1 Teachers College Record Volume 118, 070306, July 2016, 60 pages Copyright © by Teachers College, Columbia University 0161-4681 The Promise and Limitations of a College- Going Culture: Toward Cultures of Engaged Learning for Low-SES Latina/o Youth STEVEN Z. ATHANASES University of California, Davis BETTY ACHINSTEIN University of California, Santa Cruz MARNIE W. CURRY University of California, Santa Cruz RODNEY T. OGAWA University of California, Santa Cruz Background/Context: Literatures on college-going cultures offer patterns and lists of prac- tices that promote schoolwide attention to college-going for nondominant youth, often with organization-level analyses of policies and procedures. Other literature identifies promising practices and challenges to conventional instruction, often examining pedagogical discourse. Seldom are ideas from these two literatures brought together to examine promises and tensions of effectively preparing youth of color for higher education. Our study examined both school and classroom levels to develop such understanding. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: The purpose was to learn how high schools committed to reversing historic underrepresentation of low-SES students of color in higher education may leverage two dimensions of schooling to hit this goal: development of a school-wide college-going culture with norms and roles that articulate high expectations and provide extensive supports toward college admissions and academically engaging classroom experiences that include rigorous and meaningful disciplinary challenges, supported by lan- guage-rich communication, collaboration, culture, and context. To learn about one school’s complex college-for-all efforts, we asked: How is a college-going culture enacted at the school, and by whom, to support Latina/o students in gaining access to college? What is the nature of academic engagement at the school that may help prepare Latina/o students for college?