Despite the outrage, the science fair incident reveals nothing new about HISP. Anyone in the program (and most people who aren’t in the program) can tell you that HISP mostly attracts white and Asian students — a fact that hasn’t changed in the program’s 33 years of existence. To be fair, the science project’s initial question of why HISP lacks diversity is a valid one. This incident presents a golden opportunity to answer it. In October, the two students behind this article started a senior project focused on increasing diversity in McClatchy’s HISP program. We looked at data on application and admission rates by middle school and zip code, then reached out to principals and counselors at underrepresented middle schools to find the causes of the gaps. We are far from understanding the entirety of the problem, but the questions we have asked so far have given us an idea of the necessary steps to make HISP better for everyone. Many of these steps demand involvement from McClatchy students — all McClatchy students, not just those in HISP.
First, HISP must discover the image it projects. No matter how HISP improves the application process, people must like the program. Outreach will only work if HISP students know what prospective students want out of their high school experience. We think that teachers and students must collaboratively organize surveys and focus groups to identify how people view HISP and what improvements they would like to see. Based on what these surveys and discussions reveal, HISP can make the changes necessary for both attracting a more diverse set of students and making sure that HISP students of all backgrounds feel wanted, respected, and cared about within the program. Student involvement is particularly important in this stage. In the near future, we will organize formal discussions with any McClatchy students—HISP or not—who want to voice their opinions. If you are someone who sees HISP students as exclusive, elitist, or generally rude, please reach out to us through our contact information at the end of this article. It should be emphasized that we are all on the same team in this discussion. A more diverse, inclusive HISP would benefit all of us. If we keep this in mind, we can keep the discussion from turning to hostility and personal attacks.
Second, HISP must communicate better with parents, teachers, and students at middle schools that are currently underrepresented in the program. We spoke to students at Fern Bacon Middle School shortly before HISP applications were due and found that only a handful of the people we talked to had even heard of HISP. Current SCUSD rules bar specialty programs like HISP from sending students to middle schools to recruit. This probably partially explains the lack of awareness about HISP. Cristo Rey High School, on the other hand, is a private school that does not have any restrictions on recruiting middle school students. As such, they regularly send students to interact with the middle schoolers, drawing a greater number of Bacon students than HISP does. If HISP imitated this model, sending current students to middle schools like Bacon to show prospective students they are wanted, it could see similar results. We think that the solution here is clear: HISP and other specialty programs must work with the district to create a system that allows magnet programs to recruit as long as they send student representatives to all middle schools in the district. Also, if you heard very little or nothing at all about HISP during your middle school experience, hearing your view could help us improve outreach.
Third, HISP faculty must come together with teachers and counselors whose students have not been applying to or getting into HISP in order to make the application process work for all parties. The data shows that middle schools other than Cal and Sutter have disproportionately low HISP acceptance and admission rates, but it does not entirely explain why. Lack of awareness of the program likely contributes to the low application rates, but other factors also certainly exist, and we need to learn what they are and how to address them. We also know that many students submit part of the HISP application but do not come to McClatchy for the mandatory timed essay. In order to move forward, HISP faculty and middle school staff must work together to create an application system that will ensure that all qualified, motivated students have an equitable chance of getting into HISP.
If you are a student, teacher, or administration member who would like to be involved in any of the above steps, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Solving inequity in HISP will require navigating complex socioeconomic factors; but to figure out how to do this, we need to know more. By searching for the answers together, we can make HISP truly welcoming to students of color.
Amos: (916) 730-7180
Jonah: (916) 862-5087