expectations

[George Sheridan <learn@jps.net>]

Fresh expectations for state schools
Immigrant, minority communities aim high
By Sergio Bendixen -- Special to The Bee

Published Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Story appeared in Editorials section, Page B7
http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/14305037p-15185776c.html


Last week's STAR test results show California inching forward in its long 
campaign to improve public school test scores. Other recent reports suggest 
the state's high school dropout problem is even more alarming than 
originally thought. Education watchers may feel whipsawed by these 
seemingly conflicting indicators, but they should take heart that one thing 
remains constant: the hope of parents that their children will lead more 
fulfilling and prosperous lives than they themselves did. And for all its 
ups and downs, the primary vehicle for their hopes remains the public 
education system.

One of the most important sources of pressure to raise achievement levels 
could come from a new corner -- immigrant and ethnic minority parents, who 
now are the majority of all parents in California public schools. In May my 
firm surveyed 602 African American, Asian and Latino parents in six 
languages, and what was striking about the results, even to a pollster who 
has been checking the pulse of immigrant and minority communities for more 
than two decades, was just how high the parents' expectations are for both 
their children and the school system.

Their aspirations reach well beyond the simple hope that their children 
will earn a high school diploma. They extend in two directions: At the 
front end, with a clear preference for preschool programs that help 
children get ready for kindergarten; and at the back end, with a desire by 
many to see their children obtain not just bachelor's degrees, but graduate 
degrees as well. Indeed, it's not only the academics who draw the 
connection between a good preschool education and a child's later chances 
of becoming a teacher, doctor or engineer, but parents of all stripes as well.

These parents want real school accountability, not schools that simply pass 
kids along through social promotion or time in grade. Our poll, 
commissioned by New America Media, found that 80 percent of Latino parents 
support California's high school exit exam, with 68 percent of African 
American parents and 86 percent of Asian parents also behind it. The great 
majority want a high school diploma to stand for something.

In addition, just 4 percent of all parents surveyed think a high school 
education is enough. Four out of five say they expect their children to 
either attain a bachelor's degree or finish graduate school, with the 
aspirations of Latino and black parents nearly as high as those of Asians. 
Where they differ is in their judgment of the school system's quality: A 
striking 37 percent of black parents rate the schools as poor, while just 
18 percent of Asians and 5 percent of Latinos say the same.

In addition, nearly three-quarters of ethnic minority parents in California 
believe that children need to attend an educational program before age 5 to 
prepare for kindergarten. Further, the overwhelming majority -- nearly 80 
percent of surveyed parents -- believe that programs for preschool-age 
children should focus on creating positive educational activities that 
prepare them for kindergarten rather than recreational activities that 
merely keep them entertained. Yet just over one-third of these parents say 
there are quality programs in their neighborhood that they can afford.

The question then is why Proposition 82, the statewide ballot initiative 
that would have provided publicly funded preschool for all families with 
4-year-olds, suffered such a sharp defeat. Our survey cannot begin to 
answer that question. It is worth noting, however, that parents such as 
those we questioned were not heavily represented at the polls in June's 
low-turnout election.

Regardless of Proposition 82's rejection, our findings suggest that 
California should not give up on preschool expansion. If the laudable 
aspirations of ethnic minority parents are to become reality for their 
children, the persistent problems of preschool quality and affordability, 
high school dropout rates, disparate school quality and college opportunity 
deserve prominence in any debate about the state's future.

*

About the writer: Sergio Bendixen is president of Bendixen & Associates, a 
public opinion research firm based in Miami. Results of the poll, conducted 
in Cantonese, English, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish and Vietnamese, will be 
available tomorrow at www.newamericamedia.org, then click on "polls."



George Sheridan