The achievement gap between white and non-white students: a conceptual  (Page 6/19)

Researchers (e.g., Clark, 2001; Gandara&Contreras, 2009) have established students who are minorities and who come from low SES backgrounds are confronted with inequity within schools because they are confronted by many obstacles. Gregory, Skiba and Noguera (2010) synthesized empirical data that disclosed Hispanic, Black, and American-Indian students were disproportionately disciplined with suspensions and expulsions in comparison to White students. The researchers argue that “the racial discipline gap influences racial patterns in achievement” (p. 59). Hispanic students and other minority students were faced with an excessive amount of school discipline, which lead to loss of academic learning, and inevitably an increase in the academic achievement gap.

According to Roscigno, Tomaskovic-Devey, and Crowley (2006), educational inequalities are also seen within rural and inner-city areas around the United States. They used data from the Common Core of Data and the National Educational Longitudinal Survey and compared educational equity among inner city/rural and suburban places. A comparison of the means of school and family resources indicated that students living in inner city/rural neighborhoods “lag behind” individuals attending schools in suburban areas (p. 2122). Roscigno et al. (2006) noted that families in city/rural areas earn less income and have parents who have less education compared to suburban families.

De Valenzuela, Copeland, Qi, and Park (2006) examined educational equity in special education and the disproportionate amount of students that are from minority backgrounds. They reviewed data about 17,870 students in the Special Education Information System database and concluded that African American students were more likely to be identified with a disability than were White students. Students who were English language learners were more likely to be categorized disproportionately in special education than their White counterparts. Finally, Hispanic, English language learners, Native American, and Black students were more likely to be placed in segregated settings than were Asian American students or White students.

Hispanics and students with a label of limited english proficient

To understand the plight that faces Hispanic students in regard to academic achievement, an examination of past occurrences within the Latino community must be evaluated. Segregation and discrimination of Hispanics has been an issue since the cession of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and parts of California during the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 (Rochmes, 2007; Ruiz, 2006; The Library of Congress, 2009). Over 95,000 Latinos were absorbed as part of the agreement between Mexico and the United States. Under the Article VIII, within the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the United States stipulated:

Mexicans now established in territories previously belonging to Mexico, and which remain for the future within the limits of the United States, as defined by the present treaty, shall be free to continue where they now reside, or move at any time to the Mexican Republic, retaining the property which they possess in the said territories, or disposing thereof, and removing the proceeds wherever they please, without their being subjected, on this account, to any contribution, tax, or charge whatever. (The Library of Congress, 2009, para. 2)