OC Register, "Hispanic achievement gap persists despite interventions"

A U.S. Department of Education Report shows Hispanic students’ academic performance nationally lags behind that of their white counterparts by the same wide margin—roughly two grade levels—as it did two decades ago. Experts say Hispanic parents must learn about early childhood development and take a more active role in their children’s schooling. The gap at the 4th- and 8th-grade levels is even higher in California. - HTN Foundation

By SCOTT MARTINDALE

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Roxana Rodriguez speaks at a reception last month for the Latino Educational Attainment Initiative at the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana. Rodriguez shared how through the help of the program, she was the first one ever in her family to graduate from college. Rodriguez is a success story, but experts say immense challenges remain to close the achievement gap between Hispanic and white students. FILE PHOTO: LEONARD ORTIZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERMore Hispanic parents must be educated about early childhood development and the important role they play in their children's schooling, experts say, in the wake of an alarming new study that indicates Hispanic students are underperforming their white counterparts by the same wide margins as they were two decades ago.

The U.S. Department of Education report, released June 23, shows the achievement gap between white and Hispanic students has not closed at all since the early 1990s, with the overall difference between the groups remaining above 20 points, or roughly two grade levels, on a scale of 0 to 500.

“With everything that the state of California is trying to do, it's frustrating that the achievement gap really hasn't moved,” said Alicia Berhow, administrator for the Latino Educational Attainment Initiative, an outreach project of the Orange County Business Council.