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Introduction Why do some students maintain their career expectations in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), whereas others change their expectations? Using situated expectancy‐value and social cognitive career theories, we sought to investigate the extent to which STEM support predicted changes in students' STEM career expectations during high school, and if these processes varied by whether the student had college educated or noncollege educated parents. Methods Using the nationally representative data set of the High School Longitudinal Study, we investigated the predictors of changes in US students' STEM career expectations from 9th to 11th grade (n = 13,100, 54% noncollege educated parents, 51% girls, 55% White, 21% Latinx, 12% Black). Results and Conclusions Students with noncollege educated parents were significantly more likely to change from STEM to non‐STEM career expectations by 11th grade or to have stable non‐STEM career expectations (compared to having stable STEM expectations or changing from non‐STEM to STEM expectations). Additionally, students with noncollege educated parents were less likely to receive STEM support from parents and attend extracurricular activities compared to students with college educated parents. However, when examining the predictors among students with noncollege educated parents, students were more likely to maintain their expectations for a STEM career from 9th to 11th grade (compared to switching to a non‐STEM career) if they had parental STEM support. Additionally, all students regardless of parents' level of education were more likely to maintain their expectations for a STEM career (vs. switching to a non‐STEM career) through high school if they received teacher STEM support. Furthermore, students were more likely to develop STEM career expectations (vs. maintaining non‐STEM career expectations) if they had parent STEM support. These findings highlight how parent and teacher STEM support may bolster STEM career expectations, particularly among students with noncollege educated parents.

High‐quality afterschool programs (ASPs) are opportunities to diversify the ways that Latinx youth from economically underprivileged communities experience STEM learning. Utilizing qualitative methods, based on the experiences and perspectives of low‐income Latinx middle school participants of a math enrichment ASP in Southern California, we identified four culturally responsive practices: (1) the promotion of an inclusive, safe, and respectful program climate, (2) engaging in personal conversations, (3) facilitating opportunities for mutual and math learning across diverse cultures and perspectives, and (4) the promotion of math and a range of social‐emotional skills across contexts. These practices helped youth feel more connected to the program, their peers, and program staff (college mentors); provided a platform for youth voice and contribution to the processes of teaching and learning; facilitated opportunities for skill development and practice across the different contexts of youth’s lives; interrelated with Latinx cultural values; and helped to promote youth’s engagement and math learning. Importantly, youth’s relationships with their mentors was a significant aspect of their experiences and perceptions of these practices. We argue that culturally responsive practices are necessary to achieve high‐quality programs and provide specific implications for how ASPs can implement them in the design and implementation of their programs.

This study examines the association between school-based discrimination and social-emotional learning (SEL) for Latinx students and the potential protective role of school commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). We also examine whether these associations differ based on Latinx youth’s gender and sexual orientation. The sample included 2,017 Latinx youth (ages 11–21; 49% girls) from middle schools and high schools across the United States based on path analyses, we found that school-based discrimination is negatively associated with SEL and that commitment to DEI buffers the negative impact of discrimination on SEL. Multigroup analyses revealed some differences in the path analyses among girls compared to boys and sexual minority youth compared to heterosexual youth. Our findings suggest that school commitment to DEI can be protective against the negative effects of school-based discrimination on SEL for Latinx students and highlight the importance of considering within-group differences among Latinx youth.