Part 3 of the series assesses the severity of the dropout problem and discusses the factors leading to the high dropout rates. Nationally, Hispanics drop out of schools 2.5 times as often as blacks and 3.5 times as often as whites. The Hispanic population, which already comprises 40 percent of the state's public school population, is expected to more than double over the next 30 years. Dr. Rober Hauser, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, uses census data to promote his view that the reason the Hispanic dropout rate is high is that Hispanic children are more likely to live in high-risk situations than are white or black children. The paper describes the efforts of one district, the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, where Hispanic enrollment has jumped 76 percent since 1994.
Nothing is new or radical.
The district offers English classes to Hispanic parents, hires Spanish-speaking liaisons and follows up with Hispanic students who are at risk for dropping out. In Dallas, many GED programs target Hispanic students. The national Aspira Association promotes its program called Apex that is built around holding workshops in churches, community centers and homes of Hispanic families around the country. The National Education Goals Panel is a unique bipartisan body of state and federal officials created in 1990 by President Bush and the nation's Governors to report state and national progress and urge education improvement efforts to reach the National Education Goals. Recommend actions for state, federal, and local governments to take.