Editorial:

The San Diego Unified School District released their test scores this past week. They highlighted marked improvement in the overall scores: “Overall, students testing proficient or advanced on the test increased by: English, 3 points over 2010 and 14 points since 2007; mathematics up 2 points from last year and 12 since 2007.”

   The same marked improvement was also reported by the Sweetwater Unified High School District: “The percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced increased by 7% or more in Spring 2011 compared with Spring 2010 in the following areas: Grade 10 English (+8%); Grade 11 English (+8%); Algebra II (+10%); Biology (+7%); Grade 10 Life Science (+8%); Grade 8 Physical Science (+9%); World History (+8%).”

   The fact that test scores are improving is a testament to the hard work and dedication by the teachers and school administrators who have had to overcome monumental obstacles during these difficult years of continued cutbacks to their budgets, resources, and yearly pink slip threats.

   Not only do teachers have to do more with less, they have to spend more of their own money and put in more hours to ensure that their students have the supplies and support necessary to succeed. On top of this, teachers have been under greater scrutiny and focus as to what is wrong with education. Yet despite the trials and tribulations of education, test scores have improved in public schools. So as critics blame public school teachers for all that is wrong with education, they should praise them when there is marked improvement in test scores. Hard work and successful results should be praised by pundits.

   Adding to the validity of public education, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that Los Angeles public schools increased test scores more than the group of schools operated by the mayor (who tried to take over the whole school district six years ago) a charter organization and others according to the Times analysis.

   This is the good news. But we still have a long ways to go as a Hispanic community!

   Despite the improvement in test scores, the achievement gap, which reflects the difference between Hispanic learning versus the Anglo/Asian learning achievement, is still significant. Hispanics and Black students are still learning and achieving at a lower rate.

   The dropout rate is still a major issue. The California Department of Education released figures for the dropout rate of eighth graders. About 3.5 percent of eighth graders — a total of 17,257 in all — did not return for ninth grade. And graduation rates showed “steep gaps,” with graduation rate for Latinos 68 percent, 59 percent for African American students and 56 percent for students who are learning English. The graduation rate is 83.4 for white students; for Asian students, it is 89.4 percent.

   Finally, a report released by the White House and the U.S. Department of Education details the current crisis in Latino education. While one in four American children is Latino, according to the document, the demographic has “the lowest education attainment levels” in the country. More than 17.1 million Latinos younger than age 17 live in the U.S., comprising more than 23 percent of the country’s youth and nearly 22 percent of all K-12 public school enrollment.  Sadly, less than half of such youths are enrolled in early learning programs. Only half of the population earns a high school diploma on time, and when those students do, they’re half as likely to be ready for college. The report goes on to note that only 13 percent of the population holds a Bachelors degree.

   So, yes, the fact that test scores are improving is indeed worth recognizing and discussing. Although we are finally turning the corner on public education, it is still too early to celebrate. When Hispanic students are at the same achievement level as their contempories, graduating in significant numbers, and equally important succeeding in college, then we can celebrate. Until then, we still have much work to do.