Achievement gaps in 8th grade Hispanic female students' test performance

Student Group

8th Grade Hispanic Girls

Percent of Total Student Population

School Average

State Average

State Test Performance: Reading

State Test Performance: Math

State Test Performance Writing

Attendance Rate

Dropout Rate

I have chosen 8th grade female Hispanic students as the diverse entity of which to focus this particular research upon. The aforementioned graph represented by the blue line the focus group and the black line or "series 3" is the state averages. The four categories are the three state tests and the attendance record which will be used to guide the data collection efforts and research focus. In this analysis the chosen population has scored considerably lower on all standardized state issued competency examinations. The chosen population does have a better attendance record despite the poorer test scores.

Achievement gaps exist throughout the entire education system for the chosen research group consisting of female Hispanics. It appears this deficiency is not due to effort as it is balanced out by the excellent attendance records that is demonstrated by this group of young girls. Overall a holistic re-examination of the current approaches and standards will need to be applied in Module 3 to grasp the totality of the situation.

Part 2

Hispanics in the last 100 years have played a large role in the development and evolution of the American people. In more recent decades, massive amounts of Hispanics throughout South America and Mexico have flooded many populations throughout America. As a result the problems of assimilation have taken hold on everyone involved and this can be seen most readily in the education systems.

Communication and language are at the root of every problem and every solution to problems. Hispanic students that are lagging behind are not necessarily less capable, but are learning many cultural and social behaviors at the same time which challenge the literacy rates of this group and may explain their lack of competence on standardized tests. Tresaugue (2005) suggested that "Forty-four percent of Hispanics, ages 16 and older, do not have basic English skills, meaning they might be unable to use a television guide to find out what programs are on at a specific time or to compare ticket prices for two events. That is a substantial increase from 36% a decade ago, the last time the federal government released such a comprehensive literacy study."

It is important for educators to understand the challenges that await those young Hispanic children who are exposed to many new communicative ideas that require a different approach or many different approaches. Ramirez (2012) echoed the importance of literacy skills amongst this demographic as a key to increase competency and better achievement. She wrote " The volume of Hispanic children heading into their school years and the impact of a slow start on a generation's educational and socioeconomic path are causes for concern. As an example, poverty alone creates problems for educational administrators serving Latino communities. The poverty rate for Latinos stands at 34.1%, compared with the national average of 22%, federal figures show. How well public school systems respond to the Latino population surge will determine the nation's economic prosperity and competitiveness in the global economy."