Document Type

Research Report

Publication Date

6-2014

Abstract

This report provides a snapshot of current educational outcomes of Latino students in the city of Pittsfield. It is based on publicly available data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MADESE) that has been analyzed by the Gastón Institute for the 2014 Latinos in Massachusetts Regional Meeting in Pittsfield. This report uses the ethno-racial categories assigned by MADESE. It focuses on the evolving 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 first section illustrates the demographic shift occurring within the Pittsfield Public Schools, with a growing Latino student population and a shrinking White student population. The second section compares the performance of Latino students in Pittsfield on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests with the performance of all students statewide and other ethno-racial groups in Pittsfield. These comparisons show that large disparities exist in certain subjects, but that the Grade 10 ELA achievement gap between Latino and White students has been shrinking over recent years. The third section highlights Latino student suspension rates, graduation and dropout rates, and college enrollment rates, relative to other ethno-racial groups in the district and to all students statewide. The data indicate that Latino students graduate and enroll in postsecondary education at much lower rates than White students in the district.

Community Engaged/Serving

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

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.