Hispanic students in D.C. Public Schools are making greater gains on key achievement tests than their peers as they grow as a percentage of the school system.
Among eighth-graders, Hispanic students’ math scores jumped by 15 points between 2007 and 2009 on the math portion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Black students saw gains of about 4 percentage points, and other racial groups were too small to be recorded accurately.
Among fourth-graders, Hispanic students saw seven-point math gains since 2007, and 21 points since 2003. Their black peers saw gains of about 3 points since 2007, and 10 points since 2003. DCPS was among the only districts in the nation to see statistically significant gains among both racial groups.
The NAEP, also called the Nation’s Report Card, is given every two years and is the only identical measure used in districts throughout the United States. In districts like DCPS, the test is used as a measure of how well reform-minded superintendents like Michelle Rhee are succeeding.
Reading scores among all racial groups saw little change between 2007 and 2009, but substantial progress since 2003, according to NAEP data. Again, Hispanic students sped ahead of their peers, gaining 19 points since 2003 while black students gained about 11 points.
Rhee said the relative success of Hispanic students compared with their peers needs to be put in context.
“The growth of our African American kids is first and second [depending on grade] in the nation!” she wrote in an e-mail. “That’s nothing to sneeze at!”
A DCPS spokeswoman pointed to a handful of reforms over several years aimed at Hispanic students, particularly those struggling with English. New methods have enabled better identification of students’ language skills, and better means of monitoring their progress.
Michael Leon, a deputy director at Northwest’s Latin American Youth Center, commended the district’s efforts over two years to partner with local groups serving the Hispanic community, but said even more involvement would be welcomed.
DCPS “still tends to create a master plan without too much involvement from community organizations,” he said. “We’re the ones that link the families with services and the schools, and know the families themselves.”
