spiritual strengths of a major segment of the American popula-
tion, Hispanic Americans.

To reiterate, the essential purpose of this Call to Action is to
compel local, state, and Federal policy makers to take serious
and immediate action to improve the educational attainment of
Hispanic Americans. To help reach that goal, this report has
provided an overview of both the demographic and cultural
composition of Hispanic Americans and the current state of
education for Hispanic Americans. Through specific findings
and recommendations, the report has responded to the
President’s charge by providing information to help re-focus the
nation’s policies and resources that will be needed to counter the
consequences of ignorance and inattention.

Since 1983, the educational war conducted on behalf of children
in public schools is slowly being won for many students. but not
for all. To win that war, this work requires commitment, as a
nation. to provide the best education possible to all U.S. citizens.
The Presidential Advisory Commission on Educational Excel-
lence for Hispanics is aggressively and affirmatively committed
to keeping the nation alert. The United States should not tolerate
the loss to our society of any more generations of children of any
cultural, racial, or linguistic background. Excellence and equity
must be inseparable benchmarks for the education of all of our
nation’s children. This report, therefore, is not the last word on
what concerns Hispanic Americans. On the contrary. this report
is just the beginning.

66

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Progression Through the Educational System

Data collected by the Nationa! Center for Education Statistics
(NCES) and the Bureau of the Census show important educa-
tional gains over the past two decades for both Latinos and non-
Hispanic whites. Nevertheless, data also show Hispanic students
trailing behind their non-Hispanic white peers in a number of
important areas — disparities that begin even before kindergar-
ten and continue throughout adulthood.

Early Childhood Education. Research has shown that a quality
preschool experience is an important indicator of student suc-
cess. Pre-primary schooling prepares children for a solid el-
ementary education by teaching skills for learning and socializa-
tion.

Enrollment Rates of 3- and 4-Year-Olds
in Preschool

407 EE] Hispanic
. . ton-Hispanie Black
Years of experience have led us to Hi Non-Hispanic Black
believe that the best intervention (1 Non-Hispanic White

must be initiated as early as *
possible and it must comprise a 70
firm commitment and involvement Ss
of the parents. 10
5
Hilda Maldonado of

Puerto Rico Public Hearings 1973 1985 1993

o | ” gd , 7
September 1995 Source: Bureatt of the Census. October current Population Surveys

The first nine months of pregnancy and the first five years of life
are considered the critical years for establishing the foundation
for learning. A mother’s nutritional. health, social, emotional.
and educational conditions and capacities will have a tremendous
impact upon the future development and the future educational
and social success of the child. The bonding. social interactions,
and relationships established between parents and children
during the first ycar of life will affect the child's “self esteem,”

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President's Advisory
Commission on Educational
Excellence for Hispanic Americans

September 1996
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><

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individual responsible for the completion of accurate inventories
in a timely manner. The highest or second highest ranking
person within each Department, Agency, Bureau or Commission
signed off on the inventory. Incomplete inventories were re-
turned to the agencies for additional information.

Analysis and Findings

The data submitted by the various agencies provided a wide
range of information regarding Hispanic American participation
in the respective agency programs. Most reporting agencies
failed to meet the goals established by the Executive Order (EO).
Accordingly, this analysis addresses the data in light of the goals
of the EO.

Executive Order 12900 directs Federal agencies to provide
greater opportunities for Hispanic Americans to participate and
benefit from Federal educational programs. The analysis of
inventory data reveals that the majority of agencies have not
adequately monitored and addressed Hispanic participation in
these educational programs.

While there have been some improvements in the employment of
Hispanics and other minorities in key leadership positions in the
Federal agencies. Hispanic Americans continue to be under
represented in key professional and management positions.
Additionally, because Federal agencies are also on a staff reduc-
tion schedule through the year 2000, the proportion of Hispanic
Americans in the Federal agency workforce could be at risk.

Hispanic Americans comprise 10 percent of the general
workforce but only 5.7 percent of the Federal workforce. Whites
comprise 40.6 percent of the workforce and 44.1 percent of the
Federal workforce. African-Americans comprise 10,6 percent of
the workforce and 17 percent of the Federal workforce: Asian-
Americans comprise 3.8 percent of the general population
workforce and Federal workforce. Seventy-seven percent of
Hispanic Americans in the civilian workforce are in the Air
Force, Army, Veterans Affairs. Treasury, Navy, and Justice
Departments, (Source: 1994 Census Bureau and OPM)

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Appendix D:
Public Hearing
Testimony

“Formal Hearing on Language, Culture, and the Educational Attain-
ment of Hispanic Americans”
Phoenix, AZ February 18, 1995

HOST:

National Association of Bilingual Education

Jim fyons. Excentive Director

COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Hon Ana vChat M. Guemian

Han. Raul Yeaguirre

Hon. Fruinda Archuleta

Hon Darlene Chavez

Hon Marta Hernandez

Hon. Gloria Rodriquez

Hon. Isaura Santiago Santiago

Hon John Phillip Santos

Hon. Sanmel Vigil

Calexico Unified School District

kins Palacio. Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services

Gilbert Mendez, Teacher of Social Studies/ESL

Carlos Ayala, Projects Coordinator and Teacher at De Anza Jr. High School

bark Childhood Education
Dr, Rebecca Benjamin, Assistant Professor, University of New Mexico delivering testimony for
Dr. Lily Wong Filmore, Professor, University of California at Berkeley

Rebecca Barrera, Executive Director, Corporate Fund for Children ao

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It is the desire of the Commission to remedy the crisis in educa-
tional attainment among Latinos. Schools must improve curricu-
lum and standards as well as establish environments that encour-
age students to succeed in learning and life by engaging them in
constructing exciting learning experiences. This challenges
students” potential while increasing their propensity to learn,
rather than requiring them to attend boring, repetitive. dead-end
classes devoid of any real-world application.

All Latinos need to be cognizant of the state of affairs affecting
all Hispanic children and the challenges they face. whether they
are in urban or non-urban settings, and whether they are in
private or public schools. All Hispanic Americans bear the
responsibility of all our children and must advocate for those
Hispanic parents who cannot advocate for themselves or their
children.

The President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excel-
lence for Hispanic Americans challenges the nation to recognize
that it is not in its best interest to treat Hispanic American
students as an invisible minority. The problems encountered by
Hispanics in the educational arena are not new. Across the
country, Hispanic Americans have expressed their frustrations
and their fear that yet another generation of Hispanic students
face the same unsolved problems. That there is now a President
and Executive Branch willing to listen to the Latino community
is new.

This Call To Action challenges Federal. state, and local leaders to
make the nation’s basic principle of equal opportunity a reality
for Hispanic Americans. To live up to that ideal, we must work
hard to ensure that equal opportunity and resources, and educa-
tional excellence are provided for all Hispanic Americans.

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Appendix B:
Executive Order

Executive Order 12900

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution
and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to
advance the development of human potential, to strengthen the
Nation's capacity to provide high-quality education, and to
increase opportunities for Hispanic Americans to participate in
and bencfit from Federal education programs, it is hereby
ordered as follows:

Section 1. There shall be established in the Department of
Education the President's Advisory Commission on Educational
Excellence for Hispanic Americans (Commission). The Com-
mission shall consist of not more than 25 members, who shall be
appointed by the President and shall report to the Secretary of
Education (Secretary), The Commission shall comprise repre-
sentatives who: (a) have a history of involvement with the
Hispanic community: (b) are from the education, civil rights, and
business communities: or c) are from civic associations repre-
senting the diversity within the Hispanic community, In addi-
tion, the President may appoint other representatives as he deems
appropriate.

Section 2. The Commission shall provide advice to the President
and the Secretary on; (2) the progress of Hispanic Americans
toward achievement of the National Education Goals and other

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83


Number of PhDs Awarded in U.S. Colleges
and Universities in 1994 by Ethnicity

26.05%

Hispanic

Black

EN Asian American
(J white

stl Foreign Nationals
Bh American Indian

60.42%

Additionally, in 1994, about half of all Hispanic Americans
enrolled in postsecondary education were enrolled in two-year
community colleges.» For many interested students, community
colleges provide two years of an excellent education, and can
“open doors” to four-year institutions as well as offering certifi-
cates and special training that translate into marketable skills.
According to the American Association of Community Colleges
(AACC), 47 percent of all minority students in higher education
are students at community colleges; and Hispanics make up
more than a third (36 percent) of total community college
enrollments.**

Many Hispanic community college students share a desire to
transfer to a four-year school. However, most of those students
are unable to transfer often due to lack of information and lack of
counseling. Students are not aware of the courses needed to
transfer, and too often are placed in remedial courses that do not
transfer. Students, too, simply lack knowledge of the Federal aid
that might help them to transfer to bachelor-granting institutions.
Additionally, transfer articulation agreements between two- and
four-year colleges are inconsistent and generally weak.

Adult Education. Among adults, Latinos have lower literacy
levels than do whites, both in general and even when they hold
similar levels of educational attainment.” Adult education can

39

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Lack of Bilingual and ESL Programs. One of the most
controversial issues in the education of Hispanic children is
language. The reason for this controversy is primarily political,
rather than educational. and reflect a public misunderstanding
that bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language education
methods are somehow a threat to American culture and values.
In fact. the General Accounting Office (GAO) indicated in 1994
that “the bilingual method” is the most effective for non-English
speaking children,

The fastest and most effective way for bilingual students to
acquire both a command of English and a command of class-
room subject matter is through well-designed and fully imple-
mented bilingual programs. Unfortunately, many states and
istricts fail to provide full bilingual instruction in academic

In 1994, for example, the GAO found that many school
districts with high concentrations of Limited English Proficient
(LEP) students were not adequately providing bilingual services.
In one district with 21.000 identified LEP students, only 3
percent of the LEP students were being served.”

Today. two primary strategies for instructing LEP students are
English as a Second Language (ESL) and bilingual education.
ESL is a teaching method in which instruction is almost exclu-
sively in English. In fact. it may be based upon a curriculum that
incorporates little or no use of the native language. and is taught
only in specific school periods. after which students are placed
under regular instruction for the rest of the school day.”

According to Professor Jostie Gonzalez of Columbia University
Teachers’ College:

Bilingual education is the use of two languages,
one of which is English, as a means of instruc-
tion, Ht is an educational tool primarily used
with children of limited English proficiency to
provide them both English language instruction
and access to other content areas of the curricu-
lum... The native language of the child is
used in bilingual programs to the extent neces-
sary to teach basic skills and insure that chil-
dren do not fall behind their peers in other
subjects while they learn English.

46

d

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/

))

OS

College Board. September 29, 1995.
TM Dr. Raymundo Paredes, Los Angeles Hearings.

“National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics. 1995,
Table 144: data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 1993.

’ National Center for Education Statistics, Statistics in Brief U.S. Department
of Education, Office of Educational Research and Lmprovement, Srdent
Victimization at School, October 1995,

Zaida Vega Lugo, Chancellor Inter American University of Puerto Rico,
Arecibo Campus. Puerto Rico Hearings.

“ Testimony of Mr. A vustin Marques-Veglio, Work force Preparation, School
to Work, Puerto Rico Hearings. September 1995,

TM Testimony of Sandra Espada Santos, Puerto Rico Council on Higher
Education, Puerto Rico Hearings, September 1995,

“ Testimony of Dr.
Rico, Rio Riedras

n Gonzalez Tgera, Chancellor, University of Puerto
ppus, Puerto Rico Public Hearings. September 1995,

“ Festimony by Puerto Rico Teacher's Association, Environment and Working
Conditions of the Teachers in Puerto Rico, Pucrto Rico Hearings, September
1995.

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State and Local Financing Methods. There are significant
disparities in per-pupil expenditures by state. Across all states,
the average, base expenditure per pupil in 1989-1990 was
$4,523." During this same period, however, the highest-spend-
ing state contributed about three times as much per elementary
and secondary student as did the lowest-spending state — or
approximately twice as much, after adjusting for interstate
differentials in the cost of education;*° and 11 states fell short of
the average per-pupil expenditure by at least $1,000.*!

The most common form of school financing at the local level is
property taxes. As a result, wealthy districts raise far more
money through taxation than do poor districts. Even though
many poor districts have taxed themselves at a much higher rate
than do wealthier districts, they still produce far less revenue
than wealthy districts.” This process has been devastating to
Hispanic populations.

In 1984, a group of less-wealthy school districts in Texas filed a
suit (Edgewood v. Kirby) charging that the state’s heavy reliance
on property taxes to fund education resulted in expenditure
differences that violated the Texas constitution, leaving residents
of low-income districts with old schools in poor condition, fewer
teachers and educational resources, and less developed curricula.
The wealthiest district in the area had over $14 million of
property wealth per pupil, while the poorest had about $20,000
of property wealth per pupil. The Mexican American Legal
Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) reported that 95
percent of the students in the poorest districts were Mexican
American; and at the state level, it was discovered that 65
percent of all students in the poorest quarter of the districts were
Mexican American.

Since the Texas Supreme Court rendered a unanimous decision
in Edgewood v. Kirby, some progress has been made. Educa-
tional financing in Texas has become more equitable, despite
remaining discrepancies. It will take, however, more than 10
years to overcome the differences between poor and wealthy
school districts. Wealthy districts, meanwhile, are dissatisfied
with this new system and have pressured the legislature to make
changes Thus, even after the system is implemented in 1999, it
will permit wealthy districts to spend about $600 more per pupil

than less wealthy districts.”
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Purpose

An analysis of the Federal inventories was conducted to identify
and examine factors that impact the ability and effectiveness of
Federal Agencies to fulfill the mandate of Executive Order
12900 (EO) (i.e.. to eliminate inequalities, barriers to access. and
to increase the participation of Hispanics in Federal education
related programs).

Method

Executive Order 12900 specifically outlines data to be provided
by reporting ugencies. In the inventory instructions, reporting
agencies were asked to provide the following three pieces of
information in their inventories: a) the dollar amounts of awards
per component, a composite of the component, and the number
of programs for each component/program; b) the number of
participants for each program; and, c) the total number of
Hispanic Americans/Latinos participating in each program.

The inventory expanded the scope of the previous Commission
inventory by including pre-K through grade 12 education and
higher education. This inventory covered actual spending and
level of Hispanic participation for fiscal years 1993, 1994. and
1995 and projected spending and Hispanic participation for FY
1996.

The inventory instrument was developed from September 1994
through December 1994 by Federal liaisons from the Federal
agencies, White House Initiative program staff and members of
the Commission. In January 1995, an interagency meeting was
convened to finalize the inventory instrument. White House
initiative staff began meeting with the Federal agencies to train
the liaisons and program staff from January 1995 and continue to
do so. The inventory instrument consisted of forty-cight pages
of questions and grids for respondents to provide critical infor-
mation about program expenditures and participation by Latinos
in these programs, as well as definitions and instructions.

The inventories were sent to 32 Federal agencies and responses
were received from all agencies. The Federal liaison was the
76

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setting; and when schools are meaningfully accountable to
parents. These conditions routinely exist in middle-class, white
schools. Testimony to the Commission, on the other hand,
documents that such routine conditions often do not exist in low-
income and Latino schools.

The failure to involve parents is closely related to many other
factors affecting Hispanic American educational attainment; in
turn, failure to work with families as partners perpetuates the
problems. For example, school professionals who are not
linguistically, culturally and socially sensitive to Hispanic
students also do not relate effectively to their students’ parents.
Because of class, ethnic and language differences, professionals
often fail to value the vital strengths and contributions parents
bring to their children’s education.

Schools’ failure to listen and be accountable to parents has a
disastrous effect on parents’ ability to support their children’s
education and on children’s success. In most schools, Latino
parents have few effective means to assure observance of their
children’s educational rights and to create school environments
supportive of success for all children.

Certain critical needs must be addressed, such as the necessity
for easily understandable written and oral communication to
parents in Spanish and English on all matters regarding their
children. For parents serving on Title I and other policy commit-
tees, materials and discussions musi be bilingual and free of
jargon; parents will often need access to community-based
organizations and other external resources to be effective partici-
pants. Schools must address issues such as meeting times,
transportation, and child care in order to engage parents effec-
tively. Schools need to work with parents, adult education
programs, and community organizations to find ways to commu-
nicate with, support, and involve parents who cannot easily come
to the school. Schools can play a great role in providing cultur-
ally-relevant parent education on may topics; and to be success-
ful, these programs need to build on the strengths of parents and
families.

Lack of School Safety. Research indicates that a safe and
orderly school environment is another key to effective learning.
Many Hispanic children, though, are not safe in the schools they

52

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Educational Partnerships; Workforce and Professional Preparation: National Connections
Throughout the Educational Pipeline; National Labs, Engincering, and Systemic
Change

Dr. Steve Casalnuovo, for Dr. Dennis Alicea. Chancellor. Turabo University

Dr. Manuel Gémez, Director, Resource Center for Science and Engineering, University of Puerto
Rico

Federal Agency Initiative Panel: Team USDA Centers of Excellence
Dr. Aricl Lugo, Director, Institute of Tropical Forestry. USDA, Forest Service
Prof. Agnes Mojica, Chancellor, Inter American University of Puerto Rico. San German Campus

The Public and Private Sector School, Colleges & Universities
Dr. Maria de los Angeles Ortiz, Vice-Presidemt, Academic Affairs. Ana G. Méndez University
System

Spheres of Influence Session III: Private Sector Involvement in Improving Education
Mona Gordon, for Mr. Troy W. Fields, President. Rotary Club of San Juan
Juan Vazquez, Vice-President, Marketing Division. Coperativa de Seguros Multiples

Public Testimony

Maria Isabel Batista. School Director, Dr. Antonio S. Pedreira School
Myriam Laureano, Department Head, Management and Psychological Services

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and the majority population. and by changing the educational
conditions faced by the vast majority of Hispanics, the nation
can begin to address a well-documented crisis in education for its
fastest growing, and soon to be largest, minority pepulation.
Data projections based on the 1990 census suggest that Hispanic
American children (combining children on the continent and on
the island of Puerto Rico) are already the largest minority
school-age population.

The magnitude of the crisis is unparalleled. According to every
educational indicator, Hispanic Americans are making progress
at alarmingly low rates — from preschool through grade school,
from junior high through high school, and on into higher
education. The cumulative effect of such neglect is obviously

detrimental not only to Hispanics,’ but to the nation.
... public elementary and high

school students... suffer daily
from the devastating effects that
racial and ethnic isolation. as well
as poverty, have had on their
education...

The Hispanic experience is inextricably woven into the fabric of
the history and traditions of the United States, as it will continue
to be in the nation’s future. Elements of the Hispanic American
experience have endured and contributed to the dynamic forma-
tion of this nation for over 500 years. Yet. on the brink of a new
Chief Justice Ellen Ash Peters, century, the American educational enterprise continues to deny
Connecticut State Supreme Court. equitable educational opportunity to Hispanic Americans.
July 1996

Specific factors contribute to educational disparity for Hispanic
Americans:

( Inadequate school funding persists at Jocal. state, and national
levels, with little resolution:

( Bilingualism is treated as a liability, rather than as a rich
cultural and economic resource. It is absurd to think that
Americans are being prepared for the work force of the 21"
century without the facility of at least one other language.
Yet. efforts persist to cradicate one of the nation’s greatest
natural resources from a significant portion of its population:

( Critical masses of Latino students are segregated into inad-
eguate schools: and

aterm. applies (o persons with historical
The term “Hispanic American” is an
term that encompasses various groups with diverse countries of origin,
ackgrounds, and histories. The term “Latinos” is used interchangeably
I4 with “Hispanics” throughout this report.

’

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rN

Table
of Contents

CALL TO ACTION: AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .
The Nation’s Future ....

The National Challenge .
Key Findings.......
Recommended Solutio’

WHO ARE HISPANIC AMERICANS?.........
The New Century's Demographic Contex!
Economics and Hispanic American Education

STATE OF EDUCATION FOR HISPANIC AMERICANS .
Progression Through the Educational System .
Early Childhood Educatior
Elementary and Middle School
High School ....
Pre-College Preparation
Higher Education
Adult Education .

Factors Affecting Hispanic American Educational Attainment
Unique Sectors of the Hispanic Community
SUMIMATY oo oesceececeecseeseereneeeeeeseeeeneneesnneseeesenes

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«more often incorrectly assessed as mentally retarded or
learning disabled.

One means of ensuring academic success for LEP students is to
use appropriate and valid assessments aligned to state and local
standards that take into account language acquisition. In loca-
tions where “high-stakes” testing (i.e.. testing for high school
graduation and school accountability) is required by law, a team
of assessment specialists, second language learning specialists,
and core content teachers can work together to validate and to
align existing instruments, or to develop new measures for LEP
students so that those students can demonstrate competence.”

Most experts suggest students should be assessed using methods
other than standardized tests. However, if standardized tests are
used to determine student competencies, they should be used as
only one of many criteria. Particularly for Hispanic children and
youth, the use of standardized tests should be tied to other formal
and informal assessment techniques. Given the inherent flaws of
testing, the additional challenge of testing Hispanic Americans is
that the test results must reflect an assessment of core content

learning, and not reflect solely linguistic or cultural competen-
cies.

Standardized testing and tracking continue beyond the pre-K
through 12 classrooms. At the undergraduate level, students are
often placed in remedial classes based on tests solely of English
skills. At the professional level, tests are administered for
licensure. It is easy to see how these time-restricted tests un-
fairly penalize bilingual candidates. Given additional time.
bilingual students, as a group. perform at the same level as their
English language peers.”

Underutilization of Technology. Technology is rapidly chang-
ing the way we communicate and deliver services. By the year
2000, about 75 percent of all Federal and state services will be
processed electronically. Thus, there is an increasing demand for
computer literacy. The lack of access to technology, and the cost
of the equipment. are serious barriers for Hispanic Americans.
Yet, if the primary access to computers is established in public
places, such as schools and libraries, some of this could be
circumvented, as these sites could offer extended hours, training,
and assistance.”

45

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agencies. To date, agencies which have provided personnel
include Army. Education, Labor, NASA, Navy, Transportation,
and Treasury. Agriculture. Commerce, Health and Human
Services, and the Department of Defense have also provided
services.

We recommend that all agencies, currently participating in the
Re-invention Working Group, identify measurable contributions
in services, equipment, and/or personnel to the White House
Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.

Executive Order Renewal. The executive order is the tool used
by the executive branch to direct agencies to execute programs.
Executive Order 12900 is scheduled for renewal in 1997.

We recommend that the renewal version include clarification on
agency responsibility to implement the executive order as
outlined in recommendation #1 and language on the type of data
to be tracked as described in recommendation #2; that procure-
ment and contract language be inserted to allow for equitable
Hispanic American participation: and that personnel hiring
language be included to increase Hispanic American employ-
ment at all levels, but especially at the management and senior
executive levels.

We recommend that language be included to allow the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) budget oversight for contribu-
tions to the White House Initiative Office.

White House Initiative Office. Given the importance of improv-
ing Hispanic American education and Federal outreach to the
Hispanic American community, it is important that the work of
the office be enhanced by an adequate number of permanent
carecr-service staff to promote and encourage continuity, Cur-
rently, the office has two appointed positions and one support
career staff. The remaining staff are detailees who are an
important part of the interagency aspect of this office.

We recommend that permanent career staff be assigned to this
office to establish long-term working relationships with
agencies and other entities and for program coherence, and to
continue the work of the Commission.

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“Attaining Educational Excellence Today”,

Los Angeles, CA August 3-4, 1995
HOST COMMITTEE:
Hon. Cecilia Preciado Burci
Hon.George C
Hon. Maria Hernandez
Hon. Waldemar Rojas
Hon. Ruben Zacarias

COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Hon. Ana °Cha” M. Guzman

Hon, Raul Yzaguirre

Hon, Eduardo Padron

Hon, John Philip Santos

Hon. Samuel Vigil

Hon. Ruben Zacarias

Social Impacts of Emerging Policies: Immigration, Affirmative Action &
Bilingual Education

Dr. Tomas Arciniega. President, Cal State, Bakersfield

Dr. Raymundo Paredes, Associate Vice Chancellor, UCLA

Juan José Gutierrez. Director. One-Stop Immigration

Public Policy and Administration

Mike Aldaco for Dr, Jack Peltason. President, University of California System
Dr. Tomas Arciniega for Dr. Barry Munitz, Chancellor. California State Colleges
Loni Hancock for Seerctary Riley, San Francisco

Dr. Rudy Castruita, San Diego County Schools Superintendent

Senator Hilda Solis

Workforce Preparation

Xavier del Buono, Workforce LA

James Figueroa, Superintendent LAUSD Adult and Continuing Education
Pete Fernandez, Principal, East LA Skills Center

Hon, Delaine Eastin, State Superintendent

The Critical Pipeline

Luisa Perez, President. CA School Board Association

Dr. Neil Yoneji. Chancellor, LA Community College District

Dr, Rita Cepeda. Vice Chancellor. LA Community Colleges

Dr. Robert Haro, The College Board, University Outreach Services

92 feet

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DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 408 382 UD 031 735

TITLE Ou: Nation on the Fault Line: Hispanic American Education.

INSTITUTION President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence
for Hispanic Americans (ED), Washington, DC.

PUB DATE Sep 96

NOTE 104p.

AVAILABLE FROM White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for
Hispanic Americans, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W.,
Washington, DC 20202-3601; fax: 202-401-8377; phone:
202-401-1411.

PUB TYPE Reports - Evaluative (142)
EDRS PRICE MFO1/PCOS Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS *Academic Achievement; Accountability; *Bilingual Education;

Cultural Awareness; Disadvantaged Youth; *Educational
Attainment; Educational Finance; Educational Improvement;
Educational Trends; *Elementary Secondary Education; *Equal
Education; *Hispanic Americans; Multicultural Education;
Racial Differences; School Segregation

IDENTIFIERS *Hispanic American Students; Latinos

ABSTRACT

This report responds to an Executive Order that charges the
President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic
Americans with improving the education of Hispanic Americans through the
study of current educational conditions. The study includes an analysis of
the current state of Hispanic American educational attainment and points out
the serious work that must be done to promote high quality education for
Hispanics. Educational attainment for most Hisvanic Americans is in a state
of crisis. Most agencies lack adequate planning or accountability procedures
to gauge the participation of Hispanic Americans, but it is apparent that the
disparity in overall achievement between Hispanic Americans and other
Americans is large and not lessening appreciably. Specific factors contribute
to this educational disparity. Inadequate school funding persists at local
state, and national levels, and bilingualism is treated as a liability rather
than as a rich cultural and economic resource. Many Latino students are
segregated into inferior schools. Their lack of representation makes it
difficult to address educational inequality, and the changing judicial and
legislative climate on issues related to race and ethnicity, including
affirmative action and immigration policies, place at risk the progress made
during the past 30 years. Recommendations to improve education for Hispanics
center on better allocation of resources, the end to segregation in the
schools, and multicultural and bilingual educational approaches. Seven
appendixes present supplemental information, including the Executive Order
that led to the study. (Contains seven figures.) (SLD)

FOSS ISI IGE IOI III IIS OIG IIS ISIS ICICI SE IES ISI ISI ISI I ISOS IS it ae

* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be maue *
from the original document. *
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Our Nation on
the
Fault Line:

Hispanic American Education

A Report to the President
of the United States,
the Nation,
and the Secretary of Education,
United States Department of Education
by
the President's Advisory Commission on

Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans

r

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a combination of biology. chemistry. and physi
more likely to have taken remedial mathematic

si they were
"

Pre-College Preparation. These programs make college a more
realistic option for many students. However, few Hispanic
Americans enroll in such programs. In 1990, only 23 percent of
Latino 10" graders. compared to 34 percent of whites, enrolled in
college preparatory or academic programs: and the recently
released evaluation of Upward Bound reported that the program
has considerably lower Hispanic participation than other pre-
college programs.*'

Many pre-college programs focus on motivating and preparing
high-school-aged minority students to attend two- and four-year
institutions. Such programs prepare students for professional
careers by providing them with the proper academic advising for
high school course selection. and by exposing them to carcer
choices. These programs are not widespread among Latino
students, Expanding these programs. though. would provide
more Latino youth with the experience of academic success,
which of course nurtures their aspirations to pursuc a
postsecondary education.

Percent of Degrees Conferred by Institutions of
Higher Education by Student Racial and Ethnic
Groups: 1992-1993

i | Black

100
90
80
m0

Asian/Pacific [slander

st

Ho

io

oo

so
40
30
20
10 stad fry
0
Aswociate Bachelor's Mavter’s Ent Professional Doctorate

37

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Appendix F:
Acknowledgments

The Presidential Advisory Commission wants to express special appreciation to the Commission
members who have worked so diligently to review each draft of this report:

Ana “Cha” Margarita Guzman George Castro Darlene Chavira Chavez
Sonia Hernandez Janice Petrovich Waldemar Rojas
Isaura Santiago Santiago John Philips Santos Guillermo Linares

The Presidential Advisory Commission also wants to express particular appreciation to the staff
of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans :

Alfred Robert Ramirez, Executive Director

Maria Santiago Mercado, Deputy Director Marsha Harper, Staff Assistant
Detailed Staff:

Beatriz Ceja Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow
Edmundo DeLeon U.S. Department of Transportation

Juan Espino Woodrow Wilson Fellow

Joaquin Gamboa Stanford Law School Fellow

Enrique Gasca HACU Intern

Ana Teresa Perez, Washington Center Intern

Sylvia Poareo Washingten Center Intern

Vanessa Rini U.S. Department of Treasury

Elizabeth Solernou Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow
Benjamin Xinic Washington Center Intern

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Rev. Shane Martin, Catholic College Role
Migrant Parents Association

“High Quality Education” San Juan, Puerto Rico
September 22-23, 1995

HOSTS:
Hon. José R. Gonzalez. President Inter American University

SPEAKERS:

Hon. Carlos Romero Barcelé, Resident Commissioner. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Hon. Héctor Luis Acevedo, Mayor, San Juan City

Claudio R. Prieto, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Education

COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Hon. Ana “Cha” M. Guzman

Hon. Raul Yzaguirre

Hon. Marfa Hermand

Hon. Sonfa Hernandez

Hon. Isaura Santiago Santiago

Hon. Janice Petrovich

Hon. Samuel Vigil

Hon. Rubén Zacarias

Local Government Involvement In Improving Education

Dr. Isidra Albino, Puerto Rico Sub-Secretary of Education

Restituto Hernandez, Superintendent of Schools. School District of Aguadilla

Carmen Collazo Robles. Director Evaristo Rivera Chevremont School. Schoo! District Rio
Piedras VI

Ana Delma Ramirez Solis, Mother. Urb, Altamesa, Rio Piedras

Nadia Velizquez Ramirez. Eighth Grade Student, School District Rio Piedras VI

Higher Education In Puerto Rico

Dr. Norman Maldonado, President. University of Puerto Rice

Dr. José Jaime Rivera, President, Association of University Presidents

José F. Méndez. Vice-President. Association of Private Colleges & Universities

Spheres of Influence Session I: Corporate/Foundation Outlooks
Dr. Francisco Carreras, Executive Director, Angel Ramos Foundation

oa oid

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{ There are numerous success stories. model programs, and
practices that have significantly improved attainment for
Hispanic Americans.

While the findings suggest that the substance and scope of the
problems and issues are significant, from Puerto Rico to major
regions and cities on the continent, the voices of Hispanic
community leaders, students, educators, parents, and corporate
leaders described effective. community-based efforts that are
making a brighter future possible for Hispanic Americans.

The testimony heard across the country has convinced the
Commission that there are solutions to what would appear to be
insurmountable problems. In city after city. numerous successful
efforts were reported and documented. wherein schools and
colleges have been successful in providing access and excellence
in education to Hispanic youth and their families. Almost
invariably, those successful programs were the outgrowth of
ongoing partnerships between Federal. state. or local govern-
ments and community-based organizations and parent groups.
Regrettably. the corporate sector has played what can only be
called a negligible role in such efforts.

Recommended Solutions. As congressional actions move large
segments of public education funding to block grants, account-
ability measures must be included, so that states are required to
ensure that Hispanics can obtain the same level of educational
quality and opportunity as other groups. State governments,
through their education agencies. must review policies and
practices that have failed to provide a high standard of excel-
lence in the educational experience of Hispanic Americans.

Based on research and consultation. the Commission's report
presents the following recommendations to Federal, state, and
tocal policymakers, and to the Hispanic Community:

( Ensure that state and local governments equitably allocate the
necessary resources in public school funding for academic
support and capital improvements to schools with large
concentrations of Hispanic Americans.

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( Facilitate collaborations between businesses and higher
education institutions, in order to provide apprenticeships.
mentoring relationships, and summer training opportunities
for Hispanic undergraduate and graduate students,

Build capacity in the education professions.

( Launch a national professional development program for
elementary. middle school. secondary, college and university
faculty that focuses on increasing the participation and
success of Hispanic students in postsecondary education:

( Link loan forgiveness programs and scholarships to a national
initiative which will encourage Hispanic students to become
teachers and educators: and

¢ Launch a national program that equips educators across all
content areas with the knowledge and skills to effectively
teach bilingual and multicultural students.

Promote the design and appropriate use of testing and
assessment.

( Establish a national standard which makes clear that a single
measure of student achievement does not adequately assess a
student’s knowledge and capability:

( Ensure fair testing practices that take in consideration issues
of language and culture: and

( Establish a national monitoring system to identify the misuse
of testing and assessment that tracks Hispanic students into
low-level curricular sequences and inappropriate placement in
special education.

Challenge each Federal agency.

( Establish programs to upgrade the Hispanic American hiring
and promotion system. from internships through senior
executive service positions:

( Facilitate. promote, and monitor the progress of Hispanic
education initiatives:

61

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101A

Eduardo Padrén of Florida

Dr. Padrén is President of Miami-Dade Community College anc
has served America’s largest community college for some
twenty-five years. He is best known for his efforts to advance
educational opportunity and his innovative approaches to teach-
ing and learning. He presently serves on the Governing Board
(formerly Chairman) of the Hispanic Association of Colleges ar
Universities (HACU), Board of Directors of the American
Council on Education (ACE), Board of Directors of the Nation:
Community College Hispanic Council of AACC, Board of
Directors of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute; Boar
of Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy, and the Editorial Board
the Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. The long list of
awards bestowed upon Dr. Padrén attest to his exemplary
contribution to the educational and social well-being of our
country.

Janice Petrovich of New York

Dr. Petrovich is a Deputy Director of the Education, Media, Ar
and Culture Program of the Ford Foundation. Prior to this
position, she served as Executive Director of the ASPIRA
Association, She has also held research, administrative and
teaching posts at the American Council on Education, Inter
American University of Puerto Rico, the University of Puerto
Rico, and the University of Massachusetts. She is a member 0
the Board of Directors of Women and Philanthropy. the Center
for Community Change, and Mount Holyoke College.

Gloria Rodriguez of Texas

Dr. Rodriguez is President/CEO of the Avance Family Support
and Education Program, an organization she founded in 1973.
Avance, a nonprofit organization supporting low income pre-
dominantly Hispanic families in early childhood, parenting anc
family support, has received national and international recogni
tion, including the New York Times, ABC World News Tonight,
Good Morning America, Education Week, Business Week and i
inciuded as a model in Barbara Bush’s and Hillary Clinton’s
books. Dr. Rodriguez has received numerous awards includin;
the Texas Hall of Fame, Parents’ Magazine Social Action Awa
Lifetime Television's Attitude Award, National Association of
Elementary School Principals’ Distinguished Service to Educa
tion Award, and was included in Hispanic Business “t00 leadi

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84

standards of educational accomplishment: (b) the development,
monitoring, and coordination of Federal efforts to promote high-
quality education for Hispanic Americans; c) ways to increase
State, private sector, and community involvement in improving
education: and (d) ways to expand and complement Federal
education initiatives. The Commission shall provide advice to
the President through the Secretary.

Section 3. There shall be established in the Department of
Education the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence
for Hispanic Americans (Initiative). The Initiative shall be an
interagency working group coordinated by the Department of
Education and shall be headed by a Director, who shall be a
senior level Federal official. It shall provide the staff, resources,
and assistance for the Commission and shall serve the Secretary
in carrying out his or her responsibilities under this order. The
Initiative is authorized to utilize the services. personnel, informa-
tion, and facilities of other Federal, State and local agencies with
their consent and with or without reimbursement. consistent with
applicable law. To the extent permitted by law and regulations,
each Federal agency shall cooperate in providing resources.
including personnel detailed to the Initiative, to meet the objec-
tives of this order. The Initiative shall include both career civil
service and appointed staff with expertise in the area of educa-
tion, and shall provide advice to the Secretary on the implemen-
tation and coordination of education and related programs across
Executive agencies.

Section 4, Each Executive department and each agency desig-
nated by the Secretary shall appoint a senior official, who is a
full-time officer of the Federal Government and responsible for
the management or program administration. to report directly to
the agency head on activity under this Executive order and to
serve as a liaison to the Commission and the Initiative. To the
extent permitted by law and to the extent practicable. cach
Executive department and designated agency shall provide any
appropriate information requested by the Commission or the
staff of the Initiative, including data relating to the eligibility for
and participation by Hispanic Americans in Federal education
programs and the progress of Hispanic Americans in relation to
the National Education Goals. Where adequate data is not
available, the Commission shall suggest the means for collecting
the data,

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New Mexico, another high Hispanic population state, has been
proactive in dealing with the inequality in education financing
from district to district. As early as February of 1974, the New
Mexico Public School Funding Formula was enacted into statute
by the Legislature.4 New Mexico opted not to use a generic
formula for funds distribution, but to use a formula based upon
the principle that all students are entitled to equal educational
opportunities, despite differences in wealth.“* What makes this
formula different is that it does not assume all factors are equal
for every student, and it weighs the costs of programs, the
training and experience of personnel within the districts, and the
size of districts.”

The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) reported that state
legislatures used one or more of the following remedies to lessen
revenue disparity and to foster educational equality:

« added new money to the school finance system to increase
funding in poorer districts,

(redistributed available resources by madifying the school
finance formulas, and

( limited local revenues from wealthy districts and redistributed
it to poor districts.”

Federal Funding. Elementary and secondary schools receive
most of their funds from state and local revenues. Federal aid.
on the other hand. targets services to educationally disadvan-
taged children through categorical. program-specific grants for
bilingual education, special education, and at-risk children (¢.g..
Title I funds). Although a major source of aid for poor school
districts, Title [ cannot overcome expenditure gaps, nor can it
provide supplemental resources for students in the lower-
spending states.*

Currently. the Federal government has two main tools at its
disposal, direct funding and incentives, to shift resources toward
lower-spending states or localities.” The Federal government
can affect the direct-funding mechanism, for instance. by chang-
ing the Title | allocations, and by distributing new forms of
Federal aid." The Federal government also can offer incentives
or impose penalties for jurisdictions that distribute, or fail to

,

43

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Direct Student Loan Program threaten to eliminate the major
avenues available to them for financing their education. It is to
the United States’ benefit to find more inclusive, efficient, and
effective methods of financing higher education to improve the
financial stability of institutions of higher education, and to make
college more affordable to Puerto Ricans on the island.

Migrant Education. The children of migrant and seasonal farm
workers have special needs that place them at a great disadvan-
tage in terms of accessing regular school systems, as their
parents make a living by following the harvest schedules of
various agricultural crops throughout the country. Some of the
problems faced by these families and their children include
severe poverty, lack of continuity in schooling, transportation
problems, poor nutrition and health, and linguistic and cultural
barriers. It is important to note that about 80 percent of the
migrant and seasonal farm worker population is Hispanic
American.

According to the Office of Migrant Education (OME) of the U.S.
Department of Education, approximately 610,000 migrant
students were served by the Migrant Education Program (MEP)
in school year 1993-1994. OME estimates that approximately
657,000 migrant students between the ages of 3 through 21 were
eligible for MEP services in 1994,

Though significant progress has been made in the implementa-
tion of specially designed Federal programs such as these, the
measures of educational attainment still show high dropout rates
and low achievement levels among migrant children. It is
therefore obvious that more innovative efforts must be made on
behalf of migrant children and families — which will require
that state governments in partnership with Federal programs and
local school districts develop new initiatives and expand effec-
tive program models.

Summary

A generation of Hispanic American students in U.S. public
education are at risk due to serious inadequacies in the educa-
tional system. Thus far. the system has been unable to meet the
needs of those students. Among other inequities, there continues

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60

« Monitor, research, collect, analyze, and report relevant data
for every program affecting Hispanic American education;

« Increase funds, maintain and promote Bilingual Education
programs, preschool programs, Title I, Title VII, migrant
education, Goals 2000, and strengthen and expand parent
involvement components;

{ Promote multilingualism as a national resource for all Ameri-
cans;

« Identify successful dropout prevention programs for Latino
students and implement these programs in school districts
with the greatest need; and

( Establish programs that will train and prepare young adults
(through school-to-work) and adults for a technology driven
workplace.

( Provide access to technology resources in public places, such
as schools and libraries.

Facilitate access into postsecondary institutions and provide
appropriate support.

( Support Hispanic graduate students in targeted fields espe-
cially mathematics, the sciences, health related professions,
the humanities, and in fields of anticipated faculty shortages;

{ Commit special initiatives and resources to Hispanic Serving
Institutions:

( Increase support for two-year and community college pro-
grams with concentrations of Hispanic students, and
strengthen guidance and other support systems to facilitate
transfer from community colleges to four-year colleges:

«Identify exemplary transfer programs that lead Hispanic
students to the attainment of bachelor degrees:

( Ensure collaboration among Federal agencies regarding
outreach and support programs for undergraduate and gradu-
ate Hispunic students: and

?

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to exist a disparity in school funding, a lack of effective Bilin-
gual and ESL education programs, a lack of trained teachers, and
a misuse of testing and assessment.

Hispanic students trail behind their non-Hispanic counterparts in
many areas. This commences even before kindergarten and

continues through adulthood. At age 4, Latino children have less
school-related skills than do non-Hispanic children of their same
age group. By age 13, Hispanic students are, on average, 2 years
behind in math and reading, and about 4 years behind in science.

Latino students are. more often, retained in a grade level than
other students. High retention rates are correlated to dropping
out and the dropout rates among Latino students are very high.
This and the low rate of Hispanic American graduates at under-
graduate and graduate levels is disproportionately low, and can
no longer be tolerated.

Adequate responses to the educational needs of other Hispanic
population groups, including Latino adults, and Puerto Rican and
migrant students, are also lacking. They, as well as all Hispanic
youth, need, as members of society, to be prepared to join the
work force. For this to occur, the number of those who graduate
from high school, and the number of those who continue and
complete a college education must increase.

All levels of government must work to enhance Latino educa-
tional attainment. This investment is crucial to meeting the
needs of a nation whose adequately educated competitive work
force continues to shrink and whose demands for technological
skills are becoming greater.

The American public, parents, and the leadership of Hispanic
communities across the country must work in partnership with
government leaders at all levels to be successful in addressing
the crisis in the education of Hispanic Americans described in
these findings.

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Appendix C:
Meetings and

Hearings

Full Commission Meeting
Full Commission Meeting
Public Hearing

Full Commission Meeting
Public Hearing

Public Hearing

Public Hearing

Full Commission Meeting
Expert Panel Meeting

Full Commission Meetings

Dates

September 23-24, 1994
January 30-31. 1995
February 18. 1995
April 29-30, 1995
June 2-3, 1995

August 3-4, 1995
September 22-23. 1995
September 29-30. 1995
November 6-7, 1995

June 19-20, 1996

Place

Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Phoenix, AZ
Washington, DC
New York. NY
Los Angeles. CA
San Juan. PR
Washington, DC
Washington, DC

Washington, DC

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Appendix E:
Expert Panel Meetings

November 6-7, 1995
Washington, DC

Bilingual Education Expert Pane! Participants:
Mr. Jim Crawford, Author
Dr. Jostie Gonzalez, Professor, Columbia University
Dr. Mary Jean Haberman. Director of Bilingual Education,
New Mexico Dept. of Education
Jim Lyons, Executive Director. National Association of
Bilingual Education (NABE)
Dr. Myriam Met, Foreign Language Coordinator.
Montgomery School District
Dr. Cuca Robledo, Director. Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA)

Comments were submitted by the following individuals:
Dr. Rosa Castro-Feinberg, School Board Member,
Dade County Public Schools
Dr. Virginia Collier, Professor, George Mason University
Dr. Eugene Garcia, Dean of Graduate Schoo! of Education, University of California, Berkeley
Dr. Kenji Hakuta, Professor, Stanford University

‘Testing and ‘Tracking Expert Panel Participants:

Richard Figueroa, Professor. University of California, Davis

Joan First, Director, National Coalition of Advocates for Students (NCAS)

AL Kaufman, Senior Litigator, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
(MALDEF)

Deanna Martin, Director, Center for Academic Development. University of Kansas

Marjorie Myers, Principal. Frances Scott Key Elementary, Arlington County, Virginia

Maria Torres Guzman, Professor. Columbia University

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Nationwide, only one in five eighth graders has a computer in his
or her classroom.” Currently, only one in two Hispanic children
has access to a computer at school, and only one in eight Latino
households has access to a home computer.”? Schools in poorer
neighborhoods do not have the funds to place computers in
classrooms, much less to provide Internet access.

Specifically, 58 percent of Hispanic students in grades I through
8. and 54 percent of those in grades 9 through 12, used comput-
ers in school in October 1993. For white students, the rates were
higher: 74 percent in grades | to 8, and 60 percent in grades 9 to
12. Latino students had much less access to computers at home
than did white students. Twelve percent of Hispanic students in
grades | to 8, and 14 percent of those in grades 9 to 12 hada
computer at home, in contrast to 40 and 46 percent of white
students.”

In short, computer literacy is the “basic skill” of an information
based economy and workforce. Yet, Latinos, as these data
demonstrate, do not have access to computer technology at home
nor at school. The “fault line” is most emphatically real between
those who can use technology to process information and those
who cannot.

Postsecondary Financial Assistance. Between 1980 and 1990,
tuition and fees at public universities grew annually at a rate of 4
percent above the rate of inflation. Between 1990 and 1994, the
rate increased to 4.8 percent. Concurrently, government appro-
priations for public institutions of higher education fell 8 to 12
percentage points between 1980 and 1990."* Such funding cuts
have devastated students in need. Hispanic students are more
than three times as likely than white students to come from low
income families; and more than half of Hispanic undergraduates
(53 percent) are financially independent of their parents.

The outlook for Latino students requiring financial aid is becom-
ing bleaker every year. While overall college enrollment grew
18 percent between FY 1980 to FY 1994, Federal support for
student financial assistance rose only 1 percent.”* Consequently,
the percentage of Latino undergraduates receiving Federal
financial aid declined from 41 percent to 36 percent between
1987 and 1990, ut the same time that moderate increases in

50

“4

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Our Nation on
the
Fault Line:

Hispanic American Education

President's Advisory Commission on
Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans

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recruitment program to recruit Hispanic undergraduate and
graduate students for internships. fellowships, cooperative
education and training programs. DOT also has announced a
commitment to develop a program of communication and
dialogue with Hispanic Serving Institutions. The Department of
Agriculture (USDA) has formed a departmental interagency
committee to partner with Hispanic Serving Institutions and with
the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) also has
established the first Hispanic Centers of Excellence Program to
develop, implement, evaluate and document programs with
Hispanic Serving Institutions. The Department of Commerce
has launched a summer internship program for Hispanic
undergradate and graduate students in partnership with the
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).
DHHS also has set U.S. and Mexico border health issues as a top
priority and has provided funding to evaluate health worker
outreach programs and to identify and evaluate health data
infrastructure systems for DHHS programs along the border.
The Department of Energy has launched a new program."The
Hispanic Outreach Initiative: Partnering for the Future.” Addi-
tionally, the Department of the Treasury has established a
Departmental Advisory Committee on Hispanic Americans to
institute a data tracking and collection system for future inven-
tory reporting.

As a result of the creation of the President’s Advisory Commis-
sion and White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for
Hispanic Americans. some Federal agencies have responded with
a commitment to increase funding annually to educational
programs for Hispanic Americans. Although the increases
appear to be small, they will contribute toward a stronger.
expansive and more comprehensive program over the yeurs.

In this Appendix on the Federal Inventories, the purpose. meth-
odology, analysis and findings, summary and recommendations
are presented. The complete text of the inventories as well as the
inventory instrument is available by request from the White
House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Ameri-
cans at the Department of Education. The office will also make
the inventory and subsequent inventories available electronically,
so as to provide a valuable data base on Hispanic participation in
Federal Agency initiatives.

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Recommendations

To address these issues and policy areas, effective educational
models must incorporate high-quality standards, equitable
financial support, and diverse language and cultural knowledge.
Parent and school collaboration must be specified in ail plans of
action; and the following principles should guide the implemen-
tation of recommendations:

¢ Government, at all levels, in partnership with local Hispanic
and non-Hispanic communities, must assure that schools
ensure the attainment of quality educational outcomes by
Hispanic students;

( Long-term, strategic plans must be developed through col-
laborative approaches with the public and private sectors at
the local, state, and national level to monitor and to ensure a
high standard of educational attainment among Hispanic
Americans; and

( Inter-Federal-agency coordination must be strongly promoted
to maximize the pooling of resources and delivery of services.

The following is a description of specific recommendations.

Corrective action at every point along the educational con-
tinuum: Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High
School, and Adult Educatio:i.

( Direct the U.S, Department of Education, the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development to work closely with
community-based organizations to improve the participation
of Latino preschoolers and their parents in early childhood
programs;

(Increase the number of public. nonprofit, private, and commu-
nity programs that provide intervention with parents during
pregnancy incorporating health care, education, parenting
education and childcare to provide an even start for Hispanic
Americans:

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language, cognitive abilities, world view. values. personality, and
future social relationships with others. It is critical. therefore,
that a child’s environment (during the first three years) be
stimulating, nurturing. supportive, and loving. If children are
talked to, read to. allowed to explore. experiment, to utilize all
five senses, they are more likely to be ready for school.

Proactive programs such as Parent-Child Development Centers,
Early Head Start, and Head Start have begun to address the
importance of parental influence on early childhood develop-
ment. The Perry Preschool Project, a Head Start-like model, for
instance, has been found to reduce high school drop-out rates,
grade retention, delinquency. and teen pregnancy. In addition,
Head Start students are 8 to 11 percent more likely to be immu-
nized.'*

In general, Hispanic children are under-represented in quality
preschool programs. From 1973 to 1993. Hispanic three-and
four-year-old enrollment in preschool remained flat (about 15
percent). while white preschool enrollment steadily grew from
18 to 35 percent.” In 1995, similar percentages of white and
black children, ages three and four, were enrolled in nursery. pre-
kindergarten, Head Start, and kindergarten programs, while
Hispanic children were less likely to be enrolled.?" Often, low-
income Hispanic families believe their home environments are
better for their children than programs like Head Start. because
many early childhood services are not prepared to deal with the
linguistic and cultural diversity of their children.

At age four, Hispanic children tend to have less weli-developed
school-related skills than do white children. In 1993, for ex-
ample. Hispanic four-year old children were less able than their
white counterparts to identify basic colors (61 percent compared
to 91 percent), recognize all letters of the alphabet (12 percent
compared to 31 percent). count up to 50 or more (11 percent
compared to 22 percent), and write their first name (59 percent
compared to 74 percent)! This inadequate introduction to
schooling, as this report documents. may have long-term nega-
tive consequences for Hispanic students. .

Conversely, quality preschool programs can prepare Hispanic
children to be “ready to learn” in elementary school. Low
income Hispanic American communities, especially, must be

oor

33

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Mean Earnings

saan

OO white
Hispanic

Source: Derived trom Kominski, R. and Ai A. “Educational Auainment
in the United States.” March 1993, U.S. Bureau of the Census. May 1994,
Note: Advanced degree includes masters. professional, and doctorate,

percent of the non-Hispanic population." Unless the rates of
educational attainment increase. Hispanics will be unable to
acquire such professional positions."*

Currently. Hispanic Americans are disproportionately-repre-
sented in such occupations as operators, fabricators, laborers.
and service providers. Still. Hispanic American males (16 years
and older) have a participation rate of 90.2 percent in the U.S.
labor force.'* The Hispanic women’s labor force participation
rate of 58 percent is expected to increase to 80 percent by the
year 2005.

It is important to note that because low-paying jobs in strvice
industries, construction. and agriculture provide few benefits and
are known for frequent layoffs, many Hispanics need two jobs to
“make ends meet” and their children often work part-time as
well." For these families, neither time nor funds are available to
pursue advanced education. To participate fully in the American
economy. these barriers must be addressed.

In 1992. there were approximately 720,000 Hispanic-owned
businesses in the United States that employed four million
people and had annual revenues of $63 billion per year.'* In
1996, Hispanic-owned businesses had grown to 1.25 million.
twice the rate of companies in the general market.'" Additionally,
American companies, recognizing the potential of Hispanic
markets, engage in aggressive, competitive strategies, to attract,
recruit, and hire Hispanic men and women with postsecondary

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O

SS)

Factors Affecting Hispanic American Educational
Attainment

Specific factors that affect the educational achievement of
Hispanic Americans include:

inequity in school financing.

school segregation and poverty.

underrepresentation of Hispanics among school personnel,
multicultural training for school personnel.

lack of bilingual and ESL programs,

misplacement of students in special education classes.
testing and assessment.

underutilization of technology.

postsecondary financial assistance,

parental involvement, and

lack of school safety.

RANANRARANR ARO

Each of these factors are addressed in turn, below.

Inequity in School Financing. School financing comes from
three sources: Federal, state. and local funds (with most funds
coming from states). For the majority of the 50 states, education
is the largest expenditure category in the state budget. accounting
for 20 percent of total state spending in fiscal year 1994. Educa-
tion must. however. compete with other programs like Medicaid
and corrections, which have seen their budgets increased while
education budgets decrease. *

The issue is not whether itis more expensive to educate Hispanic
Americans — the issue is that the districts where Hispanic
children reside are usually low-wealth districts that generate less
funding from property taxes. Also, most Hispanic Americans
live in urban areas. Urban schools are older and often have
dilapidated buildings. In most ¢: s have to pass bond
referendums to rebuild schools. which are often not supported by
the general voting public. Therefore. school districts with
concentrations of Hispanic American students remain
underfunded and must seek other means of support.

41

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Conclusion

In response to President Clinton’s charge and in response to the
commitment demonstrated by Secretary Riley, this report focuses
national attention on the education of the Hispanic American
community in the United States. By synthesizing public hearing
testimony, expert panel deliberations, research, and inventories
of Federal agencies. it reports on the educational disparity
between Hispanics and non-Hispanics precisely to illuminate the
gravity of the Presidential! challenge.

The Commission calls upon the nation to improve education for
Hispanic Americans. This call to action goes out to Hispanics
and non-Hispanics alike — rich, middle-cl und poor — to
work in partnership with the leadership and resources of govern-
ment and the private sector.

The nature of the problem with the education of Hispanic
Americans is rooted in a refusal to accept, to recognize, and to
value the central role of Hispanics in the past. present, and future
of this nation. It is characterized by a history of neglect. oppres-
sion, and periods of wanton denial of opportunity.

The successful resolution of what has become nothing less than a
national crisis is embedded in the collective and collaborative
response of the nation; and it must be characterized by the
affirmation of the value and dignity of Hispanic communities.
families, and individuals.

There are serious shortcomings in the public education system
that directly lead to unacceptable dropout rates. exceedingly low
numbers of college graduates, and an overall denial of educa-
tional excellence to Hispanic Americans. While certain aca-
demic gains can be measured with some groups of Hispanic
students, there remain enormous gaps between Hispanic Ameri-
can students and other American students on specific measures
of educational attainment.

Unequal educational outcomes diminish the nation’s ability to
compete in the global economy, thus weakening its national
fabric by not utilizing all of its human capital. ‘The nation
essentially is being robbed of the full intellectual, moral, and

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Section 5. The Secretary, in consultation with the Commission.
shall submit to the President an Annual Federal Plan to Promote
Hispanic American Educational Excellence (Annual Federal
Plan. or Plan). All actions described in the Plan shall be de-
signed to help Hispanic Americans attain the educational im-
provement targets set forth in the National Education Goals and
any standards established by the National Education Standards
and Improvement Council. The Plan shall include data on
eligibility for, and participation by. Hispanic Americans. in
Federal education programs, and such other aspects of the
educational status of Hispanic Americans, as the Secretary
considers appropriate. This Plan also shall include, as an appen-
dix. the text of the agency plans described in section 6 of this
order, The Secretary, in consultation with the Commission and
with the assistance of the Initiative staff, shall ensure that
superintendents of Hispanic-serving institutions of higher
education, directors of educational programs for Hispanic
Americans, and other appropriate individuals are given the
opportunity to comment on the proposed Annual Federal Plan.
For the purpose of this order, a “Hispanic-serving” school district
or institution of higher education is any local education agency
or institution of higher education. respectively, whose student
population is more than 25 percent Hispanic.

Section 6. As part of the development of the Annual Federal
Plan, each Executive department and each designated agency
(hereinafter in this section referred to collectively as “agency” )
shall prepare a plan for. and shall document. both that agency's
effort to increase Hispanic American participation in Federal
education programs where Hispanic Americans currently are
under served, and that agency’s effort to improve educational
outcomes for Hispanic Americans participating in Federal
education programs. This plan shall address. among other
relevant issues: (a) the elimination of unintended regulatory
barriers to Hispanic American participation in Federal education
programs; (b) the adequacy of announcements of program
opportunities of interest to Hispanic-serving school districts.
institutions of higher education, and agencies: and c) ways of
climinating educational inequalities and disadvantages faced by
Hispanic Americans. [also shall emphasize the facilitation of
technical. planning, and development advice to Hispanic-serving
school districts and institutions of higher education. Each
agency's plan shall provide appropriate measurable objectives

85

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High School. Once a student falls behind. the effects may last a
lifetime. Rather than face continuous humiliation. many Latino
students simply walk away from formal education. It is essential
to understand that each step in the educational system is a
building block. When steps are missed. the results often lead to
poor performance, grade retention. and dropping out. Large gaps
in educational attainment remain through the age of 17, with
Latino students scoring lower than white students in math,
science. reading. and writing proficiency.

In short, due to many deficiencies in the educational system.
Latinos have a high dropout rate." In October of 1993. the
dropout rate for Hispanic 16- to 24-year-olds was 28 percent.
That is, 28 percent of all Latinos in this age group had not
completed and were not enrolled in high school, which was
double the rate for blacks (14 percent) and more than three times
the rate for whites (8 percent) in the same group.

Status Dropout Rates by Race and Ethnicity
Grades 10th - 12th, ages 16-24

1972-1993
Hispanic

(1 Non-Hispanic White
Bh Non-Hispanic Black

1972 1982 1993

Source: National Center for Education Statistics,

“Dropout Rates in the U.S, 1993,

Hispanic Americans not only have a higher dropout rate, they
tend to drop out of school earlier. In 1993, an alarming 40

iiStatus rates measure that part of the total population that has not
completed high school and is not enrolled at one point in time regardless af when
dropping out occurs, Status dropout rates thus reveal the extent of the dropout
problem in the population and suggest the magnitude of the total challenge for
further training and education that will permit individuals to participate more fully
in the economy and the fife of the nation,

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and Inter American University of Puerto Rico. He serves on the
Advisory Council of Presidents of the Association of Governing
Boards for Colleges and Universities and was just recently
named outstanding educator of the year 1996 by the Puerto Rico
Chamber of Commerce.

Juliet Villarreal Garcia of Texas

Dr. Garcia is presently the President « f the University of Texas at
Brownsville and Texas Southmost College. She is the first
Mexican-American woman in the nation to become president of
a college or university. Dr. Garcia is responsible for developing
the unique partnership between UT Brownsville and TSC which
was designed to consolidate resources, increase efficiency and
eliminate barriers to improve the Lower Rio Grande Valley's
educational system. In addition to her many acomplishments,
Dr. Garcia received the National Network of Hispanic Women
Hall of Fame Education Award. In 1993 she was named by
Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the nation’s 100 Most
Influential Hispanics. She is currently serving on the Board of
Directors for Texas Commerce Bank-Rio Grande Valley. Texas
Commerce Bancshares, and the San Antonio branch of the
Federal Reserve.

Maria Hernandez of the District of Columbia

Ms. Hernandez is President of National Diversity Concepts, Inc.
in Washington, D.C. She has an extensive background in human
and civil rights issues with special emphasis in education. As a
consultant to various national organizations, she develops and
implements programs that provide the ground work for success-
ful and effective interpersonal communication on diversity
issues, i.¢., cultural and language barriers in the workplace and
educational institutions. She recently participated in the White
House Conference on Aging and the National Association for the
Education of Young Children. Her experience in education
policy includes working with the American Federation of
Teachers, where she focused on bilingual education: the AFL-
CIO; U.S. Congressman Esteban E. Torres (D-CA), and former
Congressman Robert Garcia (D-NY).

Sonia Hernan Jez of California

Ms. Hernancez is Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum and
Instructional Leadership and is Chief of Policy at the California
Department of Education. Prior to this, she was the Director of

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Lack of representation makes it difficult for Hispanics to
address such disparities. The future of equal educational
opportunity for Hispanic Americans also is threatened by
the following trends:

The shift away from Federal mandates and performance
standards in education makes it likely that Hispanic issues
may remain marginal and of low priority compared to other
state interests, especially corrections:

( Whenever standards. strategies, and initiatives for Hispanic
Ancricans are suggested without Federal mandates, experi-
ence demonstrates that enforcement at the state level and local
level is specious at best: and

( The changing judicial and legislative climate on issues related Equitable treamment of our diverse

to race and ethnicity. including affirmative action and immi- population and high-quality
gration policies, place at risk the progress made during the schooling must be twin goals of ow
past 30 sears, educational system!

In the United States, educational attainment has traditionally A Nation at Risk, 1983

been regarded as a key to economic prosperity: and it has been
well established that there is a strong relationship between low
income. low educational attainment. and Jow economic produc-
tivity — conditions readily evident among most Hispanic
communities throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

The essential purpose of this Call to Action is to compel locai.
state. and Federal policy makers to take serious and inamediate
action to improve the educational attainment of Hispanic Ameri-
cans. To help reach that goal, this report provides an overview of
the demographic and cultural composition of Hispanic Ameri-
cans, and the current state of education for Hispanic Americans.
Through specific findings and recommendations. the report
responds to the President's charge by providing information to
help re-focus the nation’s policies and resources, which will be
needed to counter the consequences of ignorance and inattention.

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for proposed actions aimed at increasing Hispanic American
participation in Federal education programs where Hispanic
Americans currently are underserved. After the first year, each
agency’s plans also shall assess that agency’s performance on the
goals set in the previous year’s annual plan. These plans shall be
submitted by a date and time to be established by the Secretary.

Section 7. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management,
in consultation with the Secretaryof Education and the Secretary
of Labor, to the extent permitted by the law, shall develop a
program to promote recruitment of Hispanic students for part-
time, summer, and permanent positions in the Federal Govern-
ment.

Section 8, I have determined that the Commission shall be
established in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee
Act. as amended (5 U.S.C. App. 2). Notwithstanding any other
Executive order, the responsibilities of the President under the
Federal Advisory Committee Act. as amended, shill be per-
formed by the Secretary, in accordance with the guidelines and
procedures established by the Administrator of General Services.

Section 9, Administration. (a) Members of the Commission
shall serve without compensation, but shail be allowed travel
expenses. including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized
by law for persons serving intermittently in the Government
service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707). (b) The Commission and the
Initiative shall obtain funding for their activities from the De-
partment of Education. c) The Department of Education shall
provide such administrative services for the Commission as may
be required.

Section LO, Executive order No.12729 is revoked.

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Corporate/Foundation Outlooks

Linda Wong for Ms. Maria Casillas, LA Annenberg Metropolitan Project
Frank Quevedo, Southern California Edison

Annette Morales, ARCO

Local Level Education Policy and Governance
Roger Valdez, Region X, U.S. Department of Education
Victoria M. Castro, LA School Board Member

Dr. Gaspar Garcia, LA School Board Member

Yolie Flores Aguilar, LA School Board Member

Hispanic Special Needs/Appropriate Practices

Ron Garcia and Ms, Olga Cortez, Region VIII

Dr. Beatrice Arias

Dr. Francisco Samaniego. Professor. UC Davis

Dr. Richard Figueroa, Professor, UC Davis

Dr. Kenneth Moffett, Superintendent. Lennox School District

Education Equity Issues

Antonia Hernandez. President, General Counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educa-
tion Fund

Teresa Fay-Bustillos, Vice President for Legal Programs, Mexican American Legal Defense and
Education Fund

Peter Roos, Multicultural Education Training Advocacy

Melinda Melendez, California Senate Office of Research

Teacher Training and Certification Programs
Dr. Harry Pachon. Tomas Rivera Center
Dr. Michael Genzuk, University of Southern California Latino Teacher Project

Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund

Antonia Hernandez, President, General Counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educa-
tion Fund

Teresa Fay-Bustillos, Vice President for Legal Programs, Mexican American Legal Defense and
Education Fund

Technology Access
Mary Ann Sesma and Ms. Helen Kelly, Model ‘Technical Services
Francisco Juarez, The Non-Profit Network
ff
Public Testimony/Success Stories '
Larry Ortega, Pomona Valley Community Union "

Dr. Carla Bartlett, Mount St. Mary’s College
93

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President’s Advisory
Commission on

Educational Excellence for
Hispanic Americans

Honorable Ana “Cha” Margarita Guzman, Chair

Vice President
Austin Community College
Cedar Park, Texas

Honorable Linda G. Alvarado
President

Alvarado Construction. Inc.
Denver, Colorado

Honorable Erlinda Paiz Archuleta
Director

Colorado Department of Education
Denver, Colorado

Honorable Cecilia Preciado Burciaga
Executive Assistant to the President
California State University. Montercy Bay
Seaside. California

Honorable George Castro
Associate Dean

San José State University
San José, California

Honorable Darlene Chavira Chavez.
Chapter 1 Resource Teacher
Wakefield Middle School

Tucson, Arizona

Honorable David Cortiella
President

Latino Professional Network
Dorchester, Massachusetts

Honorable Miriam Cruz
President

Equity Research Corporation
Washington, D.C.

Honorable Juliet Villareal Garcia
President

University of Texas at Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas

Honorable José Gonzalez

President

InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Dr. Migdatia Romero. Professor, Hunter College

Luis Garden-Acosta, President, El Puente

Joseph Pacheco, Vice President, Puerto Rican Educators Association

Dr. W. Ann Reynolds, Chancellor of City University of New York

Juan Figueroa. Esq.. President. Puerto Rican Legal Defense Fund

Lorraine Cortés- Vasquez, Executive Director, ASPIRA

Alexander Betancourt, Vice President. United Way of New York

Moisés Pérez. Executive Director of Alianza Dominicana

Victor R. Morisete, Executive Director, Community Association of Progressive Dominicans

Education at the Local School District Level

Dr. Irma Zardoya. Superintendent, School District 10

Lily Lopez. Vice President. Community School Board 15

Eric Irizarry, Principal, Public School 132, Manhattan

Inocencia Bergés-Taveras, President, Parent's Association School District 28
William Ross, Student, Brooklyn Technical High School

Dr. Maria Diaz, President, Puerto Rican Educators Association

On School Governance and Chancellor’s Bilingual Education Action Plan

Jon Moscow, Executive Director, Parents Coalition for Education in New York City. Inc.

Blanca Battino, Principal. Public School 128, Manhattan

Dr. Lillian Hernandez, Director. Division of Bilingual Education, Board of Education of the City
of New York

Marfa Torres-Guzmin, Professor, Teachers College, Columbia University

Euclides Mejia, Principal, George Washington High School, New York

Alice Cardona, Co-Chair, Puerto Rican/Latino Education Roundtable

Nelson Smith, VP for Education, New York City Partnership. Inc.

Vicki Sanacore, Vice-Principal. Hostos-Lincoln Academy

Ricardo Fernandez, President. Lehman College

Rosa Fenton, Paren/Community Liaison, Division of Bilingual Education, Board of Education of
the City of New York

Higher Education

Robert del Rio, Executive Director, ASPIRA, New Jersey

Silvie Torres-Saillant. Director, Dominican Studies Institute. City College
Camille Rodrigues, El Centro de Estudios Puertorriquefios

Tomas Cruz, Vice President, Student Senate, City University of New York
Dr. Herminio Martinez, Associate Dean, Barluch College

Anthony Stevens Acevedo, Council Member Linares’ Staff

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partnerships to civic and education organizations. Her charitable
contributions have earned her numerous awards of achievement.
Just recently she was highlighted in “Latino Success.” 1996. She
is a trailblazer in her field.

Erlinda Paiz Archuleta of Colorado

Ms. Archuleta is currently the Director of the Regional Educa-
tional Services Unit of the Colorado Department of Education.
Previously. she was a teacher and principal in the Denver Public
Schools. She has served as a member of the State leadership
team for the Goals 2000 Educate America Act and the Parent,
Community, and Business Involvement in Education Task Force
for the Colorado Achievement Commission. Currently. she is on
the steering committee for the Colorado Rural Development
Council. the National Initiative on Rural America. She founded.
and is the Chief Executive Officer of. the Colorado Coalition of
Hispanic School Board Members and Executive Educators.

Cecelia Preciado Burciaga of California

Dr. Preciado Burciaga is currently Executive Assistant to the
President and Director of Long Range Planning at California
State University, Monterey Bay. Previously. she was Associate
Dean and Development Officer at Stanford University. She is
considered one of the most influential Hispanic Women in the
field of Higher Education. She served as member of the Interna-
tional Commission on The Observance of International Women’s
Year and the National Advisory Committee for Women during
the Carter Administration. She has worked on various issues of
education ranging from teacher training to higher education
administration. She is a strong advocate for minorities and
women in higher education.

George Castro of California

Dr. Castro is the Associate Dean of the College of Science at San
Jose State University. Previously, Dr. Castro held a variety of
management positions at the IBM Research Division in San Jose,
California, including the Manager of Physical Science.

Dr. Castro is the former President of SACNAS. the Socicty for
Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, a
society which he helped build to national prominence. He has
been active in promoting math and science education for minori-
ties on both national and local levels. He serves on the National

Advisory Commission of the Equity 2000 Project of the College
ind

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68

Endnotes

‘A Nation at Risk, 1983. p. 13.

* Summary Federal Agency Inventory dat are provided in Appendix A.

*~Our Next Race Question.” Harper's Magazine, April 1996, v292. nl 751, p.
559).

* Bureau of the Census Report. Current Population Survey. March 1994,
* Census, Hispanic Americans Today. 1993.

© Census, Population Projection of the United States 1993-2050, CPS Report
No, P25-1 10S, 1993.

*Gail

leston, California Basic Educational Data System, 1993.

* Jeff Archer, “S
Week. Vol. XV.

in Hispanic Student Enrollment Predicted.” Education
. March 27, 1996,

* Testimony of Dr. Jose Jaime Rivera, President. Association of Puerto Rico
University Presidents, Puerto Rico Public Hearings. September 1995,

National Car
Department of

ssion on Excellence in Education, A Nation Ar Risk, U.S.
lucauion, Washington, D.C, 1983,

" 1990 U.S. Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census, Slides presented:
S.. The 1990 Census and Beyond.

US. Department of Labor, Bureau af Labor Statistics: Bulletin 2472. op. cit.
p. 34.

"U.S. Bureau of Census: Minority Eeonomi¢ Profiles, 1990,

“ Women Workers: Outlook to 2005, Reports from Arowid the World: USA
Womens International Network, WIN News, Witter 1993, v.19 nl. p. 7002).

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«Prepare a plan of action to correct Hispanic participation
performance in Federal agencies, below the 10 percent level.

Future Research Directions

There is a growing body of research on the education of His-
panic Americans. However, there is much more to learn and to
implement. What follows is a brief listing of relevant issues for
immediate, action-oriented research.

Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School,
and Adult Education.

( Discover what can be done to promote inter- and intra-
governmental agency collaborative approaches that promote
preschool programs for Hispanic children:

( Explore to what extent early childhood bilingual programs
enhance children’s entry and success in later schooling:

(Investigate how distance-learning technologies can be utilized
to prepare Hispanic preschoolers to begin school ready to
learn:

« Analyze how teachers can be trained, in order to understand
and to incorporate new knowledge. into their classrooms —
knowledge which leads to an understanding of how ever-
changing educational practices can be prescribed and imple-
mented; and

( Determine which strategies for change are most effective and
what resources are required to maintain exemplary learning
environments that effectively integrate linguistic and cultural
factors.

Access into Postsecondary Institutions and Appropriate
Support.

( Analyze the points of entry and exit into postsecondary
education for Hispanic students:

63

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turn of the century, Mexican Americans literally built the great
southwestern cities of Los Angeles, San Diego. Tucson, Albu-
querque. Dallas. and San Antonio. Also, in the 1800's, Mexican
American workers participated significantly in the massive
industrial expansion in the midwest, from Kansas to Michigan,
by building the railroad systems and steel mills. Few Mexican
American families, however. received formal education. As
Mexican Americans began to attend public schools in significant
numbers, starting early in the 20" Century, students faced
discrimination due to language. socio-economic, and cultural
barriers. .

Hispanic Americaus in the United States

13 5%

Te

MG /

Oo Mexican Americans
ee Puerto Ricans.

Central and South America
and the Caribbean

Cuban Americans
|_| Other

O4G

Poor Mexican Americans have always faced de facto segregatiot
through attending schools outside of the white system. Even
today. Mexican Americans are likely to attend segregated
schools. Untold numbers of U.S.-born Mexican American
citizens have suffered civil persecution since the 1800s, which
continues to this day. The treatment of many Mexican Americai
children in the public education system perpetuates unequal
treatment.

No system (not even in the Southwest) comparable to Histori-
cally Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) was established
for Mexican Americans, Hispanic Serving Institutions or “HSIs
have only recently emerged as a distinct category of
postsecondary institutions, In spite of very limited educational
opportunity throughout the 20" century. Mexicar American

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Puerto Ricans believe that Puerto
Rico's development — like that of
the entire Nation — depends on the
investment in people. What we
need are appropriate tools,
adequate funding, and procedures
ta improve the working conditions
for teachers and students.
Education is the most effective
resource to raise a nation’s
productivity and strength.

Teachers and leaders in Puerto
Rico have learned to do the most
with the feast and this ts a valuable

effort.

José Eligio Vélez, President
Puerto Rico Teachers’ Association.
Puerto Rico Hearings, 1995.

Poverty and inadequate funding for education contribute to low
rates of educational participation and limited educational attain-
ment. According to the 1990 Census, the population of Puerto
Rico that is 18 and older is 2.4 million. Of that number, 1.1
million, or 47 percent, do not have a high school diploma.
Puerto Rico is a highly populated island with high dependency
raies (62 percent), high unemployment (16 percent), and low
labor participation rates (46 percent). Access to excellence in
education at all levels is key to alleviating these social condi-
tions.* Per-pupil expenditures for kindergarten to 12" in Puerto
Rico ($1,779) are far below those of even the poorest state in the
continental United States. Puerto Rico spends 9 percent of
government revenues and almost 9 percent of gross revenues on
education. Per pupil expenditures, however, compare with just
55 percent of the States’ /owesr per-pupil expenditures, and one-
fifth of the national average expenditure."

Of the 189 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) of higher
education, 53 are in Puerto Rico. Those institutions prepare
professionals in a variety of fields, and many students eventually
work in the continental United States. In fact, employers from
the continental United States often recruit bilingual professionals
from Puerto Rico. Consequently, Puerto Rican institutions of
higher education play a vital role in the development of bilingual
and bicultural professionals for the educational system of the
United States. Bilingual and bicultural graduates also enter the
work force and increase the international competitiveness of
United States’ businesses. Yet, for these institutions, financing
for higher education is a continuing concern.

In contrast to trends in the United States, private universities in
Puerto Rico most often serve lower-income students, while the
public University of Puerto Rico system most often serves
middle- and upper-income students. In fact, some private
universities receive close to 85 percent of their funding from
student financial aid programs. due to the large number of low-
income students they serve. As a result, students and
postsecondary institutions disproportionately serving the poor
are more deeply affected when there are cuts in Federal financial
aid to low-income students.

For Puerto Rican students attending institutions of higher
education, further reductions in financial aid grants and the

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58

Issues and Policy Areas

As described in this report, the issues affecting Hispanic Ameri-
can education are numerous and alarming. For the purpose of
presenting recommendations, the following issues must be
addressed:

(Improving the quality of instruction at every point along the
educational continuum: Early Childhood, Elementary. Middle
School, High School, Postsecondary, and Adult Education;

( Improving the condition of schools;

{ Increasing access to postsecondary institutions, and providing
appropriate support:

( Improving the knowledge, skills, and cross-cultural competen-
cies and effectiveness of teachers and administrators:

{ Designing and promoting appropriate use of testing and
ussessment to enhance high quality instruction:

{ Targeting appropriate levels of financial, human, health, and
material resources toward Hispanic Americans:

( Challenging Federal, state, and local agencies to provide
Hispanic Americans with equitable opportunities:

( Challenging the Department of Education to re-work the
funding formulas and institution eligibility criteria so that
HSIs can benefit from Campus-Based-Programs like work-
study and supplemental educational opportunity grants:

« Challenging the corporate sector to provide Hispanic Ameri-
cans more support and opportunities to enter all sectors of the
work force and at every level; and

( Identifying and implementing future directions in research
based on systematic collection of data targeted on specific
program improvements affecting Hispanic educational out-
comes.

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Special Education
Dr. Alba Ortiz, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Research, University of Texas, Austin

Teacher Training

Dr. Juan Juarez. Associate Vice President for Research and Planning, New Mexico Highlands
University

Yolanda Ingle, Senior Research Associate. Re-Castro & Associates

“Public Hearing on Issues Confronting Urban Schools”,

New York June 2-3, 1995
HOST COMMITTEE:
Hon. Guillermo Linares
Hon. Janice Petrovich
Hon, [saura Santiago Santiago
Hon. John Phillip Santos

SPEAKERS:

Peter F. Vallone, New York City Council

Dr. Maria Mercado Santiago. Secretary's Regional Representative for the U.S. Dept. of Ed.
Hon. Ruth Messinger. Manhattan Borough President

Hon. Mark Green, Public Advocate

Bonnie Impagliazzo. Assistant to Brooklyn Borough President

Hon. Howard Golden

COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Hon. Ana “Cha” M. Guzman

Hon. Raul Yzaguirre

Hon. Linda G. Alvarado

Hon. Erlinda Archuleta

Hon. Darlene Chavez.

Hon. Gloria Rodriguez.

Hon. Diana Wassernian

Special Attention to Education and the Future of Hispanics

Dr. Ramén Cortines, Chancellor, New York City Board of Education

Zaida Mostacero, Ombudsperson, Paterson City Public Schools

Carmen Pérez, Hogan for Tom Sobol, Commissioner of Education, State of New York
Paper submitted by Leo Klagholz. Commissioner of Education, State of New Jersey

Hon. Ninfa Segarra, Deputy Mayor of Education, City of New York

Dr. Luis Reyes. Member, NYC Board of Education

Dr. Manuel Alguero for Thomas Bartlett, Chancellor, State University of New York
Antonia Jiménez for Dr. Piedad Robertson, Secretary of Education, State of Massachusetts
90

ge

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Broadly disseminate effective model programs and interven-
tion strategies. especially in pre-school education, dropout
prevention, bilingual education, and student motivation.

End segregation of Hispanic Americans in public schools.

Oppose the prevention and termination of educational and
related opportunities for immigrant children.

Focus on substantially decreasing the high rate of dropouts
and postsecondary attrition.

Improve and safeguard quality schools by establishing part-
nerships between teachers and school administrators at all
levels, community-based organizations and leaders, parents.
the business community, and local and Federal government
agencies.

Provide pre-school education for all Hispanic American
children who qualify.

Target youth apprenticeship. mentoring. and carcer pathway
opportunities for Hispanic students and adults in workplace
literacy and job-training programs: link community-based
efforts and businesses, industry, and certain social institutions
(e.g.. social service and healthcare systems) with school
systems and postsecondary institutions.

Train teachers to deal effectively with multicultural popula-
tions and linguistic minority students. Assure that they receive
appropriate skills and knowledge through continuous profes-
sional development training programs.

Ensure adequate funding and proper implementation for
Bilingual Education programs (Title VI). Title | of the
Improving America’s Schools Act. and Goals 2000.

Articulate and advocate a national goal of multilingualism for
all citizens.

Increase the pool of Latino students eligible for higher educa-
tion opportunities. especially in the sciences, health-related
professions, mathematics. engineering. and education.

19

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{ Ensure the equitable allocation of resources in public school
funding for academic support;

( Enforce the Federal requirements for desegregation;

{ Monitor adherence to Federal requirements for the provision
of equal educational opportunities for students with languages
other than English;

( Direct Federal agencies to provide Hispanic Americans with
equitable educational opportunities related to the agency's
mission and services:

« Identify the appropriate office and staff in each Federal
agency to respond to Executive Order 12900, Educational
Excellence for Hispanic Americans:

( Establish a data system to track the number of participants and
awards distributed for research and development. program
evaluation, training, facilities and equipment, fellowships.
internships, recruitment, student tuition, scholarships, private
sector involvement and administration to institutions of higher
education (two-year and four-year), Hispanic Serving Institu-
tions (HSIs), school districts (K-12), Hispanic serving school
districts, and organizations serving Hispanic Americans:

( Increase the grant award rate for Hispanic Serving Institutions
from all Federal departments and agencies:

( Establish a Federal agency collaborative working group to
identify, build, and complement successful, existing programs;

( Specify responsibility, data collection, procurement and
contract considerations, und profile improvement at manage-
ment and senior executive levels in the renewal version of
Executive Order 12900:

( Establish the office of the White House Initiative on Educa-
tional Excellence for Hispanic Americans as a permanent, on-
going collaborative effort between the Executive Branch and
the Department of Education; and

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ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE FOR HISPANIC AMERICANS ..
Issues and Policy Are
Recommendations .
Future Research Direction
CONCIUSION «0... eee

ENDNOTES ....ccessessecssssssssseseeneesessessesesssanesecaesesnesneeneaiennenesectesnssuessaneasenneaeaneserseenannenneseens 68

APPENDIX A: Federal Agency Inventor
APPENDIX B: Executive Order
APPENDIX C: Meetings and Hearings .....
APPENDIX D: Public Hearing Testimony .
APPENDIX E: Expert Panel Meetings ......
APPENDIX F: Acknowledgments .....
APPENDIX G: Commission Members

6

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Exemplary Programs. All agencies presented excellent examples
of successtul models designed to increase the number of His-
panic American students and/or employees. Some agencies
focused on parts of the “pipeline”, i.e., Pre K-12 students.
college and professional school students, and/or employment.
Few developed programs designed to address the educational
gaps in Hispanic American education in a coordinated or system-
atic manner.

We recommend that each agency identify specific programs to
address each of these pipeline components: Pre K-12. college
and professional schools, and employment.

We recommend that departments collaborate to build and
complement existing programs and use successful models, i-e..
K-12 programs at the Corporation for National and Community
Service, Hispanic Association of Higher Education Colleges and
Universities (HACU) programs at Departments of Commerce,
Transportation and Agriculture, professional school programs at
HHS and NASA, Centers of Excellence at HHS and Agriculture,
etc.

Federal Agency Employment Profile. As outlined in a report
prepared by the Office of Personnel Management, two clear
trends emerge: first is the aging Hispanic American Federal
workforce and second is the concentration of Hispanic American
Federal employees in GS 9-12 levels which are support staff and
entry level professional positions, Management and decision
making positions are at the GS 14-15 and Senior Executive
Service (SES) levels. The professional pipeline from entry level
to senior executive service is not well established. Consequently,
promotions to management and Senior Executive Service levels
are rare.

We recommend that the the Office of Personnel Management
and agencies establish programs to upgrade the Hispanic Ameri-
can employee “pipeline” from internships. to entry level, to mid-
management. to management and Senior Executive Service
positions.

Interagency Collaboration, Executive Order 12900 specifies
that the White House Initiative office is authorized to utilize the
services, personnel, information, and facilities of other Federal

81

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strengthened with adequate health care and family services.
environmental precautions. crime reduction. improved housing.
accessible transportation. increased employment opportunities,
and safe and developmentally « sriate child care. Hispanii
families must be strengthened w*u effective parenting, health,
and adult education services, aid must be linked to available
resources and support services. These services must begin
before and during pregnancy. avid be culturally and linguistically
relevant.

Elementary and Middle School. For most children, elementary
school provides their first experiences with formal learning —
expcriences that endure their entire lives. For Hispanic children,
that usually means that throughout elementary and middle school
they continue to trail behind other groups. By age nine, Hispanic
American students lag behind in reading. mathematics, and
science proficiency. Although slight gains were noted on the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 1992,
Hispanic children continue to score lower than white children in
all three subject areas.

Latino students are more likely to be “held over” in the elemen-
tary grades or experience “delayed schooling.” This is the
highest predictor of school dropout rates. Though there contin-
ues to be no research base to support the practice of holding over
students, schools have not developed the intervention strategies
needed to get students “back on course.”

The middle school experience also exerts a far-reaching influ-
ence on children’s lives. In 1989, a Carnegie report, “Turning
Points.” reminded the nation that middle schools. junior high
schools, and intermediate schools are potentially society's most
powerful foree “...to recapture millions of youth adrift, and help
every young person thrive during adolescence, yet all too often
these schools exacerbate the problems of young adolescents,””?
At age 13, Hispanic students were, on average. about 2 years
behind in math and reading. and about 4 years behind in science
in 1992. In fact. 40 percent of 16- to 24-year-old Hispanic
dropouts left school with less than a 9" grade education, com-
pared with 13 percent of white dropouts and LT percent of black
dropouts,

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cash assistance to State Educational Agencies, the Summer Food
Service Program to needy preschool and school-aged children,
the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Special Milk
Program for Children.

The interrelationship of the government's role has become
increasingly important in provicing educational! programs to
reduce infant mortality and in providing maternal and child
health and related care. These programs continue to affect
Hispanic Americans in providing treatment activities. developing
family preservation, family support services as well as providing
welfare aid services which will improve and enrich the lives of
Hispanic Americans.

As currently structured, the inventories provide generalized
information on how Federal agency programs complement each
other in community based initiatives that impact the benefits and
services provided to Hispanic Americans.

Outreach Strategies

The inventories provided limited information on agency str:
gies to support and assure Hispanic outreach and participation.
Few agencies provided information to assess how this deficiency
will be addressed and corrected.

Assessment and Evaluation

Specific information to identify measurable goals, objectives. or
standards to evaluate the effectiveness of Federal agency pro-
grams with Hispanic Americans is generally weak in the data,
and therefore. limits comparative assessments of the effective-
ness of the programs. Some of the reporting agencies, however.
listed data collection and benchmarking as a future goal.

With the current instrument. it is not possible to
programs are Federally-assisted or Federally-conducted pro-
grams. This distinction is important, because it can affect the
review, evaluation, and impact of the program in relationship to
Hispanic participation.

79

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* GAO Report 1994, Limited English Proficiency: A Growing and Costly
Education Challenge Facing Many School Districts, p. 34.

© GAO report. Limited English Proficiency: A Growing and Costly Education
Challenge Facing Many School Districts, p. 24.

"' Testimony of Josie Gonzalez, Professor, Columbia University Teacher's
College, Expert Panelist for Bilingual Education, Washington. D.C.. 1995.

* GAO report. Limited English Proficiency: A Growing and Costly Education
Challenge Facing Many School Districts. p. 24.

© Department of Education, Model Strategies in Bilingual Education:
Professional Development: 1995, p. 2.

* Department of Education, Model Strategies in Bilingual Education:
Professional Development: 1995, p15,

*§ U.S. Department of Education, Seventeenth Annual Report to Congress on
the Implementation of the lndividuats with Disabilities Education Act to Assure
the Free Appropriate Public Education of all children with Disabilities.
Washington, D.C.. 1995,

National Center for Education Statistics, NELS: 88, First Follow -up Student
Study.

* National Center for Education Statisties, CCD. 1991.

® Testimony of Mr. Peter D. Roos, META, Ine., Los Angeles Public Hearings.
August 1995,

Promoting Excellence: Ending Academic Success for Limited English
Proficient Students, Guiding Principles, Conducted by the Evaluation
Assistance Center: The George Washington University Center for Equity and
Excellence in Education, Washington, D.C.. 1996.

* Testimony of Deanna Martin, Director of Center for Academic Development.
University of Missouri, Testing and Tracking Expert Panel, Washington. D.C.
1995,

* Testimony of Ms. Hellen Kelly and Ms, Mary Ann Sesma, Model Technology
Schools Project. Los Angeles Public Hearings, August 1995.

7 National Education Goals Report. ULS. Department of Education, 1994.

“Thomas Rivera Center “Latinos and Information Technology.” Claremont,
CA, 1996.

TM Digest of Education Statisties: 1995, Tables 413-415,
~ Conditions of Education 1995,
* Digest of Education Statistics 1995,

* Dr. Raymundo Paredes. Los Angeles Hearings.

“The College Board, "1995-1996 Increasing Catlege Costs Averages Six
Percent Upward Trend in Student Borrowing Continues.” News front the

71
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University and Miami-Dade Community College in Miami have
substantial Cuban enrollment and are led by presidents of Cuban
descent.

Recent arrivals. Recently, Hispanic immigrants have come
primarily from a number of Central and South American coun-
tries, including El Salvador, Panama, Mexico, Honduras, Guate-
mala, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador. Peru, and the
Dominican Republic and other Caribbean countries. Many of
these people have sought refuge in this country because of
political unrest.

The changing judicial and legislative climate surrounding immigra-
tion policy at the state and Federal levels introduces a serious
challenge to immigrant education. Not since slavery have entire
generations of children been held hostage to economic and
political considerations as well as sheer animosity and bigotry.
Within this climate, the {egal persecution implied by such
phenomena as Calitornia’s Proposition 187 is both an intimidat-
ing and daunting hurdle to Hispanic Americans.

The New Century's Demographic Context

In the next century, Hispanic Americans will become the largest
ethnic group in the United States. Thus far, Hispanic Americans
have experienced rapid population growth. nearly doubling in 14
years, from 14.6 million in 1980, to over 30 million in 1994.4
Despite popular misconceptions, most Hispanics are native born
or naturalized citizens or have legal residency status. Undocu-
mented immigrants remain a small minority.

Sixty-four percent of Latino Americans are U.S. born
citizens residing in the United States. The three largest
groups are comprised of Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and
Cuban Americans, Latino immigrants, the vast majority of whom
are “legal.” arrived from every Spanish-speaking country in the
world, but primarily from Mexico and Central and South Ameri-
can countries, and the Caribbean islands. Projections for the
year 2050 predict that Hispanic Americans will comprise
25 percent of the total population of this country,’ and will,
therefore, be the largest population group in the nation.

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distribute, funds in ways that support supplemental services for
disadvantaged students“! Funding cuts at the Federal level
would compel school districts to curtail crucial programs that
benefit at-risk children.

School Segregation and Poverty. Today. Hispanic American
students are experiencing higher rates of segregation in school
systems than are any other group of students. A recent report of
the Harvard Project on Schoo! Desegregation to the National
School Boerds Association describes the changing patterns of
segregation and poverty since 1968. The study found that
segregation by race is strongly correlated with segregation by
poverty: and the study provides national data demonstrating that
both African American and Latino students are much more likely
than white students to be in schools that are segregated and
poorly funded.

Underrepresentation of Hisp»nics among School Personnel.
Hispanic youth comprised more than 1Z percent of the U.S.
public school population in 1993-1994. However, Hispanic
teachers comprised less than 4 percent of the teaching popula-
tion: counselors represented only 2 percent: and Hispanic public
school administrators composed only 4 percent. Only 2 percent
of college faculty members were Hispanic: and Hispanics in
decision-making positions on school boards counted for |
percent.

It should be obvious that positive educational outcomes are
enhanced when schools are staffed with sufficient Hispanic
personnel to si as mentors as well as role models for Hispanic
students.*' A study conducted by Meier and Stuart. for instance,
showed that Hispanic representation on school boards and in the
teaching profession reduce dropout and grade retention rates.
Furthermore. Hispanic students evaluated by those sensitive to
their culture are far less likely to be assigned to special education
classes and far more likely to be identified as gifted.“

There are too few Hispanic teachers, counselors, and administra-
tors, Consequently, there are few school professionals who are
linguistically, culturally. and socially empathetic to the needs of
Hispanic students — which, in turn, leaves Hispanic students
without mentors to guide them toward college or toward techni-
cal and professional careers.

44

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64

( Identify factors and interventions that influence and predict
Hispanic student's decisions to remain or to leave
postsecondary education,

( Identify the most effective proactive approaches for early
outreach to middle schools and high schools. matriculation
between two- and four-year institutions, and persistence
interventions. including how these vary by Hispanic group.
region, and background:

{ Analyze the financial support structures that best assure the
successful completion of postsecondary education for His-
panic American students: and

( Analyze the enroliment and graduation rates and student
persistence factors of HSIs both on the continental U.S. and
on the island of Puerto Rico,

Building Capacity in the Education Professions.

{ Determine how intellectually stimulating opportunities can be
provided for educators to grow as professionals to improve
pedagogy and to influence the expectations held by instructors

about minority studént performance.

Use of Testing and Assessment.

( Explore what impact ass
student achievement.

ment reforms have on Hispanic

Targeting Civil, Financial, Human, and Material Resources
Toward Hispanic Americans in the Federal work force.

( Determine what organizational, social, attitudinal, and politi-
cal factors promote or obstruct effective Federal initiatives
toward more inclusive approaches and programs with Hispan-
ics as employces and as the recipients of agency-funded
programs.

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degrees — efforts that have just begun to give Hispanics access
to most levels of the corporate work force. However. it is well
known that full access to the corporate. executive work force, as
well ay to entrepreneurship, is enabled by high levels of educa-
tional attainment — high levels Hispanics have proven they can
achieve. but often denied to them in practice.

If America makes a genuine commitment to improving educa-
tional opportunities for Hispanic Americans, individual and social
benefits can accrue to the nation. Hispanics will have higher
purchasing power. greater self sufficiency, and the needs of the
work force will be met. For the nation to continue as a leader in
the world economy it must take rigorous, proactive approaches to
educate and to train all of its youth.

The nation is already paying the price for significant and intoler-
able proportions of entire generations of American minority
populations who are crowding the criminal justice, corrections,
and welfare systems at Federal, state. and local levels — duc to
educational neglect. This, too, must change.

A social disaster is in the making. The continued denial of the
tools of excellence will exact a high economic toll on individual
Hispanics. the Hispanic community, and the nation as a whole.”
The question is not whether Hispanic Americans will be an
integral part of the American economic enterprise in domestic
and global markets, but how well they will be able to compete?
Simply put. the United States needs a well-educated Hispanic
American population to help the nation reach new heights of
prosperity.

Long-term economic productivity and
global competitiveness are at stake...
Today, a nation needs a very highly
skilled segment to produce new
knowledge and access knowledge
developed elsewhere. It also needs a
well educated general population to
use knowledge effectively throughout
its economy.

Dr. José Jaime Rivera. President
Agsociation of Puerto Rico University
Presidents

Puerto Rico Public Hea
September. 1995

29

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Others who assisted us at various times throughout the course of our work include:

Tony Avalo U.S. Department of Labor
Layla Avila Woodrow Wilson Fellow
Kevin Aguilar-Ferrari U.S. Department of Education
Vicky Barrera-White U.S. Navy

Diana Centeno NASA

Michelle Darter Dobles Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellow
Gloria Socorro Klein U.S. Department of Labor
Kristen Lockwood Woodrow Wilson Fellow

Sal Lopez Internal Revenue Service

Ray Perez. U.S. Army

Alvin Rangel Washington Center Intern
Alvin Rivera Former Initiative staff member

Also, the Commission sincerely appreciates the support and cooperation of our advisors in the
Department of Education: Assistant Secretary Norma Canti, Assistant Secretary Mario Moreno.
and Blanca Rosa Rodriguez, Chief of Special Services Branch.

To Alberto Insua, Art Director, Hispanic Magazine, Austin, Texas, we extend our heartfelt
appreciation for the cover design.

We also extend our appreciation to the publications department of the Department of Commerce
and the Department of Defense. especially to the Office of the Secretary of Defense Graphics and
Presentations Division for the reproduction of this published report.

Finally. we are deeply indebted to Pelavin Research Institute of the American Institutes for
Research of Washington, DC, aad in particular to Carlos Rodriguez, Ph.D.. Senior Analyst.
Raymond Varisco, Editor. and Annette Tkachenko. Office Administrator. for invaluable assis-
tance in writing. designing. editing. and producing this report.

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Latino enrollments were occurring.” Student aid as a percentage
of total costs has steadily declined.

The most important source of Federal financial aid for Hispanic
Americans. the Pell Grants Program, has been underfunded since
its inception in 1972. Furthermore, over the last decade, the
purchasing power of the maximum Pell Grant has declined. In
the mid-1980s, it would cover one half the costs at public
universities. Today, the Pell Grant covers only about one-third of
that cost.”

Additionally, the shift from grants to loans is creating a danger-
ous imbalance and is causing financially disadvantaged students
to look at options other than college. To avoid taking out loans,
Hispanic students, for example, often opt for part-time enroll-
ment, or work more hours.” Naturally, increasing the amount of
time that is spent working reduces study time and prolongs the
length of time required to graduate. During the past five years,
Pell Grants as a percentage of total student aid, has steadily
decreased, especially at community colleges where the majority
of Hispanic American students access postsecondary education.

The Department of Education’s Campus-Based Program is
designed to supplement the Federal Pell Grants and student loan
programs with Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
and College Work Study. These programs often are not as
available to Hispanic Serving Institutions as they are to institu-
tions serving the general population, nor do allocation formulas
under the Campus-Based Program reflect the change in Gemo-
graphic trends across our nation’s higher education institutions.
The current formula requires that the initial institutions :dmitted
into the program maintain their original allocation. Policies such
as this obviously affect participation by Hispanic Serving
Institutions; and Hispanic students enrolled in such institutions
are left out of supplemental financial aid programs.

Parental Involvement. Rescarch shows that children succeed
when schools recognize and support parents as the child's
primary teacher. when parents are welcomed and involved in all
aspects of school life, including policy-making and priority-

«the cost of higher education in
California has risen dramatically
over the past five years, in the
University of California almost
150%. Registration fees for UC
undergraduates average around
$4,000 annually, a figure that
excludes books and living expens
Furthermore, scholarship and
grant money for college students
Srom both Federal and state
sources has declined in the same
period.

Dr. Raymundo Paredes
L.A. Public Hearings, August 1¢

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Quality Outcomes: Teacher Training
Dr. Ramén A. Cruz, Former Puerto Rico Secretary of Education
Prof. Silvia R. De Santiago, Dean, University of Puerto Rico

Quality Outcomes: Testing and Assessment

Dr. Moisés Rivera Negr6n, Special Assistant to the Executive Director of the College Board

Prof. Débora Herniindez, Associate Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Systemic Planning.
Inter American University of Puerto Rico

Quality Outcomes: Academic Productivity
Prof. Marilina Wayland. Chancellor, Inter American University of Puerto Rico,
Ponce Campus
Dr. Blanca Silvestrini, Vice-President for Academic Affairs, University of Puerto Rico

Quality Outcomes: Creative Ways of Financing Graduate Studies

Dr. Maria Virginia Herndndez-Loring, Institute of Public Policy of the Ana G. Méndez University
System

Dr. Ramén Cao, Economist. University of Puerto Rico

Spheres of influence Session Il: Community Based Organizations
Sister Isolina Ferré, Director, Sister Isolina Ferré Center

Hilda Maldonado, Executive Director, ASPIRA de Puerto Rico

Elsa Davila, ASPIRA de Puerto Rico

Spheres of Influence Session I: Evolving Educational Policy and Coordination

Dr. Olga Ramos de Julfa, President General Council on Education

Sandra Espada, Counsel for Mr. Enrique Irizarry Sorrentini, Chairman. Puerto Rico Council on
Higher Education

Spheres of Influence Session II: Corporate/Foundation Outlooks
Jaime R. Escalona, President, Board of Directors, Puerto Rico Community Foundation

Public Testimony

Dr. Roberto Marrero, Chancellor, Humacao Campus University of Puerto Rico

Prof. Yolanda Robles. Chancellor, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Fajardo Campus

Prof. Hilda Bac6é, Chancellor, Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla Campus

Dr. Zulma Quifiones, Dean, Professional Programs Division, Inter American University, San
Gérman Campus

Dr. Lourdes Pérez de Alejo. Liaison, Caribbean Counselors Association and Puerto Rican
Association of Professional Counselors

José M. Cueto, Counsel,

Felipe Colén, President. Cucto Method Institute

Tanginika Cuasurd, Student at the Inter American University, San German Campus

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” The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, June 21, 1996, p. 9.

* National Center for Education Statistics. Findings from the Condition of
Education 1995, The Educational Progress of Hispanic Students. U.S.
Department of Education, DERI, p. 21.

* U.S. General Accounting Office. Schaol Finance, Three States’ Experiences
With Equity in School Funding, December 1995

RAND, Federal Policy Options for Improving the Education of Low-Income
Suedents: Volume HH Countering Inequity in School Finance, Stephen M. Barro,
p. 5.

* RAND, Federal Policy Options for Improving the Education of Low-Income
Students: Volume I] Countering Inequity in School Finance, Stephen M. Barro.
p.6.

* Ibid. p. 5.

* School Finance: Three States Experiences with Equity in School Funding, p.
29,

* Ibid, p. 35.
* Legii

tive Education Study Committee, May 20, 1996. p. 1.
* Legislative Education Study Committee, May 20, 1996. p. 1.
** Legislative Education Study Committee, May 20, 1996, p. 2.
* December 1995, p. 9.

“RAND. p.6.

* RAND. p. 3.

S\ RAND, p. 3.

‘RAND. p. 3.

* Gary Orfield. The Growth of Segregation in American Schools: Changing
Patterns of Separation and Poverty since 1968, A Report of the Harvard Project
on School Desegregation to the National School Boards Association, December
(993.

* Meier, K.J., and Stewart, J. The Politics of Hispanic Education. SUNY:
Albany, NY, 1991.

“ Shid,

“U.S. Department of Education. Model Strategies in Bilingual Education:
Professional Development. Washington, D.C,, 1995.

“ Thid. p. 4.

* University of California Latino Eligibility Task Force, Latina ‘tudent
Eligibility and Participation in the University of California: Report Number
Four of the Latino Eligibility Task Force, March, 1995.

* Testimony of Dr. Juan Juarez, Phoenix Public Hearings, February 1994.

70

ros
Vat.

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Omar Esponda. Student, Inter American University. San German Campus
Juanita Ortiz, Associate Director. After Schoo! Hour Program. Municipality of San Juan
Dr. Angela de Jestis, Chair-Nursing Department. Inter American University, Guayama Campus

Dollars and Sense: Education Finance and Equity
Mr. Ermesto Vazquez Barquet. President Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico
Dr. Ramén Cao. Economist. University of Puerto Rico

Dollars and Sense: Student Aid
Dr. Efrain Gonzalez Tejera. Chancellor, University of Puerto Rico. Rio Piedras Campus

Dollars and Sense: Creative Ways of Financing Graduate Studies

Mr. Edgar Rentas. Comptroller

Dr. Carol M. Romey. Academie Dean, Center for Advanced Studies of Puerto Rico and the
Caribbean

Issues in K-12: Head Start/ Pre-K

Ms, Zaida Fernandez. President. Head Start Association in Puerto Rico and Director, New York
Founding Hospital, Head Start Grantee

Dr. Carmen Socorro Cruz. Head Start Association

Issues in K-12: Organization and Infrastructure
Mr. William Ortiz. for Mr. José Eligio Vélez. President Puerto Rico Teachers Association

Issues K-12: Student Mobility
Dr. Zaida Vega, Chancellor. Inter American University of Puerto Rico. Arecibo Campus

Issues in K-12; School Dropouts

¢. Federico Matheu, Executive Director. General Council on Elementary and Secondary
Education

Dr. César Rey. Dean, Academic Affairs. Sacred Heart University

Workforce Preparation
Mr. Agustin Marquez, Executive Director. Commission “School to Work”
Mr. Angel Ruiz, President, Institute of Universal Education

Educational Partnerships; Workforce and Professional Preparation: Public Sector and
Schools

Counsel Héctor Jiménez Juarbe, Vice-President Manufacturers Association
Dr. Angel Reyes. for Mr, Miguel Vazquez Deynes, President Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce

fa)

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Higher Education. Modern economic realities place a great
deal of pressure upon American students who are being urged to
pursue careers in their field of choice. A high school diploma
has not guaranteed employment for some time. Two-year. four-
year, and graduate degrees, on the other hand, improve an
individual's chances for success, and help to develop a range of
“real-life” opportunities. For Hispanics, however, the demand
for college degrees remains greater than the opportunities
provided them to obtain such degrees.

While the increase in Hispanics pursuing a postsecondary
education is significant, it is insufficient to assure parity in the
workforce. From 1973 to 1994, the overall number of high
school graduates enrolled in a four-year institution doubled, from
16 to 31 percent. The percentage of both whites und blacks
enrolled at those institutions also more than doubled within the
same time period. Blacks increased from 13 to 25 percent and
whites increased from 16 to 33 percent. College-bound Hispan-
ics in four-ycar institutions, however, only increased from 13 to
20 percent.” Plainly. postsecondary Hispanic student enrollment
Numbers Reveal Disparity in PhDs and graduation rates are not keeping pace with the Hispanic
American presence in the general population nor with the

In 1994, of the 43.261 PhDs available pool of Latino high school graduates.
awarded nationwide. only 946 went
to Hispanic Americans."* Morcover, 1992-1993 data on degrees conferred for higher

education demonstrate that. overall, Hispanic Americans re-
ccived a very small percentage of degrees. Hispanics earned 6
percent of all associate degrees, for example. and 4 percent of all
bachelors degrees. 3 percent of all masters degrees, and 2 percent
of all doctorates awarded for the 1992-1993 school year." These
proportions have remained relatively flat since the 1980s.

Actual numbers of PhD’s awarded, for example demonstrate the
magnitude of the degree disparities. In 1994, of the 43.261
PhD's awarded across all fields in U.S. colleges and universities,
only 946 were awarded to Hispanics (2.18 percent), while 11,530
(26.65 percent) were awarded to foreign national or alien stu-
dents, 1.344 (3.1 percent) to black, non-Hispanie students, 132
(0.31 percent) to American Indians or Alaskan Natives, 1.943
(4.49 percent) to Asian Americans, and 26.137 (60.42 percent) to
white, non-Hispanic students. There are entire fields and disci
plines at the doctoral level in which Hispanics and other minori-
ties have never received a doctoral degree.

38

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Call to Action:

An Executive Summary

The Commission calls upon the nation to improve education
for Hispanic Americans. This Call to Action goes out to
Hispanics and non-Hispanics alike — rich, middle-class, and
poor — to work in partnership with the leadership and re-
sources of government and the private sector.

The nature of the prcblem with the education of Hispanic
Americans is rooted in a refusal to accept, to recognize, and to
value the central role of Hispanics in the past, present, and
future of this nation. The education of Hispanic Americans is
characterized by a history of neglect, oppression, and periods
of wanton denial of opportunity.

The successful resolution of what has become nothing less
than a crisis is embedded in the collective and collaborative
response of the nation; and it must be characterized by the
affirmation of the value and dignity of Hispanic communities,
families, and individuals.

The Nation's Future

This report demonstrates that Hispanic American students are at
risk. The educational achievement gap between Hispanics and
non-Hispanics persists, By recognizing the gravity of the
educational attainment disparity between Hispanic Americans

4

The failure to face up to the
need for change represents a
myopia in America... Clearly,
we have failed to recognize the
crucially important role that
those segments of our society
who are out of the mainstream
will have to play. ifAmerica is
to compete successfully in the
world econon.

Dr. Tomas Arciniega.
President California State
University, Bakersfield, CA
Los Angeles Public Hearings.
August 1995

13

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attend. Violence, suspensions, and expulsions are common. In
1992, Latino high schoo! seniors were more likely than white
seniors to report that disruptions by other students interfered
with their learning. They claimed that fights often occurred
between different racial and ethnic groups, and that they did not
feel safe at their school.”

Exposure to dangerous or threatening behavior at school was
most common for students attending middle or junior high
schools, students at public schools, and students at larger
schools. Obviously, students exposed to crime or threats and
worried about becoming victims at school are experiencing a
learning environment that is seriously deficient. America needs
to ensure that schools are communities of teachers and learners,
where learning can take place in a secure environment.*!

Safe schools can be created by reducing their size, establishing
personal relationships between faculty and students, creating
conflict resolution education and dispute resolution mechanisms,
bringing parents into the school, and many other mechanisms. In
addition, a safe school is a school in which staff are held ac-
countable for physical and verbal violence toward students, and
in which complaints of physical or sexual abuse of students are
investigated and acted upon quickly and impartially.

Unique Sectors of the Hispanic Community

Puerto Rican Education. Puerto Ricans living on the island of
Puerto Rico face many of the same educational obstacles as do
Hispanics on the continent, but special factors aggravate those
obstacles, such as caps on Federally funded programs, minimal
attention from Federal policy makers, the island’s economy, and
very high poverty rates.

Annually, about 25,000 to 30,000 Puerto Rican students enroll in
schools on the continent.” This migration often involves great
difficulties, as it does for all migrants. Many of these migrating
students often enter underfunded, overcrowded schools with
limited instructional support systems to meet their needs. In
turn, Puerto Rican schools encounter similar challenges when
students lacking full Spanish literacy move back to the island
and must adapt to new instructional systems.

The children of Puerto Rico are
United States Citizens. They are
entitled to equal treatment and
equal opportunities, educationally
and otherwise.

Sandra Espada Santos, Secretary,
Puerto Rico Council on Higher

Education, Puerto Rico Hearings,
1995S.

53

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Honorable Marfa Hernandez
President

National Diversity Concepts, Inc.
Washington, D.C.

Honorable Sonia Hernandez

Deputy Superintendent

California State Department of Education
Sacramento, California

Honorable Martin J. Koldyke
Chairman

Fontenac Company

Chicago, Illinois

Honorable Guillermo Linares
New York City Councilmember
City Hall, New York

New York, New York

Honorable Cipriano Mufioz
Science Coordinator
William Taft High School
San Antonio, Texas

Honorable Eduardo Padrén
District President

Miami-Dade Community College
Miami. Florida

Honorable Janice Petrovich
Deputy Director

Education, Media, Arts,

and Culture Program Division,
Ford Foundation

New York, New York

Honorable Gloria Rodriguez
President and CEO

Avance Family Support and Education Programs
San Antonio, Texas

Honorable Waldemar Rojas
Superintendent

San Francisco Unified School District
San Francisco. California

Honorable Isaura Santiago Santiago

President

Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College
Bronx, New York

Honorable John Phillip Santos
Author/Television Producer
New York, New York

Honorable Samuel Vigil

President

Luna Vocational Technical Institute
Las Vegas, New Mexico

Honorable Diana Wasserman

Board Member

The School Board of Broward County
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Honorable Rubén Zacarias

Deputy Superintendent of Schools
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles, California

11

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Bilingual education programs develop native-language profi-
ciency in order to enable LEP students to make a transition to all-
English instruction, while receiving academic subject instruction
in their native language. These programs emphasize the devel-
opment of English-language skills as well as grade promotion
and graduation requirements.

In Law. Nichols (1974)27 the Supreme Court ruled that stu-
dents who are not fluent in English have a right to comprehen-
sible instruction as a means of ensuring equal access to a public
education. Failure to provide supplemental language instruction,
then. violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. From 1984 to
1994, the number of limited English proficient (LEP) students
increased by almost 70 percent, yet. the corresponding numbers
of qualified bilingual teachers did not increase. Currently, more
than 2.3 million LEP students. representing different linguistic
and cultural backgrounds. attend public elementary and second-
ary schools — and three-fourths of them are Spanish speakers."

A panel of experts was convened in Washington, D.C.. in No-
vember of 1995, to address the issues affecting bilingual educa-
tion. (A list of panelists can be found in Appendix E.) They
agreed that without effective bilingual education, a pattern of
failure develops:

( Students receiving no special language training inevitably fall
behind in other subject matter while they struggle to learn
English:

( Students may. over time. become fluent in oral English. but
are not promoted with their peers, because they have missed
several years of instruction in content areas: and

{ Students are rarely able to overcome this and are. conse-
quently, more likely to leave school before high school
graduation. The National Education Goals Report 1992 found
that LEP students have one of the highest dropout rates in the
country."

Misplacement of Students in Special Education Classes.
Special Education programs are provided for students with
disabilities, as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). The needs of this population, too, are

47

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individuals have distinguished themselves as statesmen, writers,
artists, and professionals. However. there has been minimal
educational progress for the majority of Mexican American
citizens. Even today, most educational services in urban and
tural areas where Mexican Americans go to school lack suffi-
cient resources to provide excellence in education.

Puerto Ricans. Puerto Rico was acquired from Spain as a
territory in 1898. Through the Jones Act in 1917, Puerto Ricans
became U.S. citizens. able to move freely between the continen-
tal United States and their own homeland.* A commonwealth
with a “special relationship” status written into law, Puerto
Ricans receive lower levels of Federal aid than the states, do not
pay Federal taxes and cannot vote for the President on the island.
Due to the economic and social challenges within their commu-
nity, various debates have developed throughout Puerto Rico's
history concerning the political status it maintains with the
United States. Today. 2.7 million Puerto Ricans are living in the
50 states and more than 3.7 million live on the island. Puerto
Rico has the third largest Hispanic population in the country.

Schools on the island use Spanish as their primary language of
instruction, with English-as-a-Second-Language classes required
from grades | through 12. Because islanders frequently move
between Puerto Rico and the continent, migration affects children
who shift between school systems. Puerto Rican students living
on the continent have better high school completion rates. but
lower rates of college graduation than do students on the island.

Cuban Americans. A mass exodus from Cuba to the United
States followed Castro's Cuban revolution in 1959. In its early
stages, this migration was fairly homogenous in its socio-political
origins. Immigrants came from the profession:d, technical, and
entrepreneurial sectors of Cuban society. Their educational
attainment was high. Indeed. this may have been one of the mast
highly educated people in American immigration history.

Since the mid- 1960s, however, when the Freedom Flights pro-
gram began, the Cuban immigrant population have come from
ever-wider sectors of the population, Cuban immigrants, espe-
cially since 1979, have tended to be less well educated than their
predecessors. Although higher education institutions catering to
Cuban Americans have not emerged, Florida {International

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{ Increase four-year college access initiatives for Hispanic high
school graduates and community college transfer students.
especially financial support initiatives.

( Develop comprehensive strategic plans that specify short- and
long-term outcomes and goals and monitor student progress
from preschool through postsecondary learning.

( Ensure Federal interagency coordination to increase the flow
of services and the pooling of resources in support of Hispanic
initiatives.

For these solutions to succeed, Congress, the Executive Branch.
state and local levels of government. and the private sector must
be committed to changing the status quo. Public school systems
must value and affirm the culture of Hispanic students by
providing quality education services and becoming more com-
munity oriented. School systems need to form viable partner-
ships with students, families, communities, other educational
institutions, and government bodies, as well as. business and
corporate leaders. Over the past 20 years. the Federal govern-
ment has provided for many of the successful initiatives in
Hispanic education. As threats to those initiatives arise. progress
is threatened. It is not time to stop.

At the Federal level, successful programs targeted to the His-
panic American population must be expanded. and information
about successful programs must be widely disseminated. Stable
and fair funding formulas must be developed and implemented at
the state and local levels, and carefully monitored at the Federal
level. As a nation, we must provide excellence in education for
all of America’s students, and strengthen schools in all neighbor-
hoods. Schools are the first place that youth from diverse
backgrounds meet and learn about the world: and it is in schools
that the most effective seeds of citizenship are sown.

At the focal level. we need to empower all citizens. Hispanic and
non-Hispanic. to bring about effective change. Local employee
unions, school boards, superintendents, principals, parent
organizations, community groups. business leaders, churches.
and service organizations can form powerful coalitions to focus
upon the continuous improvement of schools and the effective
education of all students.

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The Honorable William J. Clinton
The President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

The Honorable Richard W. Riley
Secretary of Education

U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue. SW
Washington, D.C. 20202

Dear President Clinton and Secretary Riley:

As the Chairperson of the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for
Hispanic Americans, | am honored to forward our report, Our Nation on The Fault Line: His-
panic American Education.

Our report responds to Executive Order 12900, Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans.
specifically, “To advance the development of human potential. to strengthen the Nation's capacity
to provide high-quality education. and to increase opportunities for Hispanic Americans to
participate in and benefit from Federal education programs.” In order to accomplish this charge.
we conducted independent research, including a comprehensive inventory of Hispanic participa-
tion in Federal agencies and Federal agency-sponsored projects. We also held public hearings
throughout the nation and convened expert panels. Thus. the report reflects input from a diverse
segment of constituents and stakeholders.

The Commission has taken seriously our mandate to inventory Federal services and programs.
That inventory informs our approach and our commentary throughout this document in terms of
hoth hard data and analysis. as we have incorporated what the inventory has revealed into our
findings and recommendations. The inventory database itself will soon be made available both in
hard copy and electronically. A summary of the Federal agency inventories is appended to this
report.

Our work includes an analysis of the current status of Hispanic American educational attainment,
which is not optimistic. but. in fact. devastating to both Hispanics and the nation, Hispanic
American progress toward achievement of the National Education Goals and other standards of
educational accomplishment is constrained by the persistent gap in educational attainment
between Hispanic Americans and other Americans, which is already intolerable.

Serious work needs to be done regarding the development, monitoring, and coordination of
Federal efforts to promote high-quality education for Hispanic Americans. if Hispanics are to
move away from the “fault line” of insidious failure. While Federal agency efforts promote
achieving higher goals and standards, few measurable outcomes have been specified and are not.
therefore, available to gauge any significant growth in Hispanic support initiatives. In fact. most
agencies lack adequate planning and accountability procedures to measure the participation of
Hispanic Americans in their own work-force programs (¢.g.. recruitment, staffing, promotion), let
alone to benchmark progr sponsored projects. It should be noted. however. that as a direct
result of the inventory process, some agencies have begun to take action. Specifically. both The

; 7

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28

Reporting

This first reporting cycle establishes the precedent for agencies
to gauge Hispanic participation in their education programs,
however, many of the agency reports contain information gaps.
Insufficient and inconsistent data makes it difficult to assess the
effectiveness of these programs. For example. only generalized
information regarding awards and grants were usually provided.
Most agencies do not have the tracking systems to assess or
evaluate the equitable distribution of grants and rewards, there-
fore, critical information as to where these dollars are actually
distributed is not possible. .

Thus, it cannot be determined whether the funding provided was
actually funneled to the direct intended source. Also, agencies
tended not to include programs aimed at the elementary or
secondary school levels but rather they reported allocations
toward their educational programs, grants to Hispanic Serving
Institutions (HSIs). awards to other institutions of higher educa-
tion, discretionary funds, funds for research and development (R
& D) and legislatively mandated funding. This reporting dis-
crepancy does not allow evaluation of the most important
programs affecting Hispanic Americans where many educational
deficiencies for Hispanics exist.

Federal Agency Interrelationships

All Federal agencies have a critical role in administering pro-
grams that enhance the participation of Hispanic Americans and
all Americans in Federal educational programs. These programs
are often inter-connected where one Federal agency may pick up
where another agency leaves off, thereby providing a continuity
of related services for expanded benefits. For example, the
Department of Health and Human Services administers programs
that benefit Hispanic Americans through family assistance
programs that provide pre-natal and education services to
mothers and families.

The Department of Agriculture provides educational benefits and
programs that are interrelated to HHS by making food assistance
available to Hispanic Americans with such programs as the Food
Stamp Program, Special Nutrition Program, National School
Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program which provides

ta
aos

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State of
Education for
Hispanic
Americans

The “State of Education for Hispanic Americans” presents an
overview of Hispanic American students as they move through
the U.S. educational system — in elementary, middle, secondary.
higher education, and beyond. Next. this section examines some
of the most serious inadequacies of the educational system for
Latino students, including inequity in school financing, the lack
of sufficient bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language
programs and teachers, and the misuse of assessment and testing.
If Latino youth are to fuliy benefit from and contribute to the
wealth of this nation, then greater numbers must be given the
chance to succeed throughout the educational system.

Changing School Population

s by the US, Bureau of the Census show that by 2050
it four school-age children will be Hispanic

D0 Whites, non-Hispanic
i | Black
a

re)
v0
80
mw
oO
Su
a0

1995, 2010 20w 2050

Percents do not add to 100
sinembers of ral

Source: U,S. Bureau of the Census.

ause the Hispanic population
juding blacks and whites

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The National Challenge

When confronted with great challenges, Americans historically
have come together to forge solutions. In that tradition, this
report presents solutions and recommendations that can be used
to formulate stronger partnerships between Hispanic Americans
and other Americans who seck to improve schools for all chil-
dren. The report informs the nation of a profound and threaten-
ing crisis in education, resulting in the loss of productive futures
for millions of children and young people of Hispanic origin.

Responding to the President's mandate, the Commission held
public hearings trom coast to coast and in Puerto Rico. Those
hearings provided the Commission with the opportunity to
witness the rich diversity of Hispanic communities and to listen
to constituents address educational issues. Those who spoke
shared with the Commission a unifying acknowledgment of their
country’s persistent neglect toward Hispanic Americans, espe-
cially students. They also articulated in many different ways the
hope and promise of un unyielding belief: that the United States
educational enterprise, working in partnership with local com-
munities, must, and can, ensure high-level educational achieve-
ment for Hispanics. from preschoolers to lifelong learners.

Furthermore. the Commission conducted a Federal Agency
Inventory. as specified by Executive Order 12900, to assess
Hispanic participation in education-related programs. to identify
agency plans to eliminate inequalities and barriers to program
access, and to increase Hispanic participation in such programs.
In November of 1995, two expert panels met in Washington,
D.C.. to examine bilingual education issues and the impact of
testing, assessment, and tracking on Hispanic students. Taken
together, our efforts, including substantial research by students
and staff assigned to the White House Initiative office, led to
several key findings and recommendations discussed below.

Key Findings.
€ Educational attainment for most Hispanic Americans is ina
state of crisis.

( While Federal efforts indicate a greater focus on achieving
goals and standards. specific outcomes have not been mea-

lo

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percent of Hispanic dropouts had not completed the 8" grade.”
Another 18 percent of Latino dropouts completed 9" grade, but
left before completing 10" grade, and over one-half (58 percent)
of Hispanic dropouts have less than a 10" grade education. Only
29 percent of white dropouts and 25 percent of black dropouts
leave as early as do Hispanies.*°

Hispanic American students’ high dropout rates are linked to
various inefficiencies and inadequacies throughout the educa-
tional system. Intervention measures, therefore, must be aimed
as well as at the elementary level and secondary level since a
very large percent drop out early. Simply put. there is a need for
more programs designed to bring the performance of Latino
students up to par with other groups.

Grade retention is one of the major factors contributing to school
dropout rates, Indeed, when looking at the overall picture, a
correlation between dropout and retention rates becomes appar-
ent. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics
demonstrate that most students who decide to drop out have
repeated one or more grades. In 1993 alone, 41 percent had
repeated more than one grade. 17 percent had repeated one
grade, and 9 percent had not repeated a grade.”

Hispanic students are more often than not “tracked” into general
courses that satisty only the basic high school requirements, and
do not provide access to four-year colleges or to rigorous techni-
cal schools. In addition, such courses do not qualify Hispanics
for good, entry level jobs in high-technology industries. How-
ever. while the dropout rates remain high, some progress can be
noted. The percentage of Latino and white high school graduates
taking advanced science and mathematics courses, for instance,
increased dramatically between 1982 and 1992. Asa result, a
few more Hispanic students are now following a more rigorous
curriculum, but they are far from the majority.

Even as the numbers of Latino high school graduates increase,
they are still less likely than white graduates to have completed
the “New Standards” curriculum, which includes four years of
English and three years of science. social studies, and mathemat-
ics (44 percent compared to 54 percent in 1994) In 1992,
Hispanic graduates were less likely than white graduates to have

taken geometry. Algebra Il, trigonometry, chemistry, physics, or
36

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Samuel Vigil of New Mexico

Mr. Vigil is a member of the New Mexico House of Representa-
tives. where he is Chair of the House Education Committee. He
has been both an educator and administrator. His thirty-eight
years of experience in elementary, secondary, post-secondary,
and higher education provides him with the experience to
develop and implement actionable policy. He is a member of
several education organizations and currently serves as Chief
Executive Officer for the Luna Vocational-Technical Institute.
Las Vegas.

Diana Cendoya Wasserman of Florida

Ms. Diana Cendoya Wasserman is a member of the School
Board of Broward County in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, serving as
Chair for one year. She has served as a member of Florida's
Inner-City Schools Task Force. Commission on Hispanic Affairs,
and the Job Training Coordinating Council. In 1991 she was
appointed by the Governor to develop pragmatic leadership skills
with a global vision for eleven southern states, as a member of
Global Leaders for the South.

Rubén Zacarias of California

Dr. Zacarfas is the Deputy Superintendent of Schools tor the Los
Angeles Unified School District. He has served in the Los
Angeles system as an Associate Superintendent. Regional
Superintendent. elementary schoo! principal. and coordinator of
adult basic education, He serves as a member of the Los Ange-
les City Commission for Children, Youth and their Families and
has served on many Advisory Panels. including the National
Association of Public Continuing and Adult Education, and of
the Western Region of the College Board. He is the highest
ranking Hispanic official in the Los Angeles school system.

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Appendix G:
Viembers of the
Presidential
Commission

tilding tomorrow's future, today — Parmers in Education
roughout the United States

na Margarita Guzman of Texas

r. Guzman is currently serving as Vice President of Cypress
reek Campus and Institutional Campus Development at Austin
ommunity College. Previously. she served as Associate Vice
hancellor for Academie Support Programs at Texas A&M
niversity System and Associate Professor of Education at Texas
&M University in Kingsville. Dr. Guzman has more than
irteen years of administrative experience in higher education

id public schools beginning her career as a teacher. Some of

x administrative experiences include serving as Program

fficer at the National Science Foundation, principal of a middle
hool and Director of Staff Development for the Houston
dependent School District. Dr. Guzman has co-authored two
lingual reading series that Texas and California adopted. She
‘rved ats President of the Texas Association for Bilingual
Jucation (TABE) and is a member of the Texas Association for
hicanos in Higher Education. She was named Who's Who in
ducation in 1993 and Who's Who in American Women in 1989.

inda Alvarado of Colorado

Is. Alvarado is president of Alvarado Construction, Inc, She is
leader in business. becoming the first Hispanic owner of a
ajor league baseball franchise, the Colorado Rockies. She
rves on several boards and brings the importance of business -

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sured. Most agencies lack adequate planning or accountabil-
ity procedures to gauge the participation of Hispanic Ameri-
cans.

Although the gap in some measures of educational attainment
is narrowing, the disparity in overall achievement between
Hispanic Americans and other Americans is intolerable.

Less than 15 percent of all Hispanic Americans participate in
pre-school programs, though such programs have been proven
to be high predictors of educational attainment.

An intolerable number of Hispanic American students are
enrolled below grade level.

Students are segregated in schools that are “resource poor.”

Hispanic American students drop out earlier and at unaccept-
ably high rates.

The total proportion of bachelors degrees for Hispanic Ameri-
cans has risen only slightly (from 3.5 percent in 1985 to 4.9
percent 1993) since the 1980s. even though Hispanic student
enrollment has modestly increased (from 5.3 percent in [985
to 8.5 percent in 1993),

Hispanic high school students are poorly represented in
quality school-to-work initiatives.

One-third of all Hispanic American students in higher educa-
tion are enrolled in less than 189 of 3,000 two- and four-year
institutions of higher education in the United States and

Puerto Rico, known as Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs)."

Literacy levels for Hispanic American adults have remained
low, compared to other groups.

"Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI)
nl four-year, whose Hispanic Amer
ent or greater of total enrollment.

¢ colleges and universities,
1 student enrollment is 25

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LASS *aders.” She currently serves on the Christian

«. as’ Fund International Board of Director’s, the Council of
ramilies in America and served on the Carnegie’s Zero to Three
Task Force, Family Resource Coalition and was the Chair of the
Texas HeadStart Collaborative Project.

Waldemar Rojas of California

Dr. Rojas is Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School
District. He has been involved in all levels of the educational
pipeline, especially the adolescent years. He currently serves on
California Academy of Sciences, Education Advisory Council:
the California Commission, Future of the Courts Panel: The Fine
Arts Museums of San Francisco. Trustee. and various other
boards and committees.

Isaura Santiago Santiago of New Jersey

Dr. Santiago is President of Eugenio Maria de Hostos Commu-
nity College, the City University of New York. She previously
served as Associate Professor of Education and Program Head in
Bilingual Education at Teachers College of Columbia University.
She has served on several boards and panels including the Puerto
Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, Bronx Cable Televi-
sion, the International Education Committee of the American
Council on Education. Former New York Governor Cuomo,
Secretary of Education Richard Riley, and President Clinton
have recognized her long and reputable career in education by
appointing her to various advisory committees on education. Dr.
Santiago's most recent appointment is to the U.S. Department of
Education's “Hispanic Dropout Project.” a national research
project started in August of 1995,

John Phillip Santos of New York

Mr. Santos is a television producer and author completing his
first book, which deals with his family’s story in Mexico and
Texas. Prior to that, he has been the Director of New Program
Development at WNET, New York City’s Public Television
Station. He received, three Emmy nominations for his documen-
taries at CBS News. In 1979, he was the first Mexican American
to be named a Rhodes Scholar. He also received a Danforth
Fellowship at Yale University and was a Fellow at the Gannett
Center for Media Studies.

Hh

17

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Appendix A:
Federal Agency
Inventory

Introduction

Iis the intent of the Commission to continue to work with all
the federal agencies to assess the participation of Hispanics in
Federal programs on a bi-annual basis. We also plan to have the
data available electronically so that interested parties can access
all of the data generated through these inventories.

In America’s educational system, the Federal government serves
as a resource broker. an educator, and establishes national
education policy, As a resource broker, the Federal government
acts as a leader. partner, and catalyst for systemic reform by
leveraging scarce resources toward state and local initiatives
with broad impact and long-term benefit (National Education
Goals Report, The Federal Role in Meeting the National Educa-
tion Goals, 1993). As an educator, the Federal government
administers hundreds of educational programs. in addition to,
internships, school to work, and training and development
opportunities. National education policy, evaluation and re-
search is carried out by the Department of Education.

Additionally, as a direct result of the Federal Agency Inventory
conducted by the White House Initiative on Educational Excel-
ience for Hispanic Americans and the Presidential Commission,
some specific programs have been launched. For example, the
Department of Transportation (DOT) has develped an aggressive
74 ‘

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The following conclusions and patterns were drawn from the
data provided by the agencies.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Executive Order Responsibility. The White House Initiative on
Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans established a
liaison network to establish a link between the Initiative office
and the departments. Many departments. but not all. have now
identified the best office and staff responsible for the annual
collection of data and submission of the information to the White
House Initiative office.

We recommend that all agencies identify the appropriate office
and staff to respond to this request as soon as possible.

Data Tracking. All agencies were not prepared to report on data
requested. Therefore. many of them reported that data had not
been collected. Several. but not all agencies, identified data
tracking as a goal to accomplish in FY 96.

We recommend that all agencies establish a data system which
tracks number of participants and awards distributed for research
and development, program evaluation, training. lacilities and
equipment, fellowships. internships. recruitment. student tuition,
scholarships, private sector involvement, and administration to
Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs). Hispanic Serving
Institutions (HSIs). school districts (K-12), Hispanic school
districts, organizations, and Hispanic American organizations.

Rate of Awards to HSIs. With the exception of a few agencies,
like the Small Business Administration and Corporation for
National and Community Services. most agencies reported a
three-year average below 5% for awards distributed to Hispanic
Serving Institutions. Many agencies identified programs de-
signed to increase participation but did not identify a percent
goal to achieve in FY 96, or beyond.

We recommend that agencies with a participation rate of less
than 10% identify an annual percent increase beginning immcedi-
ately.

80

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... let’s not forget that we
also have an educational defi-
cit. Education is the fault line
in America today; those who
have it are doing well in the
global economy, those who
don’t are not doing well. We
cannot walk away from this
fundamental fact. The
American dream will suc-
ceed or fail in the 21* century
in direct proportion to our
commitment to educate ev-
ery person in the United
States of America.

William Jefferson Clinton, Apri! 12. 1995,
Remembering Franklin D. Roosevelt,
SOth Anniversary Conunemorative Services.

tv
wD

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For Additional Copies Contact

White House Initiative on
Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans

600 Independence Ave, SW 202-401-1411
Washington, DC 20202-3601 Fax 401-8377
E-Mail: WHITE_HOUSE_INIT_HISPANIC_ED@ed.gov

t { } }

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Eleven percent of Hispanic Americans are under five years of
age, and a third of Hispanic Americans are under age 15.
By the year 2030, the U.S. Bureau of the Census projections
suggest that Latino students age 5 to 18 will number almost 16
million — 25 percent of the total school population.’ In
California, Hispanic students are projected to become the largest
ethnic majority of the school population by the 1996-1997 school
year.’ This trend is occurring in all major cities throughout the
nation. Obviously. this projected increase in the number of
Hispanic children provides critical challenges to the nation’s
education systems.*

Underlying these data is the hard reality that a significant propor-
tion of Hispanic children will continue to grow up in poor house-
holds. Such a reality provides an even greater challenge to policy
makers and practitioners to aggressively seek solutions to elimi-
nate poverty and low educational achievement. Unless these
related issues are addressed. predictable outcomes with the
inherent social and public costs will accrue to the nation as a
whole.

Economics and Hispanic American Education

By the year 2000. up to 80 percent of jobs in the United States
are expected to require cognitive, rather than manual, skills’ and
52 percent of jobs are expected to require at least some
postsecondary education. The shortage of workers with high
levels of communication, mathematics, computer, and other
technological skills — already a problem for employers" — will
become more severe. if the Hispanic population continues to he
deprived of a quality education. Educational attainment has a
direct and positive impact on employment. earnings, investments,
and savings.

Approximately, 37 percent of employed Hispanic Americans do
not have a high school degree. compared to 13 percent of all
workers. Those without high school diplomas have more diffi-
culty in the labor market than do those with more education (c.g.
unemployment rates for workers with less than four years of high
school are twice us high as the rates for high school graduates).
Additionally, only 11 percent of the Hispanic Americar, work
force is in managerial and professional positions, compared to 27

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Issues and Recommendations
for the Attainment of
Educational Excellence For
Hispanic Americans

To reverse a legacy of neglect and to ensure Hispanic Americans
equitable opportunity in educational attainment, it is important to
form partnerships among all levels of government, the public and
private sectors, the community, teachers, administrators. stu-
dents, and parents. All are equally challenged to take a role in
addressing the educational issues facing Hispanic American
education, and all must learn to work together toward a common
goal of excellence for all students.

The identification of the issues. policy areas, recommendations
and research directions by the Presidential Commission and the
White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic
Americans responds to the President's charge. We list the most
important areas for ongoing improvement in the education of
Hispanic Americans. Effective solutions and practices, and
insightful scholarship are addressing some of these issues. It is
our intention to widely disseminate, through electronic and
printed media. this call for action, effective practices, models and
scholarship as well as the Federal Agency Inventories. thereby
creating a national database, accessible to all. on Hispanic
American education.

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jucation F ‘icy for Governor Ann Richards. She was Vice
esident of the National Center on Education and the Economy
New York and directed the Center’s initiatives to restructure
e Rochester City School District. She has served as Field
ssociate for ti.2 National Alliance for Restructuring and as an
lucation reform consultant for the Los Angeles Unified School
istrict, the New York State Department of Education, and the
2rmont Department of Education. She has taught at both the
ementary and university level. and was one of the founders of
e National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

lartin Koldyke of IHinois

‘t. Koldyke is a founding partner in Frontenac Capital, a major
ture capital firm in Chicago and Chairman of the Education
nance Authority for the City of Chicago. He is also a philan-
ropist who has founded the Golden Apple Foundation to award
‘cellence in teaching and stimulate innovative programs. In
Idition, he has been a Jeader in initiatives to create greater
iderstanding between the Hispanic. African American and
-wish communities.

uillermo Linares of New York

Ir, Linares currently serves on the New York City Council for

e 10th Councilman District, Manhattan. He is very involved in
ilingual Education issues, and the overall improvement of

iblic education. He is a Board member of the National Council
*La Raza and Toys for Guns foundation. He is also the found-
g member of the Northern Manhattan Health Action Group,

ipriano Mujioz of Texas

lr. Mufioz currently teaches at William Taft High School,
orthside School District, San Antonio, Texas. In addition, he
srves as coordinator for the Math and Science Department. His
aching experience includes elementary through college level.
e participated at various teacher training sessions, demonstrat-
ig New strategies to teach math and science. Mr. Mufioz’s
2dication to educating America’s youth and preparing them in
1e math and science field has been recognized throughout

exas. Recently, Mr. Mujioz was appointed by Secretary Riley
y the U.S, Department of Education's “Hispanic Dropout
roject”, a national research project started in August of 1995,

105

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address this condition by offering vocational skills, computer
skills, ESL, basic education in the native language. and courses
in a wide range of topics for personal or professional growth.
Adult education programs enable adults to participate more fully
in the workplace. to attain better paying and more satisfying
jobs, and to become better advocates for their children.

Hispanic Americans are more likely to participate in English-as-
a-Second-Language courses, literacy education. and citizenship
classes — courses usually are offered by community-based
organizations, schools, or community colleges. Waiting lis
adult education ESL classes in cities like Los Angeles. for
instance, have been in the 10s of thousands, with cl taught
late at night being as over-subscribed as are day classes, proving
that Hispanics. like all serious students. will more than take
advantage of a good education.

s for

Although Hispanic community-based organizations have worked
collaboratively with schools and have made significant contribu-
tions. many adults are finding it increasingly difficult to locate
and to gain access to affordable programs. in which to learn
English, improve literacy skills, and earn GEDs.

Similarly, even though lifelong learning is necessary for most
skilled workers. not enough emphasis has been placed upon the
public and private training of adults. or upon job retraining.
Training and development funds, in fact, are the first to be cut
when budgets are constrained. That must end, and businesses,
too, need to provide programs of continuing education, training,
and retraining to keep workers abreast of developing technology.

Increasingly, technology drives the workplace and requires a
constant upgrading of education and skills. which puts added
pressure upon the need for continuing education and lifelong
learning programs. In brief. the education system must allow
people to “reenter” and to pursue vocational and technical
training. Equity in the workplace is contingent upon adult
education for Hispanic Americans. Yet. those with the greatest
need for continuing education and training are the unemployed,
the under-employed, and those with a limited educational
background. for whom education and training remain quite
illusive.

A)

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Who are Hispanic
Americans?

The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” are used interchangeably in
this report, and refer to a group of Americans who share com-
mon cultural origins and language. However. Hispanic Ameri-
cans come from diverse nations and backgrounds with distinctive
histories and distinctive socio-economic and political experiences.

In 1994, there were 26.4 million Hispanic Americans living in the
Continental United States: 64 percent Mexican Americans.
almost I] percent Puerto Ricans, over 13 percent were from
Central and South America and the Caribbean, almost 5 percent
were Cuban Americans, 7 percent classified as “other.” An
additional 3.7 million were Puerto Ricans living on the island of
Puerto Rico. bringing the nation’s total Hispanic American
population to over 30 million. Although Hispanic Americans
live in every part of the United States, they are more heavily
concentrated in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida. IHinois,
New Mexico, New York, Puerto Rico, and Texas.

Mexican Americans. Today, while the majority of Mexican
Americans live in urban areas. significant numbers comprise the
three agricultuval migrant streams that flow from the south to the
north across the country, often twice annually, Historically,
Mexican Americans have been both an urban and rural popula-
tion, Since the 1600s. Mexicans were the first Americans to
establish homesteads in the territories that became Arizona,
California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Since before the

Latinos are homologous with
the totality of the United
States. That is, Latinos can be
of any race. What distinguishes
them from all other Americans
is culture, not race.”

Jorge Klor de Alva. 1996%

tr
~~

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'S U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. 1995.
" Hispanic Link Weekly Repart, July 8. 1996.

" Stephen Sorensen, Dominic J. Brewer, Stephen J. Carroll, and Eugene
Bryton, dnereasing Hispanic Participation in Higher Education: A Desirable
Public Investment. RAND Institute on Education and Trai

Currie. Janet and Thomas, Dunean. Does Head Start Make a Difference?
RAND: Santa Monica. CA, 1995,

® National Center for Education Statistics. The Condition of Education, 1995,
p. 29,

** National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education, 1996,
p. 42.

| National Center for Education Statistics. The Condition of Education, 1998,
p. 32.

warning Point (VY89), A Report of the Task Force on Education of Young
Adolescents. Carneige Corporation, New York.

** National Center for Education Statistics. The Educational Progress of!
Hispanic Students, Findings from the Condition of Education 1995, p. 4.

* National Center for Education Statistics, Dropout Rites in the United States,
1993, p. 102.

* Wendy Scliw “School Dropouts: New Information about an old
Problem.” ERIC Clearinghouse on in Education. NY Summary of Dream
Deterred: High School Dropouts in the ULS.. by RJ. Coles.

* National Center for Education Statistics. Dropout Rates is the U.S. 1993, p.

22.

* National Center for Education Statistics, Dropout Rates is the U
eae

. 1993. p.

* National Center for Education Statistics, Condition of Education, 1996, p. 98,

National Center for Education Statistics. The Educational Progress of
Hispanic Students. Findings from the Conditior of Education, 1995, p, 12.

“ National Center for Education Statistics. NELS: 88. First Follow-up Student
Study.

“ Programs for Higher Education Institu
Students. p. 30.

ns for Disadsantaged Pre-college
© National Center for Education Statistics. The Condition of Kdacation, 1996,
p. 203.

“CASPAR Database, 1994,

“Digest of Education Statisties 1995, p, 280-289.

“ National Center for Educa .on Statistics, Findings from the Condition of
Education 1995, No. 4: The Educational Progress of Hispanic Students,
September 1995, + 69

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Departments of Health and Human Services and Energy have developed Hispanic outreach
programs; the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce and Transportaion have developed partner-
ship programs with Hispanic Serving Institutions and are launching internship programs for
Hispanic undergraduate and graduate students: and, the Department of the Treasury is developing
a data monitoring system for future inventories of Hispanic participation.

There also are some “success stories” and model programs that appear to slightly ameliorate the
deep-rooted legacies of inequity. Latinos are overcoming educational barriers through the work
of the U.S. Department of Education, and through community-based organizations. State, private
sector, and community involvement to improve education and to expand and complement Federal
education initiatives is occurring. However, the educational progress of Hispanic Americans still
remains unacceptably poor. compared to almost every other group. It is for that reason we set
forth a series of recommendations in this report to ignite a vigorous national commitment to a
specific course of action for Hispanic educational attainment.

We know that you regard education as the cornerstone of U.S. competitiveness in global markets.
The challenging transformation of the American demographic landscape, therefore, embeds the
educational attainment of Hispanic Americans deep within the very fabric of change. itself. Put in
simple terms, the bridge to the 21“ century for this country will not be built without equity in
education for Hispanic Americans — that is. without “leveling the playing field” for all who are a
part of the educational system.

Hispanic Americans have a central and indispensable role to play in shaping a prosperous future
for the United States. The extent to which Federal and state educational leadership. policy. and
resources are devoted to the empowerment of Hispanic Americans to enhance the knowledge and
skills necessary to meet the challenges of today und the future will directly influence the quality
of that contribution. By not utilizing all of the human capital available to it, the nation is not
benefiting from (is indeed, ignoring) the full intellectual, moral. and spiritual strengths of a major
segment of the American population. Conversely, by ensuring the successful and full participa-
tion of Hispanic Americans in education, the nation strengthens its destiny as a democracy that is
still predicated on the belief that all persons are, indeed. worthy and created equal.

The Commission is committed to supporting your goal of significantly improving educational
excellence for all Americans and to enhancing the future of our nation through inclusive educa-
tional policy and practice. We seek your continued support and leadership to accomplish the
recommendations identified in this report in order to overcome barriers and to build bridges of
opportunity for Hispanic Americans.

Sincerely,

Cus "1. UC

Ana Margarita “Cha” Guazmin

Chair

President's Advisory Commission on
Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans

9

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oard and many advisory boards of university based math and
sience K-12 intervention programs. He was recently inducted
to the Santa Clara County (Silicon Valley) Business Hall of
ame by Junior Achievement of Santa Clara County.

arlene Chavira Chavez of Arizona

Is. Chavez currently teaches at Wakefield Middle School.
laying one of most important roles in our educational system.
he has been with the Tucson Unified School District for twenty
zars. Her work has focused on bilingual education working

ith Mexican and American Indian students. She serves as

hair of the National Education Association Hispanic Caucus,
id as a member of the NEA Board of Directors. She is a

entor teacher, contributing greatly to the formation and educa-
on of today’s youth.

avid Cortiella of Massachusetts

Ir. Cortiella is presently the Administrator of the Boston
ousing Authority. He has a long career with the City of Bos-
n. Mr. Cortiella has served in the Office of Affirmative Action
‘ograms and the Mayor's Policy office. He stays active in the
»mmunity by serving on the subcommittee of Latino Health
linic, the Mayor's Youth Leadership Corp., and the Metropoli-
n Boston Housing Partnership; and is a trustee of both the
epartment of Health and Hospitals and the Boston Local
evelopment Corporation.

liriam Cruz of the District of Columbia

\s. Cruz is the President of Equity Research Corporation, a non-
ofit educational consulting firm that specializes in representing
inority institutions of higher education. She has designed and
Iministered various programs to increase the educational
tainment of Hispanic Americans. Prior to founding her own
poration, Ms, Cruz served as Deputy Assistant to former
‘esident Carter on Hispanic Affairs, and Assistant of Hispanic
ffairs to the former Mayor of Chicago. Richard J. Daley.

»sé Gonzalez of Puerto Rico

t, Gonzalez is currently the President of the Inter American
niversity of Puerto Rico, Throughout his thirty-five year carcer
‘has held research, teaching, and administrative posts at the
terto Rico public school system, the University of Puerto Rico.

in?

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Multicultural ‘Training for School Personnel. Hispanic
students need instructors who can challenge them academically
and set high expectations. However. only 80 percent of Limited
English Proficient (LEP) teachers of LEP students are trained to
do so.** While more than 15 percent of all teachers in the U.S.
have one or more LEP students in their classroom, only 10
percent are certified in bilingual education or teaching English as
a second language.” Furthermore, as a consequence of not
understanding their students’ native language, culture, and socio-
economic realities, many teachers have low expectations for their
Hispanic students. which contributes. as does the lack of His-
panic staff, to attrition.

Teacher insensitivity to cultural and linguistic diversity often
influences a student to become alienated from the school system.
“Students of color” have been quoted as saying that their teach-
ers, school staff, and even other students neither understood nor
liked them, and many teachers similarly reported that they do not
always “understand” students from different ethnic backgrounds.
Not surprisingly, minority students perceive their schools to be
racist and prejudiced.

According to Dr. Juan Juarez, Associate Vice President for
Research and Planning. New Mexico Highlands University. the
number of prospective Hispanic and bilingual education teachers
is decreasing. even as the population of school-age children
grows. At the Phoenix hearings. he testified that ”...the low
number of Hispai n teacher education programs is due in part
to the failure of both university and Federal teacher preparation
initiatives to actively recruit Hispanics.

This is not to imply that an educator must be Hispanic American
or must be Spanish-speaking in order to be a good and effective
instructor of Hispanic students. All teachers, but especially
teachers and staff who work in schools with concentrations of
Hispanic students. need to be trained in effective ways to work
with Latinos and other students. Until adequate numbers of
bilingual teachers can be recruited, the problem may be ad-
dressed through the use of Spanish-speaking teacher aides or
assistants recruited from the community, who should be trained
and encouraged to become fully licensed teachers.

45

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still far from met. Services for Latino students with disabilities
require effective linkages between regular education and special
education programs, including bilingual education and English-
as-a-Second-Language programs.

Many Hispanic American educators have learned through their
own experience that large numbers of Latino children, LEP and
non-LEP, are being classified as “seriously emotionally dis-
turbed” (SED) or “specific learning disabled” (SLD), and
referred to special education programs. Between the years of
1976 and 1994, Hispanics with learning disabilities increased
from 24 percent to 51 percent among all students with learning
disabilities.°°

Even for students who are discovered to be erroneously tracked
into Special Education programs. there is a lack of exit criteria to
draw them back into regular classes. Some education models,
that provide studenis wiih team support from multiple disciplines
are currently being implemented toward that end. These teams
strive to place students in a successful environment whereby the
team can strive to distinguish the educationally deprived children
from children who are disabled.

Testing and Assessment. Many Latino students never reach
their full potential due to inappropriate and inaccurate uses of
testing and assessment. Data show that when compared to non-
Hispanic students, Hispanic students are:

(less likely than white or black students to be enrolled in
college preparatory programs,

(__ less likely than students from other racial or ethnic groups to
be enrolled in college preparatory math, even when they
score in the top quartile of a standardized math test.”

(Jess likely than white or black students to be enrolled in
gifted and talented programs,

(more likely to be placed in remedial-general education
tracks,

{more likely than white students to be enrolled in vocational
programs, and

48

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