
13:30:24:21 can get sort of this booster
13:30:27:03 shot and be recommitted to
13:30:28:15 their educational experience
13:30:29:15 and really connect.
13:30:30:18 >> And as I understand it, a
13:30:32:12 further aspect of this
13:30:35:12 targeting, it was
13:30:36:24 university-wide.
13:30:40:03 >> So what worked really well
13:30:43:15 for us is we were able to get
13:30:44:18 faculty from multiple
13:30:46:03 disciplines.
13:30:46:21 We had someone that is in
13:30:47:27 engineering, someone with
13:30:48:18 liberal arts, someone who's a
13:30:51:24 vice-provost.
13:30:53:18 We were conscious of how can
13:30:55:12 these backgrounds match the
13:30:56:15 aspirations and the interests
13:30:57:18 of the students that were
13:30:58:12 there?
13:31:02:00 We looked at matching the
13:31:03:12 graduate students with the
13:31:04:06 disciplines that the undergrads
13:31:05:15 were interested in so that
13:31:06:18 during those table
13:31:08:03 conversations they could ask
13:31:09:06 how did you get your masters in
13:31:11:00 business administration or
13:31:11:27 what's the process for becoming
13:31:13:03 a physical therapist?
13:31:14:00 All these different things.
13:31:15:09 We know that that local
13:31:17:15 connection can make a
13:31:18:15 difference, and I think it
13:31:19:06 worked really well in this
13:31:20:09 event.
13:31:21:00 >> And I can understand what
13:31:22:12 Laurie was talking about in
13:31:25:09 terms of seniors saying I wish
13:31:27:00 I had this before but do you
13:31:28:21 need to tailor it for the
13:31:30:06 different levels?
13:31:31:21 For example, I would think your
13:31:32:27 freshmen might not be thinking
13:31:35:18 of graduate school, might be
13:31:36:27 focused and properly so on just
13:31:39:00 I want to make through this
13:31:40:03 first year.
13:31:41:00 >> Sure definitely.
13:31:42:15 I think that planting the seed,
13:31:43:27 no matter how early it is, is
13:31:45:27 important.
13:31:46:09 Some of the ways that we
13:31:47:15 tailored or cultivated the
13:31:49:12 program is looking at what are
13:31:50:15 the different pathways to get
13:31:53:06 to grad school, so besides the
13:31:56:06 inspiration, how do you do it
13:31:57:27 and what are some relevant
13:32:00:03 experiences you could get in
13:32:01:03 undergraduate, whether it's
13:32:02:06 study abroad, volunteering,
13:32:03:15 that can make you stand out and
13:32:05:03 make your graduate application
13:32:06:15 even better?
13:32:07:09 So I think planting those seeds
13:32:09:21 can happen even as a first time
13:32:12:15 freshman.
13:32:13:12 >> I realize a little premature
13:32:14:15 to ask about success stories
13:32:15:24 but do you have any yet?
13:32:17:12 >> There were some comments
13:32:19:03 from students in the audience,
13:32:20:21 a few comments, students that
13:32:22:03 were a little unsure and
13:32:23:21 sounded like they may have
13:32:24:18 wanted to give up at that point
13:32:25:24 but were really reinvigorated
13:32:29:18 and found the inspiration to
13:32:31:00 continue.
13:32:31:18 Another student was a senior,
13:32:34:21 graduating and then intended to
13:32:36:27 go on to graduate school but
13:32:38:18 also stated that she wanted to
13:32:41:21 make as her topic of study
13:32:43:27 first-generation students.
13:32:46:09 >> How will you measure success
13:32:47:27 going forward?
13:32:49:03 >> At the event we did a survey
13:32:50:21 pre- and post to the event.
13:32:54:21 We're looking to the changes in
13:32:55:24 aspirations and we hope to
13:32:57:12 follow the students into the
13:32:58:06 future, as well.
13:32:59:00 >> One last question.
13:33:01:06 How many students?
13:33:02:03 What's the percentage of
13:33:02:27 students?
13:33:03:18 >> I think it's endless.
13:33:05:15 There's an infinite amount of
13:33:07:27 first-generation students at
13:33:08:18 ASU and the potential to
13:33:10:09 continue to cultivate their
13:33:11:21 dreams and aspirations I think
13:33:13:27 will go however, it is that we
13:33:16:03 need.
13:33:16:18 >> You've got your work cut out
13:33:17:18 for you.
13:33:18:03 Thank you so much for joining
13:33:18:21 us on "Horizonte."
13:33:19:15 >> Thank you very much for
13:33:20:03 having us.
13:33:22:21 >>> And that�s our show for
13:33:23:15 tonight.
13:33:24:09 From all of us here at Eight
13:33:25:12 and "Horizonte," thank you for
13:33:26:21 watching.
13:33:27:27 I�m Jos� C�rdenas.
13:33:28:27 Have a good evening.
13:33:30:21 ��
13:33:31:18 ��
13:33:36:19 ��
13:33:41:21 ��
13:33:53:21 ��
13:33:54:12 ��
13:33:56:10 >>> Funding for "Horizonte" is
13:33:58:09 made possible by contributions
13:33:59:24 by the friends of eight,
13:34:01:03 members of your Arizona PBS
13:34:03:12 station.
