| President’s
Advisory Commission Reports on Education for Hispanic Americans
The President’s Advisory
Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans released
its final report recently. The commission, formed by President
Bush in October 2001, heard from more than 1,600 parents, teachers
and experts during an 18 month period, before developing an action
plan to close the educational achievement gap for Hispanic Americans.
The report, “From Risk to Opportunity: Fulfilling the Educational
Needs of Hispanic Americans in the 21st Century,” describes the
plight of the nation’s largest minority group.
One of every three Hispanic
American students fails to complete high school and only 10 percent
of Hispanic Americans graduate from four-year colleges and universities.
This not only threatens to leave behind yet another generation
of Hispanic children, but also could limit mobility in the labor
force, potentially jeopardizing our country’s ability to compete
economically.
The commission recommends six
strategies to address the present dilemma: set new and high expectations
for Hispanic American children, support No Child Left Behind,
reinforce and expand a high-quality teaching profession, launch
a research agenda to support Hispanic American children, create
pathways to college graduation, create increased federal accountability
and coordination.
“Closing the educational
achievement gap of Hispanic American children is everyone’s business,”
said U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige. “The president and
I believe every child can learn and with the reforms of No Child
Left Behind, every child will learn. We’re not letting any more
Hispanic children slip through the cracks. It’s a disgrace and
it is going to stop.” #
Education
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