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Developed in response to a rapid increase in the area's Latino population, Adelante is one of Kean College's many community outreach projects. For the past 20 years, Kean has offered college-level courses in Spanish, creating a climate that welcomes Latino students--a climate that is not often characteristic of the community at large. Both community and school leaders are Adelante boosters. Originally sponsored by Kean College and the New Jersey Department of Higher Education, the project now also enjoys the support of a strong business partner, AT&T.
Adelante has five goals: (1) decreasing the Latino dropout rate by strengthening students' preparation for college, (2) stimulating higher academic achievement by students from neighboring secondary schools to increase the likelihood that they will be admitted to college, (3) incorporating the Spanish language and culture into the curriculum to make school learning more meaningful, (4) emphasizing parent involvement in the education of participating Latino students, and (5) increasing the number of Latino teachers.
Eligibility for participation is limited to students who live in one of the three districts, attend a designated school, and have limited English proficiency. Students also must be willing to attend and participate in class and in activities, and work cooperatively with students and project personnel by following general behavioral rules. Parents must agree in writing to support the project actively, a requirement that can be satisfied by attending meetings, special events, field trips, or ESL courses; writing letters of advocacy; and maintaining contact with the program.
Instructional strategies and content. Bilingual coordinators from each participating school district, Kean's Dean of Education and bilingual education faculty, several Kean administrators, and AT&T collaborate on Adelante's plans and activities. The project staff includes a coordinator, 10 teachers, one counselor, 15 bilingual undergraduates in Kean's teacher preparation program, and 15 high school tutors. The teachers are recruited from nearby school districts by the university coordinator, choosing from among the districts' best teachers, with a preference for those who are bilingual educators. Teachers become adjunct faculty at Kean and receive $4,800 per year for their Saturday and summer teaching; in addition, they participate in pre-session planning and professional development meetings for which they are also paid. The teachers work in teams and are assisted by bilingual tutors. Some are students in the teacher preparation program, while others are older Adelante participants who have received special training for their tutoring role. (Teacher aspirants include Adelante graduates.)
Adelante instructors use multiple strategies, teaching in both English and Spanish. The instruction is largely content-focused, and teachers use the most appropriate language to achieve the content goals for each class. The program stresses academic development with an emphasis on Latino language and culture. The curriculum uses an active, experiment-based, "hands-on" instructional approach. Each year, the faculty determines an educational theme around which the academy activities are organized. For example, in spring 1992, Adelante joined the quincentennary celebration of Columbus' voyages to the Americas by developing programs to help students view the "founding" of the Americas from a Latino perspective. Teachers developed six special projects using the Columbus theme in lessons incorporating mathematics, science, and language arts objectives with topics in astronomy, oceanography, meteorology, and cartography. Students built papier-mâché scale models of the ships, studied the cultures and history of the two worlds, and created a photo essay of the Latin American people who currently reside in the students' communities.
Campus environment. Classes meet for about four hours on Saturday mornings during the fall and spring semesters and from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily for five weeks during the summer. Students are grouped in three clusters (grades 6-7, 8-9, and 10-12) and meet in two-hour periods in order to allow full development of ideas, topics, and projects. In addition to formal instruction, project activities include career counseling, mentoring, tutoring, and group and individual counseling for students. All classes are held in the Kean's School of Education building to expose young Latinos to a college environment, in the hope that if they learn to feel comfortable there, they will begin to envision themselves as part of a college-educated world. Adelante staff believe this experience will increase the students' chances of attending college, at Kean or elsewhere. As part of a cooperative agreement with Kean College, each of the districts provides students with bus transportation to the Saturday and summer programs.
Elements of enrichment. Project enrichment activities include a number of field trips and parent involvement efforts. For example, on Parent Days, parents come to the campus on the bus with their children and participate in special classes with or without their children. English as a Second Language classes are among the most popular.
Adelante also connects students with cultural activities in the community and brings prominent Latino and other professionals to the Saturday sessions to broaden the scope of students' ambitions. In addition to speakers, Adelante sponsors a mentoring program coordinated by AT&T for students in ninth grade and beyond. The purpose of the mentoring is to introduce students to Latinos who hold established leadership roles and jobs in the community. Mentors meet students initially at the college, but, once the mentorship is arranged, they adjust the time and place of their meetings to suit their convenience.
Funding. The New Jersey Department of Higher Education supports Project Adelante as an outreach to secondary school students who are at risk of dropping out of school or who need additional support to ensure that they enter a college program. A state grant supports materials, staffing, and other routine expenses. Adelante's year-long Saturday and summer program costs $1,600 per year for each student, and funding has been stable.
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