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Understanding patterns in achievement, the experiences of Latino students and their parents in school, and the role of teachers, are all critical elements to raising student outcomes among Latinos in Washington. In February 2008, the Washington state legislature called for an analysis of achievement among the different racial and ethnic groups in the state through House Bill 2687. We have been charged by the Commission of Hispanic Affairs to lead this investigation, and are in the process of conducting a comprehensive study on the state of equity with respect to educational service delivery for Latino students and the role that various factors play in educational achievement. 

Guiding Research Questions

1) Do Latino students possess the same opportunities to learn as their peers in urban and rural contexts?
2) What are the perceptions of parents and students with respect to their experience in school and with school staff? 
3) What are the perceptions of teachers of Latino students and of their own professional development efforts to better serve this bicultural/bilingual population?
4) What are the issues and experiences facing English Learners in Washington public schools?

Key Stakeholders: Parents, Students & Teachers

Parents and students from select school districts will be surveyed to understand their perceptions of school, college aspirations, course taking patterns, and interactions with teachers and the school. Focus groups will be conducted in each of the high school and middle schools selected for survey collection and parents will participate in group interviews at select welcome back nights. Teachers in the schools that we visit will also be surveyed, and those teachers of the math classes we visit will participate in an individual interview. Together these data collection efforts enable us to hear from key stakeholders in the education system—voices often left out of the policy making process.  The survey data represents the quantitative component of this study, while the group interviews and individual teacher interviews will complement the survey data collection.

The research team is assessing the background characteristics, of students and their families (ELL status, gender differences, parent education, and income) and the role that these background variables have on achievement, college-going practices, knowledge, and their perceptions of themselves as well as their school in their analysis of survey and group interview data. Are Latino students already disengaged with school by the time they get to middle school or high school? How might this influence achievement?  Understanding how students view their educational experiences and navigate the education system provides an important lens for policy makers as they attempt to mitigate the achievement gap.

Who are the researchers conducting this study?

Our team consists of two UW Professors (Contreras and Stritikus) graduate and undergraduate student researchers, including:  Karen O'Reilly-Diaz, Monica Esqueda, Kathryn Torres, Irene Sanchez, Luis Ortega, Arthur Sepulveda, and Angelica Sauceda. The Director for Education Policy and Research of LEAP, Barbara Guzman also part of this effort. All of the research team members have extensive experience with community organizations and in research which undoubtedly adds to the strength of this research project. We are working to meet the needs of the Commission in analyzing the achievement gap, opportunities to learn, and student and parent perceptions. And in this process, we are cultivating the development of future Latino faculty for the state.

Why does Washington State represent an important yet untold story?

Washington has the unique opportunity of learning from other states’ “missteps” and successes in serving bilingual and bicultural Latino students. It is also at the front end of the forthcoming Latino population boom.  One in five Latinos are enrolled in kindergarten today in the state—so at a minimum, one in five entering the workforce in the next 20 years in Washington will have a Latino face.

Low Achievement Levels & High Dropout Rates

Very little progress toward reducing the achievement gap for Latino students has been made. Latino students consistently score lower than their White and Asian American peers on the WASL for example, and only 12.8% of English Learner students passed the 10th grade WASL in math due to a lack of resources and academic support in Washington schools. Very little attention has been placed on the Latino population, nor conveyed the differential achievement levels as well as resources in the public school system in this state. It is no wonder then, why very few Latino students are represented in systems of higher education.  
According to EdWeek’s Diplomas Count, only 56.9 percent of Latino students in Washington in the 2005 cohort graduated from high school.  And of the Latino students that do graduate, very few will graduate college-ready—less than a 25 percent.  This research project is designed to explore and present an overview of Latino student achievement as well as the opportunities for intervention, and will utilize the results of our research to inform the policy community on approaches for raising Latino student achievement.

Relevance to the greater WA Community & Implications for the future of the state

As this population continues to grow both in Washington State and in the U.S., it is increasingly important to understand how parents and students view their school context as they attempt to navigate the education system. The solution to college access and persistence lies in the foundation for high academic achievement that is based upon a culture of high expectations and the resources to achieve such goals. This study is an effort to understand the culture of achievement that exists for Latinos in Washington.