Latino Education in Georgia:
Challenges and Possibilities
Paul Matthews, Bernadette Musetti,
Elida Perez-Knapp
September 23, 2004
• The Center for Latino
Achievement & Success in
Education: Who we are
and what we do
• Professional Development
– Summer Institute; Action
Plans
– Fall and Spring Follow-Up
Conferences
– Team-based model:
11 in 2003-04; 13 in 2004-05
– Top-Quality Consultants and
Experts as Resources
– Counselor, Liaison, Other
Conferences
– ESOL Endorsements
• Resources and Support
– Website and List-Serves
– Publications (e.g., GA
ASCD Reporter)
– Community Resource
Guides
– Mexico, Costa Rica
Experiences
– Faculty and Graduate
Student Outreach
• Oasis tutoring project
• Mother/Daughter program
• Guest
speaking/Professional
Development
Georgia Demographics:
Responding to a Need
-Statewide, Georgia’s overall
population is about 8%
Hispanic – est. 660,000.
-Many counties and
communities are already
over 25% Hispanic
-Poultry, construction, carpet, agriculture, …
-By 2008, at least 12 counties are expected to be
>25% Hispanic – some as much as 75%!
(UGA Selig Center) And by 2050 the largest group…
http://factfinder.census.gov/leg2/98/33492998.gif
2000 Census results, Hispanic/Latino by County
Latino Students in Georgia
• As of 3/4/2004, the GA DOE counted 106,126
“Hispanic” students grade Pre-K through 12 in
Georgia schools.
• Predominantly at lower grades– fewer than
20,000 in grades 9-12.
• 774,157 total student count statewide– so about
13.7% of GA students are Hispanic.
• 2/3 of all Latino students are in just 12 counties
– Gwinnett has 19.9% of all Latino students
– Cobb Co., 10.0%; DeKalb Co., 6.5%; Fulton Co.
5.9%; Hall Co., 5.7%
– But smaller counties may be highly impacted too!
More Demographics
• According to the GA DOE,
as of Spring 2001, almost
61% of Hispanics (42,551
out of a total of 69,953)
were classified as Limited
English Proficient (LEP).
• Hispanic students in Georgia on average do not
test or graduate at the same level as other groups,
at least in part due to language issues.
• Georgia had lowest high school graduation rate
of all 50 states (Manhattan Policy Institute)
On the 2004 CRCT tests:
Does not meet
White
5
Hispanic
19
LEP
32
All students
10
Meets
37
54
57
46
http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/_documents/curriculum/testing/testing_crct_results_2004_details.pdf
Exceeds
58
26
11
44
2004 Pass Rates by Student Groups,
Georgia High School Graduation Test
English/Lang. Arts
White
96
Hispanic 78
LEP
54
All Students 91
Math
91
82
71
89
Social Studies
81
60
38
76
Science
63
36
16
59
From http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/doe/media/04/051304.asp
Issues in Higher Education
• Dropout rate and “young” population of
Latinos means limited college enrollment
• Barriers include finance, climate, and
unfamiliarity with system and requirements
• Undocumented students must pay out-ofstate tuition and not eligible for HOPE
• Some colleges/universities use tuition
waivers for high-ability Latino students
• UGA student body about 1% Latino
Common Barriers in Education
• Communication/Language
• Limited/Interrupted Formal
Schooling
• Socioeconomic Issues
• Immigration Status
• Cultural Differences and
Differing Norms for
Education
• School personnel not
always prepared for
working with Latinos or
English learners
But… Latino families and parents DO consistently
indicate that they value education highly!
What Do We Know?
• Latino students are here
to stay– They are the
FUTURE of Georgia!
• Bilingual Education IS
legal in Georgia and can
be extremely effective
(though logistical barriers
in GA exist)
• Need to produce
bilingual, biliterate, and
bicultural graduates, not
just English-proficient
ones
What Do We Know?
• Teacher expectations are a very strong
factor in student achievement
• Access to the Core Curriculum for all
students (including ELLs) is a fundamental
issue (and a civil rights one!)
• Family engagement is important in
education– but schools can be successful
even without traditional parent involvement
What Do We Know?
• Some barriers, such as tuition for
undocumented students, will have to be
dealt with by policy-makers.
• Other issues, such as school climate,
educational programs, etc. can be handled
by teachers and administrators.
– A common reason Latino students give for
dropping out is that they don’t feel welcome.
– Schools and teachers CAN make a difference!
What Are Schools Doing?
• Parent and Family Involvement
– Home visits by faculty
– PTA meetings with
interpretation; in apartment
complexes
– PACT and family literacy
programs
– More communication in home
languages
– Offering resources to parents
(e.g., ESOL with child care;
transportation vouchers for
conferences, etc.)
– College information sessions
(e.g., HSF)
– Family journaling
What Are Schools Doing?
• Programs for Student
Achievement
– “Preview/Review” models
– Bilingual support
– Newcomer Centers, Programs
for LFS, “Academies” for
intensive English
– Sheltered Instruction
– Inclusion rather than pull-out
for ESOL
– Clubs, activities,
extracurricular involvement
– After-school programs
(biliteracy, tutoring, sports,
Scouts)
– Literacy campaigns (reading
and writing)
– Pre-K programs
What Are Schools Doing?
• Educator Professional
Development
–
–
–
–
Spanish for Teachers
Home Visits
CLASE training
ESOL endorsement for
regular teachers
– Resource sharing by ESOL
teachers
– International experiences
– “All teachers must be
teachers of English”
What Are Schools Doing?
• School Climate
– Awareness and promotion
of multilingualism and
multiculturalism (e.g.,
events, clubs)
– Orientation videos
– Parent/community
volunteer programs
– Forms and signs in
Spanish
– More interpretation and
translation available; more
bilingual staff and parent
liaisons
– Announcements in Spanish
Some Good News!
• In Georgia we have opportunity to learn
from other states and to move more
quickly to achieve success
• CLASE programs making a difference
• Proactive leadership (Gwinnett Co., state
Dept. of Education, Governor’s
Commission)
• Education of Latinos is an investment in
the economic and social future of Georgia
What Resources Exist?
• CLASE
www.coe.uga.edu/clase
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund
www.hsf.net
• Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
(MALDEF)
www.maldef.org
• Latin American Association in Atlanta
• At UGA and Locally:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Oasis Catolico
Garnett Ridge Boys & Girls Club
Catholic Social Services
Fanning Latino Youth Leadership Program
Steps to College
CLACS (Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies)
Latino Advisory Board
Hispanic Student Association
TELL (Teachers for English Language Learners)
Bilingual Media (e.g., Eco Latino, 90.5 FM, cable tv)
What Can You Do?
• Learn more about the local Latino community
through volunteering and attending activities
• Advocate for Latino, immigrant, and migrant
students and families
• Take ESOL endorsement and implement
effective teaching strategies
• Promote and recognize value of multiculturalism
in all activities
• Become a teacher– and a good one!
• Forthcoming: course in Latino education (ELAN
5710/7710)
Adelante!
Questions?
• Elida Perez-Knapp, Community Liaison
Specialist, eperezkn@coe.uga.edu
• Dr. Bernadette Musetti, Co-Director,
bmusetti@coe.uga.edu
• Dr. Paul Matthews, Co-Director,
pmatthew@uga.edu
• Website: www.coe.uga.edu/clase