Libertad de la Educacion: School Choice Solutions for Closing the Latino Achievement Gap
Research Study
Paper published in Spanish and English
Cavernous achievement gaps between Latino children in the United States and their white peers have not only persisted through the past decade, but have barely shown any signs of improving. For the two in five Latino eighth graders who score "below basic" on standardized tests, the odds against earning a high school diploma are steep. And if present trends hold, only 11 out of every 100 Latino kindergartners in the United States will complete a bachelor's degree.
This paper discusses three proven initiatives that would offer greater parental choice opportunities for Latino families, and that may represent the best chance to close the Latino learning gap in the United States:
• Virtual schooling options driven by new advances in educational technology
enabling more efficient learning;
• School choice programs that consistently demonstrate better results and
higher parental satisfaction;
• Specialized scholarships for children diagnosed with disabilities.