Papers by Rebeca Mireles-Rios
Proceedings of the 2020 AERA Annual Meeting, 2020
Frontiers in Education, Jul 21, 2020
During high school, adolescents develop future plans for their lives and profession and teachers ... more During high school, adolescents develop future plans for their lives and profession and teachers are generally believed to play an important role. At present, however, there is limited evidence about exactly how this support affects students. This study uses possible-selves theory to explore the link between perceived teacher support and communication about the future to adolescents' own hoped-for and feared possible selves. Surveys and structured interviews were used to gather views of 85 Latina/o and White students (Mage = 15.5 years). Results indicate that greater perceived support and better communication from teachers were both associated with adolescents expressing more concrete strategies for achieving all types of possible selves. This study offers initial evidence about the important role teachers may play in supporting and shaping how adolescents construct an action plan that will lead to their desired future selves.
The purpose of the study reported in this article was to explore Latina leaders' perspectives abo... more The purpose of the study reported in this article was to explore Latina leaders' perspectives about their mentorship and career advancement in K-12 education. Potential school administrators who are Latina are at particular risk to achieve a position of leadership within the educational setting for a variety of reasons (Méndez-Morse, 2000; 2004; Magdaleno, 2011). This article describes how six Latina leaders within California describe their mentoring and career progression, including their perceived barriers and sources of support from family and other mentors. Implications are presented for purposes of building the capacity of Latina K-12 school leadership in a way that is reflective of the ethnic community they serve.
Routledge eBooks, Apr 2, 2021
Journal of school administration research and development, Jul 20, 2019
Journal of social sciences, 2019
This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 3.0 license.
The International Journal on the Image, 2020
Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, Jul 19, 2010
In this study, 69 Mexican American elementary school girls in Grades 3 through 6 (age 8-13 years)... more In this study, 69 Mexican American elementary school girls in Grades 3 through 6 (age 8-13 years) from an agricultural community were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the frequency of communication with their mothers about education and their interaction with their teachers. The authors examined how these variables were associated with the girls' grades in math and reading and the extent to which they liked these academic subjects. Increased communication with mothers about their grades was associated with girls reporting higher grades in math and liking math and reading. The more the students perceived their teachers to care about their education the better their grades in math. Also, girls with higher grades in reading perceived their teacher as more friendly. The results of the study suggest that elementary school Latina girls receive messages from mothers and teachers about education that positively influence their academic performance and engagement in core subjects.
In this study, we analyze the effects of Project GRIT (Generating Resiliency and Inspiring Transf... more In this study, we analyze the effects of Project GRIT (Generating Resiliency and Inspiring Transformation), a six-week intervention program that worked with a group of high school pushouts, students who were encouraged to leave school, in a school district in southern California. We interviewed thirty-nine former high school students who "dropped out," or were pushed out of school, 61.5% males (n=24) and 38.5% females (n=15). The mean age is 18.1 years and the sample consists of 27 Latino and 12 African American/Black youth. Findings indicate that an increase in healthy relationships with peers generates beneficial social and emotional skills, including increased communication, team-oriented thinking, projected selfactualization, trust, and development of self. We argue that storytelling is central to engaging and promoting at-promise students in the education system, providing them opportunities to overcome adversity, excel in academics, and expand their ability to build healthy relationships with others in their community.
Teachers College Record, Nov 1, 2020
Background/Context: The relationship between perceived discrimination and students' academic outc... more Background/Context: The relationship between perceived discrimination and students' academic outcomes is well established, showing the negative effects of experiences of discrimination. Although much attention has focused on how to temper these effects for students, few studies have focused on the potential role that teachers can play in lessening the effects of discrimination on student outcomes. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: In this study, we look at the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender by examining at how Latinx male and female high school students' academic outcomes, such as grade point average, are impacted by their perceived level of discrimination and teacher support. Research Design: Using an intersectional framework, this study uses data from 783 Latinx adolescents (Mage = 16.01 years) in the United States. Specifically, we examine the moderating role of perceived teacher support on the relationship between students' discrimination and their academic performance using a moderated factor analysis approach. Findings/Results: Results indicate that the items that measure perceived discrimination and teacher support do not function in the same way for Latinx male and female adolescents and that emotional teacher support buffers the negative relationship between discrimination and academic performance for Latinx males. Conclusions/Recommendations: We argue the need to construct measures and approach interventions in the areas of discrimination and teacher support that would allow us to better identify how to support Latinx adolescents in the most effective ways.
Journal of education for students placed at risk, Apr 3, 2019
The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between various protective factors with ... more The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between various protective factors with academic outcomes of Latina/o high school students. We use two groups of protective influences, individual and family, and their relationship to 12th grade mathematics achievement, dropout rates, and enrollment in post-secondary education. Latent class analysis was used to identify academic protective profiles, or latent groups/classes, among high school Latina/o students (N ¼ 1610) and assess group differences with respect to gender, SES, immigrant status, student's native language, preschool attendance, and 10th grade mathematics. Results indicated the presence of four academic protective groups, which differed with respect to academic discussions with parents, and attitudes about mathematics. The four classes are compared with respect to academic outcomes and differences are discussed as well as implications for practice. The achievement gap between Latina/o students and their White peers is well documented and widely studied (Lee, Grigg, & Dion, 2007). Latina/o students attend college at a lower rate than White students (Cerna, Perez, & Saenz, 2009), have lower high school mathematics achievement (Aud, Hussar, Kena, Bianco, Frohlich, Kemp, & Tahan, 2011), and have a higher dropout rate (Fry, 2010). The Latino population is the fastest growing and largest ethnic group in the United States (Locks, Oseguera, & Vega, 2009) and, this disparity between Latina/o students' in academic outcomes is far too wide and warrants further study. Resiliency: Protective factors in predicting academic outcomes Limited research focuses on Latino adolescents' strength based-assets or resilience (Day-Vines & Terriquez, 2008; Galassi & Akos, 2007). While resiliency is enhanced through protective factors and inhibited by risk factors (Benzies & Mychasiuk, 2009), focusing on the strengths that Latina/o students possess allows us to understand how these factors can bring about positive educational outcomes (Perez, Espinoza, Ramos, Coronado, & Cortes, 2009). Numerous studies have identified factors associated with
Learning and Individual Differences, Feb 1, 2020
Chronic absenteeism is deeply detrimental to students' academic and social-emotional development.... more Chronic absenteeism is deeply detrimental to students' academic and social-emotional development. Prior research on elementary school absenteeism has focused on variable rather than person-centered models, overlooking absenteeism as a continuous process over time. This study addresses this by using a latent class growth analysis with ECLS-K:1998 data to identify classes of student absenteeism throughout elementary school, and uses those to predict their fifth and eighth grade test scores and eighth grade school engagement. Results indicate students fall into four classes of absenteeism, and these are highly predictive of later school outcomes. Individual students tend to stabilize in their absenteeism rates after third grade, and the only truly poor outcomes are for students who have consistently high absenteeism over time, suggesting that as long as overall chronic absenteeism is low, a single year of high chronic absenteeism is not related to highly negative outcomes. Implications are discussed.
Journal of School Leadership, 2018
The teacher evaluation process provides opportunity for instructional feedback and teacher improv... more The teacher evaluation process provides opportunity for instructional feedback and teacher improvement, but also may influence the beliefs teachers have about the quality of their own work and their confidence levels as a teacher. Self-efficacy plays a vital role in determining teacher effectiveness and the students‘ academic experience, but little is known about the impact the teacher evaluation process has on teacher self-efficacy. Interview data from 28 high school teachers indicated that the pre-observation meeting has potential to significantly benefit teachers. In addition, feedback from administrators that included both strengths and weaknesses during the post-observation phase seemed to have the most influence on teachers’ self-confidence. Implications of this study's findings were provided and may be useful for administrators to conduct teacher evaluations in a manner that serves to enhance teacher self-efficacy.
Journal of Research on Adolescence, Mar 9, 2023
Many necessary developmental assets and competencies can be accrued through the participation of ... more Many necessary developmental assets and competencies can be accrued through the participation of sport that aid in the holistic healthy development of adolescent girls; however, much research in this area has focused on adolescent girls as a monolithic group, disregarding the specific outcomes of sport for girls of color. Through analysis of semistructured interviews of 31 Latina high school wrestlers, we identified various developmental outcomes associated with their sport involvement. We apply a new epistemological approach to positive youth development within the context of sports development through the usage of extensive narratives of two of the girls. This study explores adolescent Latinas’ involvement in high school wrestling, a sport that is widely male dominated yet rising in popularity.
Journal of Research on Adolescence
Many necessary developmental assets and competencies can be accrued through the participation of ... more Many necessary developmental assets and competencies can be accrued through the participation of sport that aid in the holistic healthy development of adolescent girls; however, much research in this area has focused on adolescent girls as a monolithic group, disregarding the specific outcomes of sport for girls of color. Through analysis of semistructured interviews of 31 Latina high school wrestlers, we identified various developmental outcomes associated with their sport involvement. We apply a new epistemological approach to positive youth development within the context of sports development through the usage of extensive narratives of two of the girls. This study explores adolescent Latinas’ involvement in high school wrestling, a sport that is widely male dominated yet rising in popularity.
Open Qualitative Criminology, 2021
Research: The goal of this study is to understand the experiences of Black and Latino former high... more Research: The goal of this study is to understand the experiences of Black and Latino former high school students who dropped out, or were pushed out, of a large urban school district in Southern California. Specifically, this paper examines the barriers students faced that contributed to them leaving high school and their journey afterward. Thirty-nine former high school students who "dropped out", or were pushed out of school, 61.5% males (n = 24) and 38.5% females (n = 15), were interviewed. Findings: The findings indicate the use of punitive truancy control for dealing with health and psychological needs of students, transportation issues, personnel-student relationships, and standardized testing. Examining the experiences of students who have been pushed out of school can help educators and policy makers address some of the inequities within schools. Results: We argue that pushout prevention can be developed by changing truancy and other discipline policies in schools. Implications from this study help us understand how we can better support students before they are pushed out.
The International Journal of Sport and Society, 2020
Frontiers in Education, 2020
During high school, adolescents develop future plans for their lives and profession and teachers ... more During high school, adolescents develop future plans for their lives and profession and teachers are generally believed to play an important role. At present, however, there is limited evidence about exactly how this support affects students. This study uses possible-selves theory to explore the link between perceived teacher support and communication about the future to adolescents' own hoped-for and feared possible selves. Surveys and structured interviews were used to gather views of 85 Latina/o and White students (Mage = 15.5 years). Results indicate that greater perceived support and better communication from teachers were both associated with adolescents expressing more concrete strategies for achieving all types of possible selves. This study offers initial evidence about the important role teachers may play in supporting and shaping how adolescents construct an action plan that will lead to their desired future selves.
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Papers by Rebeca Mireles-Rios