Escucheme por favor /please listen to me: An analysis of the perceptions of Latino students and teachers in a high school multilingual teacher academy

This case study used photo elicitation interviewing (PEI) to analyze perceptions of Latino students and their teachers in a multilanguage high school academy. It examined student involvement in school, dropout rate, and pursuit of a college education. Ten academy teachers and 10 Latino senior students were interviewed. Observations obtained through PEI indicated that (a) Latino students felt they increased their level of involvement since enrolling in the academy, whereas teachers in the academy did not feel engaged; (b) Latino students who worked in the preschool and elementary levels changed their outlook toward education, the teaching profession, and personal life choices; (c) Latino students in the academy realized the importance of higher education, but not all chose to pursue a teaching career; (d) teachers and Latino students in the academy sometimes disagreed regarding the academy's strengths and areas of need; (e) Latino students and teachers in the Multilingual Teacher Academy felt the program prepared students for college; and (f) Latino students reported that their actual experiences in the academy were close to their expectations, whereas teachers stated that their actual experiences in the academy were not close to their expectations.