Hamptons Suicides Prompt Focus on Latino Community

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Three suicides by Latino teenagers in recent years have prompted introspection at the academically highly regarded East Hampton High School in New York State.

The New York Times recently reported that the rapid growth of the Hispanic population in the community has created tensions that may have been a factor in the students’ suicides. According to the article, the student population in the East Hampton Union Free School District was 41 percent Hispanic in 2012, up from 21.7 percent ten years earlier.

Daniel Hernandez, 16, an Ecuadorean immigrant, died after hanging himself last September, following Homecoming. In the aftermath of the tragedy, the district emphasized a renewed focus on reaching out to Hispanic parents. The district also hired a graduate of the high school to help and work as a community liaison, 23-year-old Ana Nunez, a Columbia University graduate who is of Ecuadorean descent.

She has helped parents learn how to understand student report cards and addressed concerns about students being absent for extended periods during out of the country trips.

The article acknowledges that a myriad of issues were at play in the suicides. For example, the article said Hernandez had questioned his sexuality and had allegedly been bullied by other Hispanic students.

Many school districts have chosen to hire liaisons to focus on involving Latino families. How is your local district handling outreach?

- East Hampton Union Free School District

- “Officials respond to student suicides,” East Hampton Star.

Superintendent: ELLs Making Gains in LA Schools

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy sent a memo to the district’s board of trustees recently outlining the academic gains by English Language Learners within recent years.

The memo to the district’s board was dated May 31, and was entitled, “Next Three Years: Policy and Investment.” The school district enrolls the largest number of ELLs in the nation, according to the memo. It began redesigning its program for ELLs in 2010.

He wrote that “far fewer” elementary school ELLs are testing at the “Below Basic” and “Far Below Basic” English proficiency levels. The percentage of students testing at those low proficiency levels dropped from 37 percent to 26 percent. At the secondary level, there was an 8 percent drop in students scoring at the lower levels.

California has struggled with long term English Language Learners who have been in the school system for six years or more, but still have not become English proficient. The district’s new master plan for addressing ELLs takes this into account. Two courses have been created at the middle and high school levels addressing the student population. Students receive targeted help with improving their reading and language skills, guided by testing data.

As part of the plan, 750 special education teachers were trained on strategies to use with ELLs with special needs.

The Learning the Language blog reported that Los Angeles revamped its program after an enforcement action by the U.S. Department of Education. California is also now beginning to track data on long term ELL students.

Related Links:

- Memo from John Deasy re ELLs.

- “L.A. Unified Improves English-Learner Outcomes, Superintendent Says,” Learning the Language Blog, Education Week.

- “Memo touts progress on safety, suspensions, and English Learners,” LA School Report.

- “California Eyes Tracking Long-Term English Language Learners,” Latino Ed Beat.

Program Teaches Latino Parents About Special Education

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

News stories often report on programs that work to build awareness among Spanish-speaking parents about the importance about college — but what about special education?

Manhattanville College in New York State recently brought together Hispanic parents through its Changing Suburbs Institute to promote awareness of special education issues, The Journal News reports.

“It is very important for me to know my responsibility — for my son,” Migdalia Lopez, who is from Puerto Rico and has a seven-year-old son, told the newspaper. “What are the benefits of the program? What are the goals? How can my son benefit? It is important not only for me, but for my community, for other parents.”

An event was held for parents who attend schools in Westchester County, New York. The newspaper reported that parents were given a bilingual glossary with technical terms such as “least restrictive environment,” “gross-motor coordination” and “alternative dispute resolution.”

According to its web site, the Changing Suburbs Institute focuses on improving education for Latinos in nine school districts. The institute’s mission includes providing professional development to teachers, conducting research, and connecting institutes and groups together to help the Hispanic community.

Some other efforts to education Latinos about autism were highlighted when Autism Speaks recently launched an ad campaign explaining the key warning signs of a child

- Changing Suburbs Institute, Manhattanville College.

- “Ads Promote Autism Awareness Among Latinos,” Latino Ed Beat.

ACLU: Rhode Island Suspends Latino Students at High Rates

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

A new report by the ACLU of Rhode Island finds that Latino and black students are being suspended at much higher rates than white students, relative to their student population size.

The report is based on an analysis of data from the Rhode Island Department of Education, between 2004 and 2012.

In “Blacklisted: Racial Bias in School Suspensions in Rhode Island,” the ACLU says that the racial disparity begins as early as elementary school. A Hispanic elementary students is three times as likely to be suspended as a white students, the report says. The suspensions also often result from minor behavioral issues, often characterized as “disorderly conduct” or “insubordination/disrespect.”

“Out-of-school suspensions are used too often to punish infractions that in no way justify the long-term consequences that suspensions can carry,” said ACLU Policy Associate Hillary Davis, the report’s author. “For minority students, reconsideration of the use of out-of-school suspensions is particularly critical.”

Eight of the school districts analyzed disproportionately suspended Hispanic students for all eight years in which they were studied. According to the report, Hispanic students made up 18 percent of students and 28 percent of those suspended; black students made up 9 percent of students, and 18 percent of suspensions; and white students made up 69 percent of students and half of those suspended.

According to an article in the Boston Globe, the ACLU is backing legislation that would require school districts in Rhode Island to look for disparities in their disciplinary data annually and then develop plans as to how to eliminate any that exist.

‘‘I look forward to reading the full report that the ACLU has developed,” Rhode Island Education Commissioner Deborah Gist said in a statement, the Globe reported. ‘‘I will discuss with my team and with school leaders across the state any steps we might take to ensure equity and fairness regarding school discipline.’’

Earlier in May, similar concerns about Latino and black students being suspended at high rates prompted the Los Angeles Unified School District to stop using “willful defiance” as a justification for suspension. Defiance tended to include misbehavior such as swearing and not following a teacher’s orders. At the time, school board president Monica Garcia said she was hoping to stop the “school-to-prison pipeline.”

- “ACLU Report Says Black and Hispanic Youth Bear Brunt of School Suspensions in Rhode Island,” ACLU.

- “Los Angeles Schools Ban ‘Willful Defiance’ Suspensions,” Latino Ed Beat.

Report: ‘One-Stop’ Services Help Latino College Students

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

A new report outlines how community colleges can improve retention and completion rates for Latino students — in particular, through targeted financial counseling and assistance.

The report, “Supporting Latino Community College Students: an Investment in Our Economic Future,” was conducted by the advocacy group Excelencia in Education and the program, Single Stop USA.

Excelencia focuses on efforts that build Latino student success at colleges and universities.

Single Stop USA is a non-profit program offered on 17 community college campuses. Eight of the Single Stop sites are Hispanic-serving institutions (where the full-time student population is at least 25 percent Latino), which are predominantly in New York. The program provides student services such as financial and legal counseling, and assistance with taxes.

The report makes several key suggestions.

It suggests that policymakers should use the Higher Education Act reauthorization to provide incentives to colleges to improve student services that encourage retention and completion of degrees. In addition, colleges should create very targeted strategies to better inform Latino and low-income students about financial aid opportunities.

The report also describes how Single Stop works. The program is usually housed in a community college’s office of financial aid or student services. A site coordinator interviews the student and then determines what sorts of benefits may be able to assist the student with staying enrolled. Assistance could include public health insurance, food stamps, legal services and tax services.

The report describes how Julio, a 23-year-old student at Miami Dade College studying architectural design living with his father, used the services of Single Stop to apply for food stamps, Medicaid and disability for his family.

According to the report, about 55 percent of Latino students who have been helped through the program receive aid with preparing their taxes, 23 percent with public benefits, 13 percent with financial counseling, and 10 percent with legal services.

The HSIs that Single Stop serves are Contra Costa College, Miami Dade College, Central New Mexico Community College, CUNY Bronx Community College, CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY Hostos Community College, CUNY LaGuardia Community College, and CUNY Queensborough Community College.

- “Group paves way for Latinos to graduate college,” NBC Latino.

- “New report highlights innovative ways community colleges can help Latino students succeed,” Latina Lista.

- Single Stop USA.

Analysis: More Colleges See Large Latino Enrollments

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

About 54 percent of all U.S. Latino undergraduate college students in 2011-12 attended Hispanic-Serving Institutions, a new analysis has found.

HSIs are federally defined as those accredited colleges and universities where at least 25 percent of the full-time undergraduate students enrolled are Latino. Such colleges and universities now make up 11 percent of all colleges and universities in the country, according to the report by Excelencia in Education and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.

During the 2011-12 school year, there were 356 HSIs nationwide, according to the Excelencia analysis, which used data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Such schools are growing at a fast clip, as the number of HSIs grew by 45 institutions between the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years.

The designation is important because HSIs can qualify for federal Title V education funding, allowing them to expand academic programs and work on improving graduation rates.

Excelencia vice president of policy and co-founder Deborah Santiago told NBC Latino that it’s critical to ensure that HSIs receive the resources they need.

“Census data says Latino enrollment in college is the highest it’s ever been, but now it’s time to focus on the institutions they are attending, understand their reasons for attendance and focus on the quality of education they are receiving,” Santiago said.

Santiago added that it’s important to keep a list of HSIs because many don’t even know their status and that they can qualify for special federal funding.

Excelencia has identified 250 additional institutions where enrollment ranges between 15-24% Latino, making the schools potential future HSIs.

According to Excelencia, the largest group of HSIs are public two-year community colleges. Two-year schools make up 47 percent of HSIs, a total of 169. By comparison, there are 70 public four-year HSIs, 99 private non-profit four-year institutions, and 18 private two-year non-profit institutions.

California had 112 HSIs — the most of any state, by far. It was followed by Texas, with 66, and Puerto Rico, with 61. The majority of the schools are located in cities, not suburbs or rural areas. And when the enrollments of the HSIs in 2011-12 were averaged out, their total enrollment was 47 poercent Latino — representing 943,246 Hispanic college students.

- Analysis of Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Excelencia in Education.

- “Number of U.S. Hispanic-Serving colleges and universities sees big jump,” NBC Latino.

U.S. Education Secretary Promotes Pre-K for Latinos

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

This week during a meeting with journalists, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan raised concerns about the low enrollment rates of Latino children in preschool.

“Less than half of Hispanic children attend any kind of preschool — that’s kind of staggering,” Duncan said Wednesday, according to an article in The Washington Post. “This is the fastest-growing population and a lower-than-average participation rate.”

According to The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual Kids Count report, about 63 percent of Hispanics who were three and four year olds between 2008 and 2010 did not attend preschool. That’s a lower rate than the 53 percent average of students not attending preschool. It also was the lowest rate when compared with Asian, white, black, and Native American children.

Duncan said the roots of the problem can be attributed to challenges such as a lack of access to preschool, but also because Latino families are reluctant to enroll their children.

According to the Learning the Language blog, Duncan shared that when he led the Chicago Public Schools, evening kindergarten classes between 3-6 p.m. were offered in Latino communities where there were waiting lists for earlier classes.

“People thought we were crazy,” Duncan said, according to the blog. “But we had a huge take-up on that. You have to be creative about how you provide the opportunities.”

Duncan’s comments come as President Obama pushes for universal preschool for 4-year-olds. In his proposed budget, he wants the federal government to help pay for preschool for the states by increasing the federal tobacco tax. According to the Post, that could generate $75 billion over ten years.

A separate Washington Post article reported that several hundred business leaders sent a letter to Congress and the White House supporting more federal spending on preschool.

- “Business community shows support for preschool expansion in letter for Obama,” The Washington Post.

- “Education secretary says preschool is key for Latino success,” NBC Latino.

- “Arne Duncan Touts Advantages of Bilingualism,” Learning the Language Blog/Education Week.

- “Report: Fewer than Half of U.S. Children Attend Preschool,” Early Years Blog.

Complaint Alleges Pre-K Program Requires Proof of U.S. Citizenship

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

The Southern Poverty Law Center has sent a complaint letter to the administrator of the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, Head Start program, alleging that the organization has illegally demanded proof of U.S. citizenship from Latino families seeking to register their 3-year-olds in the program.

The letter addressed to the Jefferson Parish Community Action Program (JEFFCAP) alleges that immigrant families were either denied the opportunity to apply for the program or discouraged from applying. It said parents should have been able to enroll their children by showing proof of their residency on utility and other bills.

The SPLC emphasizes that Head Start is run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which defines eligibility as being a child of three years old, living in the area served, and meeting an income limit.

The complaint also attached a flyer about Head Start registration listing a checklist including a child’s social security card and cards for family members over age 21 who are the household breadwinners

The Times-Picayune reported that Parish representatives said they would not comment, but are reviewing the complaint. According to the newspaper, the program serves about 930 children from ages three to five.

“Just because I don’t have papers doesn’t mean our kids can’t have access to these services,” one undocumented immigrant mother told the newspaper.

- Southern Poverty Law Center Complaint

- Southern Poverty Law Center Homepage

Report: Many Silicon Valley Latino Students Not Prepared for College

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

While Silicon Valley is world-renowned for its innovative high-tech industry, a new report says that only 20 percent of Latino students in the region are graduating high school within four years and are eligible for admission to the University of California and California State University systems.

The achievement gap is most glaring when compared with Asian students, 71 percent of whom graduate in four years and are eligible to enroll in the UC and CSU systems. For white students, it is 53 percent and for black students, 22 percent.

Innovate Public Schools produced the report, entitled “Broken Promises: The Children Left Behind in Silicon Valley Schools.” It examines student academic achievement in the Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, where about 38 percent of the students are Latino. The report breaks out the data by school district and–in some cases–individual campuses.

This is Innovate Public Schools’ first report. The organization’s formation was announced last year, supported by the Walton Family Foundation and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Innovate Public Schools was established in part with the intent of creating charter schools or new public school models that better serve minority and low-income students. So it’s important to consider that the group has a clear platform it is trying to advance with the report, which shows that traditional schools and school districts tend to do poorly with closing achievement gaps for Latinos. The group concludes that charter schools are more likely to do better with Latino students. The director of the group, Matt Hammer, is a former director of People Acting in Community Together (PACT), a group that successfully pushed area districts to open charter schools.

Innovate Public Schools highlights the average algebra proficiency rates at the seventh- and eighth-grade levels as early predictors of future success. Those proficiency rates are 23 percent for Latinos, 24 percent for African-Americans, 76 percent for Asians and 57 percent for white students. Silicon Valley Education Foundation president Mohammed Chaudhry is quoted as saying that Hispanic students are “slipping off the college track in elementary and middle school, signified by their inability to pass algebra in 8th grade and often in 9th.” Ninth grade is when students have traditionally been expected to take and pass algebra.

The report points out that in the Sunnyvale School District, 27 percent of Latino eighth graders take algebra, while 91 percent of Asians take the class. Grades, test scores and teacher recommendations determine who is able to take the class. The report points out that Latinos end up taking Algebra Concepts instead of algebra, which focuses on vocabulary and other skills.

But giving students access to classes doesn’t always close the gap. In the San Mateo-Foster City School District, 81 percent of Latino eighth-graders take algebra, but they end up with only 10 percent of students rated proficient.

The report highlights several charter and experimental schools serving mostly Latino students, such as the Rocketship Mateo Sheedy elementary school, as success stories for Latinos (who make up about 89 percent of that school’s enrollment). The students spend about a quarter of their time in a computer learning lab, attend school for eight hours, and do not receive art or music classes. The report also refers to the Renaissance School, a collaboration between the Alum Rock school district and PACT, as doing well with Latino middle school students.

The Aspire East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy high school focuses on dual enrollment courses. But things aren’t all rosy. A recent Palo Alto Daily News article found that only 64 percent of the academy’s class of 2011-12 graduated, compared with the 83 percent average in San Mateo County. The principal said the rate was low because students were often taking five years to finish.

- “Silicon Valley Community Foundation Announces New Education Reform Effort,” Philanthropy News Digest.

- “Report: Silicon Valley Schools Do Poor Job of Preparing Latinos for College,” NBC Bay Area.

NCES Report Shows High School Course Gains for Latinos

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Katherine Leal Unmuth

A new report released by the National Center for Education Statistics sheds some light on the course-taking practices of Latino high school students. In particular, greater numbers of students are taking math and science coursework.

The courses taken changed considerably between 1990 and 2009. For example, the percentage of Hispanic graduates those years who took a calculus course grew from 4 percent to 9 percent.

However, gaps persisted between groups. In 2009, about 42 percent of Asian graduates, 18 percent of white graduates and 6 percent of black graduates had taken calculus.

In addition, the percentage of Hispanics who completed algebra II/trigonometry increased from 40 percent to 71 percent between 1990 and 2009.

In the area of science, Hispanic graduates who had completed a chemistry course increased from 38 to 66 percent.

Programs are working to promote even greater participation in math and science courses by Hispanics. The AP STEM Access Program funded in part by Google intends to expand Advanced Placement courses in hundreds of high schools.

Latinos are underrepresented in AP math and science courses. Latinos in the Class of 2012 made up only about 13 percent of the students who took the AB Calculus exam, for example.

The report, “The Condition of Education 2013,” is a treasure trove of data spanning other areas as well, including test performance, child poverty and postgraduate income.

Try to delve into what courses Latino students are taking in your local school district. If you have STEM magnet programs, how diverse is the enrollment? I expect that promoting STEM among minority students will continue to be a hot topic in the coming years.

- “High School Students Taking More Math and Science Courses,” College Bound Blog, Education Week.

- “Grant Expands Access to STEM Courses for Minority Students,” Latino Ed Beat.

- “College Board Reveals Advanced Placement Data on Latinos,” Latino Ed Beat.

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