Document Type

Research Report

Publication Date

4-1-2015

Abstract

This report provides a snapshot of current educational outcomes for Latino students in the city of Chelsea. It is based on publicly available data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MADESE) that have been analyzed for the community by the Gastón Institute. Using the ethnoracial categories assigned by MADESE, the report focuses on demographic trends and the most recent educational outcomes of Latino students relative to other ethno-racial groups in the school district and to students statewide. The report has three sections:

The first section illustrates the demographic shift occurring in the Chelsea Public Schools. Enrollment has been shrinking among White and African-American/Black students but increasing among Latinos, driving a growth in overall enrollment. At present, four of every five students in the district are Latino.

The second section compares the performance of Latino students in Chelsea on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests with the performance of all students statewide and with other ethno-racial groups in Chelsea. The achievement gap between Latino and White students, while not disappearing, has narrowed substantially in recent years. Latino students in Chelsea have made especially large improvements on the Grade 10 English Language Arts, Math, and Science/Technology/Engineering tests.

The third section shows Latino graduation, dropout, and college enrollment rates, relative to other students in the district and to all students statewide. Latino students, like other students in Chelsea, graduate and enroll in college at rates that are far below state averages but have been improving in recent years.

Community Engaged/Serving

Part of the UMass Boston Community-Engaged Teaching, Research, and Service Series. http://scholarworks.umb.edu/engage

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