Elevating Voices: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Chicano/a Students Labeled As At-Risk Along The U.S.-Mexico Border During Their Eighth Grade Year

This study investigates the lived experiences of Chicano students who were labeled as at-risk during their time in eighth grade in a public school located along the U.S.-Mexico border. This study focuses on the academic and personal experiences of these students. Through the qualitative methodology of Narrative Inquiry, this study captures the narratives of the participants and provides insight into factors that impacted their personal and academic journeys. This study draws connections between the participants' experiences and four themes that grounded the studyâ??s comprehensive literature review: Maslowâ??s Hierarchy of Needs, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) using the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework, the school-to-prison pipeline, and mentorship. By drawing connections between the participantsâ?? experiences and these four themes, the study revealed significant findings that could impact future mentorship programming, SEL training and culturally responsive training for educators. By analyzing and coding the stories shared by the participants, this study reveals valuable insights that have the potential to inform educational policy to implement professional development for educators centered on social and emotional learning (SEL), culturally responsive teaching practices, and SEL-based mentorship programming designed to foster a more equitable learning environment for Chicano students labeled as at-risk in public schools. The findings of this study highlight the positive and negative experiences of five Chicano students labeled as at-risk during their time in eighth grade. The insights gained from this study emphasize the need for school systems to implement more inclusive practices that honor the cultural identities of students and the need for the implementation of social and emotional learning frameworks that can positively impact studentsâ?? personal and academic development.