A foundation of early learning work is that kids can fall behind early and a new study suggests an achievement gap between Hispanic and white students shows up by third grade, though the two groups learn at roughly the same pace after that grade.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to make the connection to early learning. If an achievement gap is evident that early it means getting Hispanic students into top-quality preschool and pre-k classrooms could help close that divide.
While the report out of Oregon indicates a gap exists, it also suggests it is somewhat stable. In third grade, there was a 24-percent math gap, with 60 percent of Hispanic students meeting or exceeding state standards and 84 percent of white students hitting those benchmarks, according to the report, “The Hispanic-White Achievement Gap in Oregon.” By 10th grade, the gap remained nearly the same, 28 percent, with 30 percent of white students at or above benchmarks, compared to 88 percent of white students.
“This means that Hispanic students start out behind, but learn at about the same pace as white students,” the report, funded by the Portland, Ore.-based Chalkboard Project, said.
Achievement gaps are some of the biggest challenges in education today, though there has been progress, such as the rise in preschool enrollment among Latino families in California. The report by Oregon-based EcoNorthwest offers factors behind the Hispanic divide.
“Although Hispanic students and black students each face unique challenges, findings show that both minority groups are more likely than white students to change schools and be taught by inexperienced teachers. These characteristics can be potential barriers to success for any student.”
The good news is that English as a second language programs, or ESL, help.
“On average, Hispanic students who remained in ESL between 3rd and 6th grades gained about three points in reading relative to non-ESL whites. However, these students still remain about 12 points behind non-ESL whites by the end of 6th grade.”
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(Thanks to the National Institute for Early Education Research for highlighting this report.)