UC Santa Barbara

Using data from a large comprehensive high school, this study examines the disproportionate rates of enrollment for Latina/o and White students in honors/AP courses. This study expands upon previous research findings that emotional support is especially beneficial for Latina/o students, and examines how different combinations of sources of encouragement help students enroll in honors/AP courses. Using Latent Class Analysis, this study finds that while White students can rely on traditional sources of encouragement, such as a teacher, Latina/o students must expand their networks to include other sources, such as the college counselor in order to circumvent covert racialized tracking and enroll in honors/AP courses. Additionally, Latina/o students who participate in on-campus extracurricular activities are more likely to have an expansive network of encouragement than those who do not.