Latino Education in Georgia: Challenges and Possibilities

1. Latino Education in Georgia:Challenges and Possibilities Paul Matthews, Bernadette Musetti, Elida Perez-Knapp September 23, 2004

2. The Center for Latino Achievement & Success in Education: Who we are and what we do • Professional Development • Summer Institute; Action Plans • Fall and Spring Follow-Up Conferences • Team-based model:11 in 2003-04; 13 in 2004-05 • Top-Quality Consultants and Experts as Resources • Counselor, Liaison, Other Conferences • ESOL Endorsements

3. Resources and Support • Website and List-Serves • Publications (e.g., GA ASCD Reporter) • Community Resource Guides • Mexico, Costa Rica Experiences • Faculty and Graduate Student Outreach • Oasis tutoring project • Mother/Daughter program • Guest speaking/Professional Development

4. Georgia Demographics: Responding to a Need -Statewide, Georgia’s overall population is about 8% Hispanic – est. 660,000. -Many counties and communities are already over 25% Hispanic -Poultry, construction, carpet, agriculture, … -By 2008, at least 12 counties are expected to be >25% Hispanic – some as much as 75%! (UGA Selig Center) And by 2050 the largest group…

5. http://factfinder.census.gov/leg2/98/33492998.gif2000 Census results, Hispanic/Latino by County

6. Latino Students in Georgia • As of 3/4/2004, the GA DOE counted 106,126 “Hispanic” students grade Pre-K through 12 in Georgia schools. • Predominantly at lower grades– fewer than 20,000 in grades 9-12. • 774,157 total student count statewide– so about 13.7% of GA students are Hispanic. • 2/3 of all Latino students are in just 12 counties • Gwinnett has 19.9% of all Latino students • Cobb Co., 10.0%; DeKalb Co., 6.5%; Fulton Co. 5.9%; Hall Co., 5.7% • But smaller counties may be highly impacted too!

7. More Demographics • According to the GA DOE, as of Spring 2001, almost 61% of Hispanics (42,551 out of a total of 69,953) were classified as Limited English Proficient (LEP). • Hispanic students in Georgia on average do not test or graduate at the same level as other groups, at least in part due to language issues. • Georgia had lowest high school graduation rate of all 50 states (Manhattan Policy Institute)

8. On the 2004 CRCT tests: Does not meet Meets Exceeds White 5 37 58 Hispanic 19 54 26 LEP 32 57 11 All students 10 46 44 http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/_documents/curriculum/testing/testing_crct_results_2004_details.pdf

9. 2004 Pass Rates by Student Groups, Georgia High School Graduation Test English/Lang. Arts Math Social Studies Science White 96 91 81 63 Hispanic 78 82 60 36 LEP 54 71 38 16 All Students91 89 76 59 From http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/doe/media/04/051304.asp

10. Issues in Higher Education • Dropout rate and “young” population of Latinos means limited college enrollment • Barriers include finance, climate, and unfamiliarity with system and requirements • Undocumented students must pay out-of-state tuition and not eligible for HOPE • Some colleges/universities use tuition waivers for high-ability Latino students • UGA student body about 1% Latino

11. Common Barriers in Education • Communication/Language • Limited/Interrupted Formal Schooling • Socioeconomic Issues • Immigration Status • Cultural Differences and Differing Norms for Education • School personnel not always prepared for working with Latinos or English learners But… Latino families and parents DO consistently indicate that they value education highly!

12. What Do We Know? • Latino students are here to stay– They are the FUTURE of Georgia! • Bilingual Education IS legal in Georgia and can be extremely effective (though logistical barriers in GA exist) • Need to produce bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural graduates, not just English-proficient ones

13. What Do We Know? • Teacher expectations are a very strong factor in student achievement • Access to the Core Curriculum for all students (including ELLs) is a fundamental issue (and a civil rights one!) • Family engagement is important in education– but schools can be successful even without traditional parent involvement

14. What Do We Know? • Some barriers, such as tuition for undocumented students, will have to be dealt with by policy-makers. • Other issues, such as school climate, educational programs, etc. can be handled by teachers and administrators. • A common reason Latino students give for dropping out is that they don’t feel welcome. • Schools and teachers CAN make a difference!

15. What Are Schools Doing? • Parent and Family Involvement • Home visits by faculty • PTA meetings with interpretation; in apartment complexes • PACT and family literacy programs • More communication in home languages • Offering resources to parents (e.g., ESOL with child care; transportation vouchers for conferences, etc.) • College information sessions (e.g., HSF) • Family journaling

16. What Are Schools Doing? • Programs for Student Achievement • “Preview/Review” models • Bilingual support • Newcomer Centers, Programs for LFS, “Academies” for intensive English • Sheltered Instruction • Inclusion rather than pull-out for ESOL • Clubs, activities, extracurricular involvement • After-school programs (biliteracy, tutoring, sports, Scouts) • Literacy campaigns (reading and writing) • Pre-K programs

17. What Are Schools Doing? • Educator Professional Development • Spanish for Teachers • Home Visits • CLASE training • ESOL endorsement for regular teachers • Resource sharing by ESOL teachers • International experiences • “All teachers must be teachers of English”

18. What Are Schools Doing? • School Climate • Awareness and promotion of multilingualism and multiculturalism (e.g., events, clubs) • Orientation videos • Parent/community volunteer programs • Forms and signs in Spanish • More interpretation and translation available; more bilingual staff and parent liaisons • Announcements in Spanish

19. Some Good News! • In Georgia we have opportunity to learn from other states and to move more quickly to achieve success • CLASE programs making a difference • Proactive leadership (Gwinnett Co., state Dept. of Education, Governor’s Commission) • Education of Latinos is an investment in the economic and social future of Georgia

20. What Resources Exist? • CLASE www.coe.uga.edu/clase • Hispanic Scholarship Fund www.hsf.net • Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) www.maldef.org • Latin American Association in Atlanta • At UGA and Locally: • Oasis Catolico • Garnett Ridge Boys & Girls Club • Catholic Social Services • Fanning Latino Youth Leadership Program • Steps to College • CLACS (Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies) • Latino Advisory Board • Hispanic Student Association • TELL (Teachers for English Language Learners) • Bilingual Media (e.g., Eco Latino, 90.5 FM, cable tv)

21. What Can You Do? • Learn more about the local Latino community through volunteering and attending activities • Advocate for Latino, immigrant, and migrant students and families • Take ESOL endorsement and implement effective teaching strategies • Promote and recognize value of multiculturalism in all activities • Become a teacher– and a good one! • Forthcoming: course in Latino education (ELAN 5710/7710)

22. Adelante!

23. Questions? • Elida Perez-Knapp, Community Liaison Specialist, eperezkn@coe.uga.edu • Dr. Bernadette Musetti, Co-Director, bmusetti@coe.uga.edu • Dr. Paul Matthews, Co-Director, pmatthew@uga.edu • Website: www.coe.uga.edu/clase