It Will Benefit All of Us

It is to the benefit of all of us to address this challenge and opportunity to better serve our Hispanic learners. The Hispanic populaton is the fastest growing minority population in the U.S. due more to a high fertility rate than to immigration. It is also the youngest population. Therefore, the dismal academic statistics surrounding our Hispanic learners will not only have an impact on their own personal lives but to all U.S. citizens as the Hispanic population becomes a huge part of our future.

The staggering statistic that only about 1/2 of our Hispanic learners are graduating from high school and only a small percentage are going to college let alone graduating from college is of deep concern. Yet, the statistics don't look very promising way before high school when Hispanics score much lower on assessments than their Anglo peers in elementary school.

While we discuss in future postings specific things we can do it is important to keep a few things in mind. First, Hispanic learners do not come to us as "empty slates." We need to look for their assets rather than focus on deficits which too many assessments tend to do. Second, research results from one context usually don't transfer over to another. In other words, what works for Anglo native English speakers won't necessarily be the answer for Hispanic learners. Third, it is important to remember that Hispanic learners are as different from each other as any other group of students. Each student has his/her own personal culture. Yet, the more we learn about the Hispanic culture in general while learning about students' individual cultures could give us clues on how to better serve our Hispanic learners.