New York Latino Research and Resources Network

NYLARNET-Sponsored Project

The Latino Education Pipeline in New York State:

Where are the Holes? Where is it Clogged?

Anthony De Jesús, Ed.D.

Daniel Vásquez

Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños

Hunter College, CUNY

SUMMARY

This project explores the educational status of Latinos in New York State. It begins with a profile of the Latino population in New York State and their distribution on various academic attainment and achievement measures. Where possible, it uses disaggregated data in order to make comparisons within the Latino population as well as with other racial/ethnic groups in the state. In addition, the brief examines the crucial transition from high school to college and discusses implications of state and federal policies and their impact on New York's Latino students.

Major findings include:

Ø High school diploma recipients lax among minority student population

· White high school diploma recipients ranged from 93,027 in 1997 to 104,673 in 2002, an increase of 12.5%.

· White students, from the 2001 to 2002 period, have seen the greatest increase in high school diplomas–over 10,000 new recipients–among all the racial groups.

· Minority high school diploma recipients have remained lax over the same period, at best.

· Black high school diploma recipients ranged from 20,340 in 1997 to 22,046 in 2002; an increase of 8.4%.

· Latino high school diploma recipients ranged from 14,772 in 1997 to 16,280 in 2002; an increase of 10.2%.

· Asian-American high school diploma recipients ranged from 8,616 in 1997 to 10,315 in 2002; an increase of 19.7%.

Ø For students entering the 7^th grade, the probability of dropping out increased

· The probability of dropping-out for all students increased more than 10 percent from the 1998 to 2002 time period.

· Black and Latino students account for the largest increase–19 and 18 percent, respectively–in the probability of dropping-out over the same four-year period.

· White students experienced minimal gains, 3.7 percent, in the probability of dropping-out by the time they reached the 12th grade.

Ø Effect of Regents Examinations on drop out rates

Before 1998

• 1 in 6 students likely to drop out;

• 1 in 3 Latino students likely to drop out;

• 1 in 12 white students likely to drop out;

• 1 in 4 black students likely to drop out;

• 1 in 8 Asian-American students likely to drop out;

After 2002

• 1 in 4 students likely to drop out;

• 1 in 2 Latino students likely to drop out;

• 1 in 8 white students likely to drop out;

• 1 in 2 black students likely to drop out;

• 1 in 5 Asian-American students likely to drop out;

The findings of our analysis describe the impact of existing and forming policies on Latino students in New York State. Two policies are of particular relevance:

The NYS Regents Examinations and the Push Out Effect. The high stakes Regents exams are now fully in place and accordingly, students who do not pass this series of tests will not receive a diploma, regardless of how well they perform academically on other measures. A comparison of the drop out rate for Latinos before the high stakes Regents and now that the policy has been fully implemented provides legislators with important data regarding the impact of the Regents exams on Latino students. Legislation providing for multiple measures of student performance is being proposed and if passed would begin to unclog the pipeline to college for Latino students.

The Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE). The data reveal implications for a number of Federal and State policies. Of particular importance would be the implications of these findings for the CFE case as it appears that the state will be phasing in an additional $5.6 billion to New York City schools over the next several years. A targeted allocation toward programs and practices that support the achievement of Latino students is urgently needed.