Carrboro Forum Highlights Hispanic Achievement Gap

About 25 residents, teachers and students attended "Fault Lines in Learning -- Immigration and Achievement Gap," a forum held at the Century Center in Carrboro.

Ann Brewster, a doctoral candidate in the UNC School of Social Work, provided research, statistics and information regarding her studies of the academic achievement and educational attainment of Latino youths.

"Latinos are dispersing into many different states, and school systems are going to have to deal with Latino student needs," Brewster said.

In 1990, the national Latino population -- including Mexicans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans -- was 22 million. By 2000, this number had increased to 35.3 million.

The problem faced by many school systems in dealing with children who have limited English-speaking skills will not go away, Brewster said. By 2025, Latinos will make up 18 percent of the total population.

After discovering that immigrants have a 44 percent dropout rate, Brewster tested 633 middle and high school students to determine what causes the Latino achievement gap.

"We know that those of low socioeconomic status drop out," Brewster said. "But what's going on in those families where there might be one parent or one parent with high aspirations and a low education?"

In her study, she said Latino children need parental and teacher encouragement and respect to rise to the aspirations expected of them. Brewster said she attributes the achievement gap of Latinos to a "chain of events" in the life of a child. "If you have a high expectation for a student, a student may very well meet those expectations," she said.

Dwight Pearson, section chief for the "Close the Achievement Gap" program of the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, also spoke at the forum.

"If we're going to tackle the achievement gap, we have to make sure that all students start school to be successful," Pearson said.

He said not enough minority groups are represented in the rigorous courses offered in high schools. He said teachers must work with minority children when they begin school to ensure that students will be ambitious and elect to take more challenging courses in their later school years.

Pearson said minority students, as with all students, need "smaller classes, access to rigorous courses and high expectations."

Brewster and Pearson both said students need the best school staff possible to achieve in their school setting and environment.

"A very critical school factor in promoting Latino achievement is a school staff that believes all children can succeed," Brewster said.

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