Adult Consequences for Youth Gang Members

Rey Mayoral is an experienced educator and administrator, particularly at the high school level. His past positions range from bilingual and multicultural health teacher to athletic director of an East Los Angeles school. Over the course of his career, Rey Mayoral has received several honors, including recognition for his ability to eliminate gang influence and activities in schools.

The true impact of joining a youth gang is hard to fully gauge, but studies have determined that the consequences last far longer than an individual’s actual affiliation with the gang. A research project conducted by the University of Washington found that teenagers who spend time in a gang are considerably more likely to be incarcerated in their adult years. Former gang members are also more prone to accepting illegal forms of income and are less likely to have achieved a high school degree. More disadvantages for adults who spent time in a gang as a youth range from inferior health to elevated risk for substance abuse.

California Ranks High among College Readiness Reporting

The recipient of a master’s degree in education from California State Polytechnic University, Rey Mayoral has over 40 years of experience as a teacher and administrator within the education field. Since 2014, Rey Mayoral has served as a project consultant with Marin County Office of Education, where among other responsibilities, he leads college readiness workshops. 

More than half of California's student population is composed of historically-underserved Latino students. It also has more than 1.4 million English as a second language students. Both of those figures, combined with the increasing amount of first-generation college students in the state, stress the importance of properly preparing students for postsecondary education. 

For instance, the University of California Irvine recently earned Hispanic-serving institution status, while over half the members of its graduating class in 2017 were the first members of their family to graduate from college. Accurate reporting of such figures varies from state to state, but according to a recently released report from Achieve, the State of California is ahead of the curve in reporting its college-readiness-related statistics.

In the report, California received high rankings in statewide reporting of four-year graduation rates and postsecondary remediation rates across student groups of diverse backgrounds and learning disabilities. The state also did well in terms of career and college-ready course completion. 

Additionally, the state finished slightly above the national average in overall score with 18 of a possible 32 points. Minnesota ranked the highest, while Pennsylvania ranked the lowest with only 4 points. The high level of transparency doesn't ensure success in preparing students for college, but it's vital in holding key figures accountable and shining a light on student groups facing opportunity gaps.