August 21, 2008
UW to study Hispanic achievement gap
Frances E. Contreras of the UW College of Education will head an analysis of the Hispanic student achievement gap commissioned by the Washington state Legislature.
Contreras, an assistant professor of educational leadership and policy studies who researches issues of equity and access for under-represented students, will serve as principal investigator of the project. Tom Stritikus, associate professor of curriculum and instruction and associate dean of the college, will serve as co-investigator.
The study is funded by a grant of $150,000 from the legislature. Contreras and colleagues will study the achievement gap for Hispanic students and write recommendations on how it might be closed. Contreras was scheduled to announce and discuss the project in a press conference held by the state Commission on Hispanic Affairs Friday afternoon at Everett Community College.
Press notes from the commission say the study “seeks to understand the opportunities that Latino students and their counterparts have to learn and succeed in school by studying the context for learning, achievement levels, and parent and student perceptions, in high schools and middle schools in high concentration Latino schools and regions.” Contreras will lead a team of bilingual/bicultural Latino graduate students to conduct the student and parent surveys throughout select districts in the state of Washington.
“This study is an attempt to move away from placing the burden of achievement on Latino students, and better understand how we may better serve bilingual/bicultural Latino students in this state,” Contreras said. “To this end, we will seek the input of the key stakeholders in the education system directly — students, parents and teachers. Their voices are rarely heard in the policy arena.”
Uriel Iñiguez, director of the Commission on Hispanic Affairs, added, “Education is the great equalizer, but too many Latinos are dropping out of school at a rate of about 50 percent. We hope this research will be the catalyst for the development of effective educational programs that will start to reduce the drop out rate among Latino students.”
