PATRICIA GÁNDARA UCLA Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles

PERCENT YEAR OLDS WITH BA+ ETHNICITY WHITE ASIANN/A 6058 BLACK LATINO

25-29 Year Olds With BA+

3 Explanations for the Gaps Immigration: If we just stop immigration at the border, it will solve the educational problems Language: If we just teach Latino students English quickly, they will catch up Time: If we just wait it out, Latinos, like all other immigrant groups will move up the ladder of opportunity

Why Does This Matter?  53% of California students are Latino  51% of Texas students are Latino  In ten states the Latino population has grown between 200% and 400% in the last decade  Latinos are 20% of all students in the US, and  Before 2025, Latinos will be one in every 4 students in the US  The future of the NATION is linked to how well Latinos are educated!

Context for Latino Students  35% of Latino youth live in poverty  75+% are eligible for free/reduced lunch  1/3 families lack health insurance; 2/3 in Texas  60% of Latinos in the urban West attend schools that are 90%- 100% minority  Highest residential mobility; unstable parental employment  Low wealth – wealth is in housing, lost 88%  School performance is related to parent education and 40% of Latino parents have not completed high school

California’s Schools  1 Counselor for approx 900 students  1 psychologist for approx 1400 students  1 nurse for over 2700 students  1 librarian for over 9,000 students  1 social worker for over 15,000 students

The Growing Gap: Percent K-12 Students with Parents with BA +, Source: NCES, 2008.

BY HIGH SCHOOL  Up to 50% of Latino males in urban areas have dropped out of school  Latinos in general are performing several years behind their white peers  Only 36% complete A-G ( 49% White;69% Asian)  Most Latino survivors will “go on to college” but few will complete  Latinos attend less selective colleges than they qualify for

What if we don’t solve this SOON?  1 Million jobs for college educated individuals in California go unfilled by Californians by 2025,  While Latinos compete for jobs at the bottom  California’s per capita income DECLINES by 11% between 2000 and 2020  (Per capita income GREW by 30% between 1980 and 2000)  Gaps in income, wealth, and education between Latinos and others continue to grow  Social fabric frays

Six Things We Can Do: Sí Podemos  Build on students’ assets  Create magnets, especially dual immersion schools to break down isolation  Train & recruit Latino & bilingual teachers  Focus on wraparound services  Strengthen outreach  Parent education

Build on students’ assets  Strong social skills  “Border crossing” skills (biculturalism)  Bilingualism  Immigrant optimism

Dual immersion schools  Exploding demand  Come closest to closing achvm’t gaps  Nurture important skills in the labor market  Better prepare students for the world they live in– break down isolation

Latino/Bilingual Teachers  Having a Latino teacher predicts college going  Bilingual teachers are to building dual immersion schools  Both model an important role in global society  Bilingual use more research based strategies than monolingual teachers  Bilingual see parent contact as THEIR responsibility & able to evaluate the learning of ELs regardless of program type

Wraparound Services  It is NOT deficit thinking to understand that poverty ravages hopes & dreams  Latino parents have very high aspirations  But poverty undermines them  Some organizations trying to do this: e.g., Communities in Schools, HCZ  Healthy Start a good model in CA  We must reinvest in this infrastructure

Strengthen Outreach/College Access Programs  These programs have big limitations but they are an arrow in the quiver  Channel students to rigorous curriculum  Supplement counseling, esp at high school and community colleges  Provide critical information  Summer bridge and First Year Experience can have powerful effects

Parent Information  “Sticker Shock” remains a major problem for parents  Also need information on how to prepare their children for graduation & college  Need to know how to monitor schooling  Need to know how to advocate  Programs such as PIQE work

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