Mich. Ed. Roundup – October 3

Equitable access to strong teachers critical for underserved students

Black, Latino and Native students, and students from low-income families, are less likely to have access to strong, consistent teaching than their White and more affluent peers in school districts across the nation, according to a new report from The Education Trust.

While many states continue to ignore this inequity, some state leaders are moving in the right direction, according to the report, “Tackling Gaps in Access to Strong Teachers: What State Leaders Can Do.”

“Strong teachers are essential for improving student learning. But students who already face barriers based on race or class are too often the very students who are denied the opportunity to study with these strong teachers. This slows down student learning, widens achievement gaps, and inhibits students from reaching their full academic potential,” said Allison Rose Socol, co-author and assistant director for P-12 policy at The Education Trust. “That’s why it’s critical that state education leaders take seriously their responsibility — and their ability — to help ensure that children who need strong teachers get strong teachers.”

Hispanic high school dropout rate has plummeted in past two decades

The dropout rate among Hispanic high school students has continued its rapid decline, reaching a new low of ten percent in 2016, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center. During the same period, college entrance rates for Hispanic students have continued to increase, with 47 percent of Hispanic high school graduates enrolling in college.

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