cultural diversity

Running Head : Academic Achievement Gap

Academic Achievement Gap in California

between Caucasian and Latin Cultural Groups

Introduction

The academic achievement of students in the state of California is determined through the use of standardized tests that are administered to the students . Recently , the gap of academic achievement between Caucasian students and students coming from different culture groups have been widening in the state . This will give a brief summary of the issue of academic achievement gap centering between students coming from two cultural groups : Caucasians and Hispanics . It will

provide the causes of this gap and supportive facts in reference to these causes . Finally , it will provide recommendations on how to minimize , if not prevent , academic achievement gaps between these two cultural groups

The Academic Achievement Gap Issue in California

California has more than six million students enrolled in public schools and 600 ,000 students enrolled in private high schools , with Hispanics making up the largest student population . However , there is a considerable academic achievement gap between Caucasians and Hispanics The Education Commission of the States has noted that the achievement of the average Hispanic high school student is below than that of an average Caucasian high school student . The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP ) has stated that Hispanics are among the student scoring the lowest levels in California 's own standards tests An analysis of the scores received by students in the SAT exam shows Hispanic students scoring an average of 67 points lower than Caucasians in the verbal section of the SAT exam , and 66 points lower than Caucasians in the math section (EdSource Online , 2007 , Lavin-Loucks 2006 . In a study done involving 1 ,500 students comprising Hispanics and Caucasians by Rumberger Anguiano (2004 , Hispanic students scored considerably lower than their Caucasian counterparts . The Academic Performance Index (API ) performed in the schools in California by the Department of Education of California further supports the academic achievement gap between Hispanics and Caucasians with a 145 point gap between the grades of Hispanics and Caucasian students in all grade levels (O 'Connell , 2007 . The information could explain why only less than half of Hispanics who enter high school graduate with only 16 of them considered to be prepared for college . Only 10 of students who enroll in college nationwide are Hispanics . In the end , only 12 .1 Hispanics are able to complete a baccalaureate degree as compared to Caucasians of whom 30 .6 have at least a baccalaureate degree (Lavin-Loucks , 2006

Factors Contributing to the Academic Achievement Gap

In to develop strategies to minimize , if not prevent , academic achievement gaps between Hispanics and Caucasians in California , the factors contributing to this issue must first be determined

The main factor that contributes the academic achievement gap issue in California is poverty . More than 1 out of five children in California live in poverty . Child poverty is experienced by Hispanic families more often than Caucasians families . Although poverty itself does not directly cause the academic achievement gap between the two cultural groups , it sets the conditions for this to occur (EdSource Online 2007 . Because of the socio-economic status of Hispanic families children from these families are either not enrolled in center-based preschool programs that Caucasian families enroll their children in , or enrolled in preschool programs that are of a lower standard than center-based preschool programs (Lavin-Loucks , 2006 . Children who attended center-based preschool programs have been noted to have a considerable advantage since they are able to acquire positive learning behaviors such as attentiveness , eagerness and independence . They are also able to perform better in task completion and are able to interact with children in a cooperative manner . Children who are enrolled in preschool programs with a lower quality than that of center-based preschool programs may not be able to fully benefit from the training that would greatly help them later on in their scholastic life (Lavin-Loucks , 2006 , Rumberger Anguiano , 2004

Strategies to Close the Academic Achievement Gap

The best strategy to close the academic achievement gap between Hispanics and Caucasians is for Hispanic families to have equal opportunities to enroll their children in center-based preschool programs in to make Hispanic children more prepared for the challenges of formal education , and by amending the curriculum of non center-based preschool programs to pattern the curriculum in center-based preschool programs . Also , effort must be made to ensure that non center-based preschool programs are facilitated with qualified teachers in to guarantee that the children enrolled in these programs will be able to benefit in them

Families should also support and encourage their children to have a positive outlook towards education . This could be achieved by creating community-based programs for families to promote awareness on how support and encouragement from home could greatly influence how their children view their academic life . According to the few Hispanic youths who are excelling in school , the encouragement from their parents and how their parents show them how educational achievement can help uplift their families from poverty had a positive effect to them and a reason for them excelling in school (Lavin-Loucks , 2006

Conclusion

While there are a number of policies and steps taken at different educational levels by the Californian government to close the gap in academic achievement between Hispanics and Caucasians , greater effort must be made in the preschool programs since it is in these programs that the behavior and traits needed by a student to excel academically are formed . In the end , the eradication of this issue is a huge challenge that it would need the collaborative efforts from the different sectors involved for this to be solved

References

Lavin-Loucks , D (2006 . The Academic Achievement Gap . Retrieved on January 18 , 2008

from http /www .thewilliamsinstitute .org /Portals /10 /Education

Academic 20Achievement 20Gap .pdf

O 'Connell , J (2007 . State superintendent of public instruction 's P-16 council closing the

achievement gap . Retrieved on January 18 , 2008 , from http /www .cde .ca .gov /eo /in

pc /documents /yr073yrplan .pdf

Reid , K . S (2003 , March 12 . Meager effort said to fuel racial gap Education Week , 22 (26

1 , 18 . Retrieved on January 18 , 2008 , from http /www .edweek .org /ew /articles /2003

03 /12 /26ogbu .h22 .html ?print 1

Rumberger , R . W Anguiano , B . A (2004 . Understanding and addressing the California

latino achievement gap in early elementary school . Retrieved on January 18 , 2008

from http /lmri .ucsb .edu /publications /04_rumberger-arellano .pdf

Williams , J (2007 . California school leaders debate racial academic achievement gap

Retrieved on January 18 , 2008 , from http /www .signonsandiego .com /news /state /9-ca-achievementgap .html PAGE

PAGE 5

Academic Achievement Gap ...