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 Somerville. 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 Somerville Public Schools. Enrollment has been shrinking among White and African-American/Black students, but increasing among Latino students, and as a result Latino students are now the largest ethno-racial group in the district.
The second section compares the performance of Latino students in Somerville on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests with the performance of all students statewide and other ethno-racial groups in Somerville. Despite persistent disparities in outcomes, the achievement gap between Latino and White students has been shrinking slightly over recent years, especially on the Grade 10 English Language Arts and Science/Technology/Engineering tests. Latino students in Somerville score above the statewide Latino profi ciency rate on all MCAS tests in Grades 7 through 10.
The third section shows Latino graduation, dropout, and college enrollment rates, relative to other students in the district and to all students statewide. Here too, the data show disparities between Latino students and other ethno-racial groups in the district. One promising trend is a notable rise in the Latino college enrollment rate.
Community Engaged/Serving
Part of the UMass Boston Community-Engaged Teaching, Research, and Service Series. http://scholarworks.umb.edu/engage
Recommended Citation
Berardino, Michael, "Latinos in Massachusetts Public Schools: Somerville" (2015). Gastón Institute Publications. 203.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/gaston_pubs/203
Included in
Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, Education Policy Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons