Hispanic Enrollment in Parental Choice Programs Rises, Along With Test Scores

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20 Feb 2008 in Education

WASHINGTON, DC – A growing number of Hispanics in Florida are exercising parental choice in education, while test scores of Hispanic children have risen across the board in the state. As the application process for the Step Up for Students program, an initiative of the state’s Corporate Tax Credit (CTC) scholarship program, prepares for the 2008-09 school year, the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options is working to inform more families about the benefits of the program and how to apply.

In 2008, 24.5 percent of the students participating in the Step Up for Students program declared their ethnicity as Hispanic. In 2006, only about 3,000 of the students were Hispanic while that number is expected to exceed 5,000 in the 2008-09 school year. Thousands of other Hispanic children in the state utilize other educational options – by participating in the McKay scholarship program, or attending charter or magnet schools, for example. Since programs were first established in 1998, to encourage parental choice in education, Florida’s Hispanic students have been achieving higher test scores each year. For instance, reading test scores for 4^th grade Hispanic students has gone from 198 in 1998 to 218 in 2007 according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

“There is clear evidence that parental choice in education is having a positive impact in certain parts of the Hispanic community in Florida,” said Maite Arce, vice president for Hispanic CREO. “But while we are seeing growth in academic outcomes, we must continue to increase the participation Hispanic families in these programs if we want to see a statewide impact that proliferates in every community in Florida.”

This year, Hispanic CREO has been working with groups such as the La Asociacion de Ministros del Gran Miami (Greater Miami Association of Ministers) to educate legislators and community leaders about the benefits of parental choice in education and how the Step Up for Students program has particularly benefited the Hispanic community. In addition, both organizations are seeking to make more Hispanics aware of the educational options available to them.

“La Asociacion de Ministros del Gran Miami and Hispanic CREO have joined forces in this important effort and we expect to see great results,” said Reverend Carlos Alfaro, president of La Asociacion de Ministros del Gran Miami. “We believe that all children deserve an excellent education and that parents should have the right to choose the school that best fits the needs of their children. Research proves just how effective parental choice can be – and shows how it is needed for all of Florida’s children.”

Families interested in applying for the Step Up for Students scholarship program should contact Step Up for Students at www.stepupforstudents.com or at 813-258-2700. Bilingual staff is available to give information in English and Spanish.

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ABOUT Hispanic CREO

In 2001, the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options was founded to address the crisis in Latino education by empowering Latino families with parental choice in education. By creating coalitions with parents, schools, faith-based organizations, advocates and like-minded groups, Hispanic CREO has been able to educate, inform and motivate Latino parents on the issues surrounding school choice. CREO is a non-profit, non-partisan organization.

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