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HOW SHOULD UTAH FILL IN THE EDUCATIONAL GAP?

Sherri Bohne
History 2800
Ken Hansen
April 25, 2014






1

Known as the state that does more with less, how is Utah measuring up against other states
when it comes to the proverbial educational gap? Our high school graduation rates ranked
behind 31 states with Hispanic students reporting the 4
th
worst graduation rate in the country.
According to Utah Goal 2025
1
, that aspires to having 60% of our population obtaining a college
degree by 2025, we have a long, long way to go.
While the High School graduation rate for Hispanics, Utahs largest minority group rose
slightly, there are alarming differences between Whites and Latinos who graduate. Both Blacks
and Native Americans also lag behind.
The Lumina Foundation tracks degree attainment rates among Utah adults ages 25-64, by
population group. In 2013 the foundation noted that 43.64% of Whites had degrees whereas
only 15.63% of Hispanics received degrees.
2
Experts from the Center on Education and the
Workforce at Georgetown University say that by 2018, 308,000 of the 477,000 job vacancies in
Utah will require postsecondary credentials.
3
Clearly our states economic future depends on
producing more college graduates. To increase attainment, Utah must work systematically to
close the achievement gap based on race, culture and income.
So what is Utah doing to close up and fill in the educational gap? Just this last legislative
session the House passed HB 96 called Utah School Readiness Initiative, designed to provide
grants to early childhood education programs for at risk children with private funds.
When little Devony Rodriguez started early preschool at Granite School Districts program

1
A Stronger Utah Through Higher Education Lumina Foundation for Education, www.luminafoundation.org
June 2013, 2.
2
Ibid., 3.
3
Ibid., 2.
2

when she was 3, she was extremely shy and didnt speak any English. Over the past two years,
she has learned English, is a ravenous reader, and has become a social butterfly.
Child advocates say that Rodriguezs experiences are typical. Granite operates 11 of the
districts most at-risk schools and they say the program has given preschoolers the jump start
they need to be caught up with their peers by the third grade. They look exactly like their age-
mate peers who were speaking English all their lives, said Brenda Van Gorder, Granite
Districts Director of Preschool Services.
4
A closer look at these programs could provide the
answers to what will be needed in Utah as our population becomes more diverse. In the
beginning the students are taught sign language to establish a common way to communicate,
then over time all learn English using curriculum and teaching strategies designed to build the
childrens vocabularies. High vocabulary is the best indicator of children who will become good
readers and overall successful students.
Bottom line, the educational achievement gap is an academic language gap! In most
schools, the lowest performing subgroups continue to be English Language Learners or ELL
students, students in special education and students in poverty. The common denominator
amongst all these groups is the lack of proficiency in academic language.
ELLs lack of academic language is due to lack of exposure. Special Education students
exhibit academic language difficulties that limit progress in the classroom environment.
Students that live in poverty lack the background knowledge and vocabulary associated with
enriched environments and struggle with comprehension and achievement in classes.

4
Marjorie Cortez, Some Solutions in Place to Close Education Gap, But is Utah Willing to Pay for Them? Deseret
News. June 26, 2012. 2.

3

Typically separate pull out classes and catch-up classes for these subgroups have little
effect. Students who need the most language exposure, get the least: Only two to four percent of
their day is spent practicing academic language.
5

How effectively teachers deliver content to students has the greatest impact on student
learning that is under the umbrella of a school and district. The single greatest determinant of
learning is not socioeconomic status, or culture, or funding levels, it is instruction.
6

How can we train our teachers to be more effective in the classroom? Quality professional
development and performance based pay. Quality professional development is observable,
measureable and coachable. Teachers will have a support system as they adopt and apply new
practices. Teachers will have motivation if they see that carrot at end of a stick when they have
long days and nights working diligently to help students achieve measureable gains. Bonuses
shouldnt go to teachers who have the longest tenure, but to teachers who love the teaching
profession and it shows both in their classroom and with individual students. Teachers that take
the time to learn each childs strengths and weaknesses and can build on those strengths, are the
ones that need to have rewards for their efforts.
In searching across the country for states where they are closing in and redefining that
educational gap, we look to Florida as a model. Florida has almost a quarter of their population
that can be labeled Hispanic. In 1999 Florida made drastic changes to their education system.
Governor Jeb Bush had just been elected, and he enacted far-reaching K-12 educational reform
that included public and private school choice, charter schools, virtual education, performance

5
Michael Herbert, Park City Gets it Right! Observations from a Professional Development Specialist. Bright Spots.
December 2010. 1.

6
Ibid., 2.
4

based pay for teachers, grading of schools and districts, annual testing, curbing social promotion
and alternative teacher certification. As a result of parental choice, higher standards,
accountability and flexibility, Floridas Hispanic students are now outperforming other students
in over 31 states.
7

In Florida, parents get to choose which public school would best fit their child, their
situation and circumstances. Parents with special needs children are able to access the McKay
Scholarship Program, which provides vouchers so parents can pick a private school that would
accommodate their childs needs. Corporations and businesses in Florida can receive a dollar for
dollar tax credit for contributions to organizations that fund private scholarships for low-income
students.
There are no holds barred on the limit of charter schools in the state. Florida has the third
largest number of charter schools in the nation with almost 600. From schools specializing in the
performing arts to those that focus on vocational and technical training, Floridas charter schools
cover the spectrum of educational needs.
8
Over 200,000 students attend Floridas charter
schools and 51% of those students are eligible for the free and reduced-price lunch programs.
Almost 40% of charter schools students in Florida are Hispanic. Charter schools performed
better than the state average in comparisons of student proficiency and student learning gains.
9

The State of Florida had three charter technical career centers with a total enrollment of
almost 6,000 students. These technical career centers provide comprehensive and innovative
technical education programs, services and customized training to meet the needs of its citizens.

7
Matthew Ladner and Lindsey M. Burke, Closing the Racial Achievement Gap: Learning from Floridas Reforms
Backgrounder, October 4, 2010. 1.
8
School Choice Options: Florida Continues to Lead the Nation Florida Department of Education, November 2013.
2.
9
Ibid., 3.
5

Charter technical career centers aim to develop a competitive workforce that supports local
business, industry, and economic development; and creates a training and education model that
reflects marketplace realities. The career center offers educational opportunities like school to
work, technical, academy and/or magnet school models to provide the path for lifelong learning,
career mobility and to enhance and build upon career and technical training.
Florida has the largest and most successful state virtual school in the United States.
Florida Virtual School, or FLVS offers full time or part time virtual instruction programs for
students K-12. They have over 120 different online courses including general education courses
as well as Advanced Placement and Honors Program options. Since its inception in 2011, it now
has almost 6,000 full time students.
10
This program is perfect for homeschooled students and is a
great resource for their parents.
Magnet schools and magnet programs offer specialized curriculum to students outside the
schools normal attendance boundaries. These programs may include a particular theme or focus
like math, science, technology, communications, international affairs, business or performing
arts. Over 550,000 students participated in over 500 magnet schools during the 2012-13 school
year.
11

Career and professional academies are small personalized learning communities within a
high school that select a subset of students and teachers for a two-four ears span. Students enter
a career and professional academy thought a voluntary process. They must apply and be
accepted. A career and professional academy includes a small learning community, and a
rigorous academic curriculum with a career them and the academies have partnerships with

10
Ibid. 6.
11
Ibid. 7.

6

employers, the community and higher education. These academies draw on the students interest
in learning about some feature of the world of work and integrate career-specific curriculum and
instruction into core academic curriculum. Areas like hospitality and tourism, health science and
science and technology, architecture and construction are a few of the varied careers offered at
the states 1,729 centers. The total number of students enrolled was over 200,000.
12

Florida was one of the first states in the country to offer free all day pre-kindergarten
regardless of family income. The school year program provides 540 hours of instruction with
class sizes no larger than 20 children. Their summer program provides an additional 300 hours
of instruction with classes that have no more than 12 students. About 80% of all Florida 4 year
olds attend the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Education Program. In 2012, 79% of those children
who completed the program were ready for kindergarten.
13

The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program was established in 2001 to encourage private,
voluntary contributions from corporate donors to non-profit scholarship funding organizations
that award scholarships to children from low-income families. This program recently expanded
to include credits against severance taxes on oil and gas production, self-accrued sales tax
liabilities of direct pay permit holders, and alcoholic beverage taxes on beer, wine and spirits.
For 2013, the total that the state could award in scholarships came to $229 million.
14

Approximately 35% of students who participated in the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program
were Hispanic.
Florida has curtailed the social promotion of students. The reform requires the students to
pass the third grade annual Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), before progressing

12
Ibid. 8.
13
Ibid. 10.
14
Ibid. 12.
7

to the fourth grade. Literacy research shows that many children who do not learn basic literacy
skills in the early grades never catch up later as it become increasingly difficult to acquire
literacy skills. Retained students appear to be able to catch up on the skills they are lacking.
Teachers in Florida can receive up to 10 percent of their base salary from performance
pay. In addition, Florida has implemented a school recognition program which provides bonuses
of up to $75 per student for improving a letter grade on the states report card system or for
maintaining an A. Teachers also get $50 for every student in their class that successfully passes
Advanced Placement courses.
15

One of the cornerstones of Floridas reforms was the A+ Accountability Plan, which
beginning in 1999 required all students to be tested annually using the Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test in grades three through 10 in both reading and math. The FCAT test along with
a more straightforward grading system means that students and schools are held accountable for
academic outcomes.
With all of these transformations to Floridas education system, Florida now has the 4
th

highest number of students taking Advanced Placement exams in the nation and they are 5
th
in
the nation in the percentage of AP test-takers who score at least a 3 while in high school.
16

Florida provides a real-life example of the potential of systematic educational reform to
improve academic achievement. Expanding parental school choice, ending social promotion,
increasing school accountability to parents and taxpayers and teacher performance pay has led to
students who are prepared for postsecondary success.

15
Matthew Ladner and Lindsey M. Burke, Closing the Racial Achievement Gap: Learning from Floridas Reforms,
Backgrounder, October 4, 2010. 10.
16
Ibid., 11.
8

Education reform advocates nationwide have worked the past few decades to eliminate
achievement gaps and put educational opportunity within the grasp of all children, but academic
achievement has languished. Federal and state policymakers should view Florida as an ideal
standard of what is possible if parent and student centered reform strategies are implemented.
Lets take a look at a state with a little closer geography to Utah. Arizona has a population
of Hispanics that range around 30% and statistics say that within the next 20 years that Arizona
could reach majority-minority status. According to Bob Robb, columnist at The Arizona
Republic, Education reform in Arizona has failed due to lack of focus and steadfastness.
Reforms have moved in all directions at once, and have been constantly changed or replaced.
Kids continue in alarmingly high numbers, to graduate from high school without high school
level skills. Latino students suffer disproportionately form this failure. Education reform should
focus on that specific task, getting virtually all high school graduates to have high school level
skills.
17

Merl Waschler, President and CEO of Valley of the Sun United Way says, To truly
prepare our Latino youth for success, we must focus on closing the readiness gap.. Studies
continue to show that by the end of the fifth grade, Latino students from low-income households
are nearly three grade levels behind their peers in literacy and continue to fall behind in other
educational areas. We must work together to ensure students start Kindergarten ready to learn,
graduate high school and complete post-secondary education and enter the 21
st
century

17
Bill Hart and C.J.Eisenbarth Hager, Dropped? Latino Education and Arizonas Economic Future, Morrison
Institute for Public Policy,, April 2012. 18.
9

workforce. It all starts with readiness adequately preparing our students and their families, and
committing community resources to break down the academic achievement barriers.
18

High school graduation rates fell to 43 out of 50 states last year, with a burgeoning
Hispanic population with below-average educational attainment levels will almost certainly leave
Arizona at a serious disadvantage in its economic competition with other states and nations.
Below average educational attainment within a rapidly growing population can lead to: Fewer
workers to fill complex positions, lower average incomes, reduced consumer purchasing power,
more poverty, greater demands on public services and benefits, lower tax revenue, and a reduced
ability to attract quality businesses to the state.
19

Strategies to implement in hopes of narrowing the achievement gap that have been
recommended from numerous reports include: Free State funded preschool for 3 and 4 year olds,
demanding greater accountability in higher education for Hispanic graduation rates. Challenge
postsecondary institutions to graduate 10% more Hispanic Americans each year than are
currently graduating over the next decade. Adding more alternative schools and more high-
quality charters, pilot schools and other nontraditional-model schools with distinctive approaches
to teaching and learning are on the radar along with supporting educational and supplemental
after-school programs with test preparation courses.
20

Other suggestions included targeting wraparound services to integrate services such as
mental health care, family counseling, substance abuse counseling, job training, early childhood
care, and after-school programs into the schools pragmatic infrastructure. Creating an Office of
Education and Workforce Communication to provide a channel for information about the

18
Ibid. 20.
19
Ibid. 30.
20
Ibid. 35.
10

economy, economic development and career navigation for middle school students was another
idea. Other thoughts were providing age appropriate career information in the K-12 system,
developing partnerships with Latino-serving community based organizations to provide effective
family outreach and looking to developing partnerships with immigrant-serving institutions,
faith-based organizations, and community based organizations to share information with Latino
families.
21

More suggestions included hiring specialists in schools to help Hispanic students, such as
bilingual specialists, psychologists and social workers. Last but not least, setting a statewide
goal for teacher recruitment and training with teacher preparation programs to recruit more
Spanish-speaking undergraduates and teachers who are trained in second language acquisition to
work as language specialists.
22

Given the $600 billion that the United States spends annually on its public school systems,
and the enormous economic stakes riding on improving student achievement, it is shortsighted to
invest so little in insights, thoughts and suggestions about educational performance.
23

Another state to look at with a substantial Hispanic population is Texas. In the past Texas
has been heralded as the flagship state with all the answers to educational reform, with sanctions
against low student and teacher performance, and one of the first states to make use of
standardized tests.
Certain school districts in Texas instituted their own very stringent evaluations that were
seen by many reformers as a good thing, and performance contracts which uniformly rewarded

21
Ibid. 36.
22
Ibid. 37.
23
The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in Americas Schools. McKinsey and Company. 2009. 6.
11

and punished school teachers based on standardized test scores were called the Houston
Miracle are now being passed over for new legislation that dumbs down achievement testing.
The great state of Texas is doing a turnabout. They are loosening the required courses for
graduation hoping their dropout rates rise. During the 2012-13 year Texas lost 1 in 4 students.
24

Racial and ethnic gaps are higher than they were 28 years ago. Black and Hispanic students are
two times more likely than a White student to leave school without graduating.
Hispanics make up 38 percent of the states population and will be the largest single group
in Texas by 2020. Demographer Steve Murdock, director of Rice Universitys Center for the
Study of Texas says, Unless the growing Hispanic population are given access to opportunities,
Texas overall will become poorer and less competitive. The reality is that the future of Texas
will be tied to its minority populations and how well they do, is how well we will do.
25

Democrats for Education Reform or DFER think they have the answer to low graduation
rates. They want a friendly, balanced and educationally sound system that includes a portfolio of
choices. Jennifer Koppel, director for DFER says, Public schools in well-funded communities,
and magnet and private schools are not the issue, the issue is low-income communities where
students are not succeeding at the same rate as their counterparts. We need more high quality
charter schools and school choice.
26

Take notice of the similarities between Arizonas recommendations and the state of
Texass political thought processes. It boils down to more school choices for students and
parents, finding some educational program that fits your childs academic needs.

24
Attrition and Drop Out Rates in Texas. Intercultural Development Research Association. 2013. 1.
25
Melissa Block, As Texas Gets More Diverse, Educators Grab The Bull By The Horns, April 1, 2014. 4.
26
Cameron Maynard, Non-Profit Urges Expansion of Charter Schools, March 19, 2014. 1.
12

Over the next four decades 37.6 million Hispanic workers are projected to join the U.S.
labor force, which will account for about 80% of the total growth in the workforce. What are we
doing to prepare them?
27

The article Why Dont Latinos Do as Well in School? gives an honest view that is
usually overlooked in the mainstream media. It states that the educational gap is cultural. While
Asian parents and White parents tend to push their children to move toward academic success,
Hispanic parents are well meaning, but less active in the process. Laurence Steinberg, a
psychology professor at Temple University looked at factors that affected student achievement,
and he and his colleagues found that even after economics were controlled for, that Latinos and
African American performed the least well on tests.
28

Steinbergs research suggested that an attitudinal profile influenced academic success.
Parental expectations are the keys to success. Steinberg asked students what was the worst grade
they could get without their parents getting angry. For Latino and African American students it
was a C. For Asian students it was a B+. Other factors were Latino and African American
students were more likely to have friends who put less emphasis on good grades. Latino parents
may be less adept at navigating through the American school system and advocating on their
childs behalf.
29

Steinberg and his colleagues state that they find the cultural argument the strongest
indicator of all explanations why minorities dont do as well in school as Asians and White
students. Cultural differences, specifically the value for education and how they transfer that
message to their children.

27
Dori Meinert, HR Magazine, Closing the Latino Education Gap. Volume 58. No.5. May 1, 2013.1.
28
Why Dont Latinos Do as Well in School Hispanics Minority Issues. October 21. 2005. 4.
29
Ibid. 6.
13

So how can we change a culture? How can we teach Hispanic students parents to care
more about their childs educational well-being? Programs like MALES (Mentoring to Achieve
Latino Educational Success) and Latinos in Action where Hispanic students mentor other
Hispanics are both vital resources to the Latino community. Successful Hispanic role models are
few and far between, but very beneficial to help Latino students keep on the right track.
Internships from businesses that offer high school and college students an inside peek at
the corporate world that otherwise might be unknown are a way to integrate Hispanics into the
working world. Five times a month, Karen Gallardo, a freshman from Cristo Rey High School
in Chicago boards a school bus to head downtown and work into one of Chicagos glass office
towers. Sidley Austin has a corporate work-study program where they pay Cristo Rey $31,900 a
year for each team of four students who job share one job. The money goes towards paying 70%
of the students tuition. Karen sees it as a way for her to get to college one day. She wants to be
a teacher or counselor. She can envision graduating from college, the first in her family.
30

In conclusion, Utah has some tough choices to make for our economic future. Isnt it
better to invest now and implement many of the programs that are successful in places like
Florida than to flip flop back and forth trying this program and that and never having complete
success? We need more than 150 charter schools and 25 magnet schools. We need more
educational choices for parents! Utah has many businesses that could be tapped to start a work-
study program and we need more teachers that are role models for our minorities. We have a
good start with pre-kindergarten programs but we have a long way to go to fill in that
educational gap.

30
Dori Meinert, Closing the Latino Education Gap. HR Magazine. May 1, 2013 Vol. 58. No.5. 7.


14

Bibliography
A Stronger Utah Through Higher Education, Lumina Foundation of Education.
www.luminafoundation.org, June 2013.

Attrition and Dropout Rates in Texas Intercultural Development Research Association. 2013.

Bill Hart and C.J. Eisenbarth Hager, Dropped? Latino Education and Arizonas Economic
Future Morrison Institute for Public Policy. April 2012

Cameron Maynard, Non-Profit Urges Expansion of Charter Schools. March 19, 2014.

Dori Meinert, Closing the Latino Education Gap, HR Magazine Vol. 58. No. 5. May 1, 2013.

Matthew Ladner and Lindsey M. Burke, Closing the Racial Achievement Gap, Learning From
Floridas Reforms Backgrounder. October 4. 2010.

Marjorie Cortez, Some Solutions in Place to Close Education Gap, But is Utah Willing to Pay
For Them? Deseret News. June 26, 2012.

Melissa Bloch, As Texas Gets More Diverse, Educators Grab the Bull by the Horns.
April 1, 2014.

Michael Herbert, Park City Gets it Right! Observations From a Professional Development
Specialist Bright Spots. December 2010.

School Choice Options: Florida Continues to Lead the Nation Florida Department of
Education. November 2013.
15

The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in Americas Schools McKinsey and Company
2009.

Why Dont Latinos Do As Well in School? Hispanic Minority Issues. October 21, 2005.