Hispanic Achievement Gap Remains Steady For Two Decades

Several papers today continued coverage of the new Hispanic achievement gap report, mostly lamenting the apparent lack of progress. The AP (6/24, Armario) reports that the Hispanic achievement gap in the US-as demonstrated by the National Assessment of Educational Progress-has remained steady since "the early 1990s, despite two decades of accountability reforms." The gap "narrowed by three points in fourth- and eighth-grade reading since 2003, a reduction researchers said was statistically significant. But the overall difference between them remains more than 20 points, or roughly two grade levels." The AP quotes Education Secretary Arne Duncan, "Hispanic students are the largest minority group in our nation's schools. But they face grave educational challenges that are hindering their ability to pursue the American dream."

 

The Christian Science Monitor (6/24, Khadaroo) reports that despite this stagnation, there are "hints of progress" to "be found with a closer look at low-income Hispanics or those who already know the English language. And some states stand out for gaps considerably lower than the national average." The Monitor notes that the report comes as Congress is considering how to reauthorize NCLB, which "has attempted to narrow gaps based on race, income, and other factors."

Other media outlets covering this story include the Des Moines Register (6/24, Hupp), the Hartford Courant (6/24), Time (6/24, Webley) and a Spanish language report from EFE (6/24), which features quotes from Duncan and Juan Sepúlveda, director of the White House Initiative in Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.

 

Florida Sees Improvement. The Orlando Sentinel (6/24, Postal) reports, "Florida is a leader among the states in closing the" Hispanic achievement gap, noting that Florida's "Hispanic students came closer to matching the achievement of non-Hispanic white students on math and reading tests than their counterparts in most of the country, including those in the four other states with the largest Hispanic populations - California, Illinois, New York and Texas." Florida Chancellor for K-12 Education Mike Grego "attributed Florida's improvements to better teacher training; new efforts to pinpoint where students were struggling and then to tailor instruction accordingly; and a push to expand access to advanced courses." This piece also quotes Duncan.