EDUA 5691 Strategies to Teach Latino Students
STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING LATINO STUDENTS
Latinos and Latinas are the largest and fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, with estimates that they will comprise 25% of Americans by 2021, and closer to 50% of the population in Texas, the Southwest, and California. However, statistics show that Latino children experience the highest high school dropout rates and receive a poorer quality education on average than any other ethnic group, thereby creating a wide achievement gap between Latino students and their non-Latino counterparts .
This course aims to arm the teacher with the necessary tools to begin closing the achievement gap for Latino students. The course looks at why this gap exists from a political, cultural, socioeconomic, language, and psychological perspective, and what can be done to engage Latino students and their families in schools. After finishing the course, the teacher will have an increased awareness and sensitivity to the culture and experience of Latino students, and be able to implement robust strategies for supporting and fostering their personal and academic success.