Improving educational equity through the Latinx family lens: A case study of the Juntos Program

Abstract

AbstractThe Latinx population is the largest minority group in the United States and education is consistently identified as a critical topic among both US and foreign‐born Latino voters. In this article, the authors representing two land‐grant universities from a western (Oregon) and southern (North Carolina) region of the nation demonstrate how culturally responsive evaluation (CRE) principles are used to identify impacts and continuous program improvement to the development and implementation of a program driven to provide access and equitable experiences, knowledge, and resources to support the educational success of Latinx youth. Since 2007, the Juntos Program has intentionally focused on family engagement to drive students’ academic success. This article will showcase the evolution of program evaluation practices driven by the communities’ voices and how collaborative CRE can strengthen the work while ensuring communities' unique cultures based on demographic areas are acknowledged. This article will present a historical Juntos evaluation framework as an example of how Latinx families have participated in the evolution of the program's evaluation practices. In addition, it will provide insights and tools for others who wish to improve the cultural responsiveness of their programs. We acknowledge that identity is personal, and preference for various labels and terminology for the Hispanic/Latino/a/e/x vary based on the individual, community, and context. We respect the use of Hispanic, Latino/a/e/x, and a person's country of origin, which many Juntos families prefer. This article will use “Latinx” as a gender‐inclusive umbrella term.