Hispanic students face unique challenges, NEA report says

From the NEA

The National Education Association Tuesday (March 13, 2007) issued "A Report on the Status of Hispanics in Education: Overcoming a History of Neglect." The report finds that Hispanic students often face unique challenges in student achievement, influenced by these facts:

• Hispanics have poverty rates that are two to nearly three times higher than whites.
• Hispanics cite Spanish as their dominant language and more than 20% say they do not speak English or do not speak English well.
• 40% of the Hispanic population is foreign born.

The result is that many Hispanic students must overcome language, cultural and socioeconomic barriers to succeed in school. In March 2006, NEA and the League of United Latin American Citizens convened an education summit in Denver to address the challenges that are hindering Hispanic youngsters from achieving educational success. Educators and community activists gathered to share views and make recommendations on how to improve the education of Hispanics. The results of the summit discussion along with supporting research are published in the NEA report.

“As educators we must do all that we can to ensure that the gaps in student achievement are closed and that students receive the tools and resources necessary to conquer the many obstacles they may face,” said NEA President Reg Weaver. “Overcoming these challenges will take the collective will of policymakers, parents and the community.”
Some of the report’s key findings include:

• While the high school completion rate among Hispanics rose between 1970 and 2004, it still lags far behind the completion rate of whites. The same holds true for the college completion rate among Hispanics.
• Hispanic student scores in the National Assessment of Educational Progress between 1990 and 2005 improved in math and reading, but not enough to close the large gaps between them and white students. Most troubling, less than half of Hispanic 4th graders have achieved a basic level of reading performance on NAEP.

In addition, summit participants expressed strong sentiments against the so-called No Child Left Behind Act and other policies such as vouchers and charter schools, noting they are harming rather than helping Hispanic children. Among the report’s recommendations to improve the education of Hispanic students are reducing class sizes; creating new classroom strategies to engage Hispanic students; and enhancing teacher preparation and professional development to better understand the culture of Hispanic students and to help students master English. The report also calls for building parent-community-educator alliances and increased school funding so that educators have the tools and resources to meet the needs of Hispanic youth.

“The NEA is committed to providing a great public school for every child – native born or immigrant, black, brown or white, poor or prosperous,” Weaver said. “We have a shared responsibility with the community-at- large to deliver on this promise. And we must all step up to ensure that Hispanic students receive the quality public education that they deserve.”

"A Report on the Status of Hispanics in Education" is NEA's third report on underserved groups. The previous two reports focused on American Indians and Alaska Natives and on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Still to come are reports on blacks; women and girls; gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered students; English-language learners; and students with disabilities.

Additional information about the report (opens pdf file)

Posted March 16, 2007