Latino Students in our Public Schools: A Closer Look

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Latino Students in our Public Schools A Closer
Look
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Purpose of the Study

• To better understand and document the enrollment
  patterns and academic challenges among Latino
  Students in Minnesota.

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Study Methodology

• Identify all school districts that have a Latino
  enrollment that comprises at least 10 of total
  enrollment.
• All data utilized was public data from the
  Minnesota Department of Education.
• Achievement data was filtered in districts
  where a limited number of Latino students were
  tested.
• The term Non-Latino should not be interpreted to
  mean white. However, in many of the smaller
  rural school districts that is the reality.

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Latino and overall student census 2001-2002
through 2005-2006
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Growth in Latino enrollment
Number of districts where Latino enrollment is at
least 10.
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School districts where Latino enrollment equals
or exceeds 10 (2005-06)
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Latino enrollment comparisons
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2004 Grade 3 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment

• Percentage of students at or above the state
  achievement standard for math and reading.

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2004 Grade 8 Basic Skills Test

• Percentage of students at or above the state
  minimum standard for math and reading.

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Post-secondary enrollment

• Immediate fall enrollment in a post-secondary
  institution in Minnesota following high school
  graduation (2004).

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Grade 3 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment math
proficiency (2004-05)
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Grade 3 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment
reading proficiency (2004-05)
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Grade 5 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment math
proficiency (2004-05)
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Grade 5 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment
reading proficiency (2004-05)
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Percentage of 8th-grade students passing the
Basic Skills Math Test (2004-05)
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Percentage of 8th-grade students passing the
Basic Skills Reading Test (2004-05)
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Percentage of 10th-grade students passing the
Basic Skills Writing Test (2004-05)
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Hispanic/Latino graduation rates by district
(2002-2005)
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Student dropouts by grade (2002-2005)
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Latino student movement out of the school
district (2002-2005)
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Latino student movement out of Minnesota or the
United States (2002-2005)
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Summary Conclusions

• Latinos are paradoxically the fastest growing
  student cohort, yet finding the least academic
  success in our schools.
• The achievement gap between Latinos and
  non-Latinos is substantial and persistent.
• The data does not suggest that schools have yet
  found a way to substantially close this gap.
• Student mobility and attrition is a significant
  problem among Latino students.
• However, if Latinos students stay in school
  through Grade 12, there is a reasonable chance
  that they will succeed.

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Summary Conclusions

• As these achievement gaps are identified rather
  early suggests that a prevention strategy (i.e.,
  early childhood educational enhancements) might
  be more effective.
• We must get student mobility and attrition under
  control if there is to be any academic success.
• Over time, the continuity of this pattern
  suggests that we may find a significant
  percentage of our future workforce classified as
  unskilled. The consequential impact on business
  economic development efforts will be
  substantial.