Ethnic: The Culture SubGroup

"Ethnic: The Culture Sub-Group"

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

 Is it a place? or beliefs? Is it the place where our beliefs originated from, or the place where our beliefs are taking place?  Defining ethnicity is complex, but it is worth defining, for it is an important part of us.  Of how we define ourselves, how we identify ourselves, and how we accept to be identified, or defined as.  Geographically we have defined areas like Africa, Asia, Europe, and The Americas, and politically we have defined countries like Kenya, China, Germany, and The United States of America, where there are ethnic groups, and cultural groups, who will adhere to a place, or beliefs, or a place where beliefs originated from.

In the State of California, in the United States of America, the major ethnic groups are: African-American, Asian, Latino/Hispanic, and White.  These are the major groups, and do not represent all ethnic groups in the state.  Each of these four major groups has been defined based on geographical, cultural, and ethnic characteristics that individuals in each group believe best identify them ethnically.  Once students have been identified by ethnic group, academic achievement can be measured, and differences in performance can be analyzed.  The overall purpose of using ethnicity as a tool for measuring academic performance should be to obtain equality in education, not to establish academic superiority.

Copyright 2012, MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Socio-Economically Disadvantaged: Class & Money

Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Students

"The Sub-Group of Class and Money"

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

Socio-Economically Disadvantaged are a subgroup of students that has limited or no access to social programs or financial resources.  When societies are created and developed, a structural hierarchy tends to evolve over time.  These structural hierarchies can be defined by the roles and responsibilities needed by the society from groups and individuals, or by the finances and earnings that individuals and groups acquire through various means.  Socio-Economically Disadvantaged (SED) students face not only a social barrier, but an economic one as well, as they attempt to achieve educational equality with their piers.

The two main obstacles that Socio-Economically Disadvantaged students face are the societal level of hierarchy in which they are, and the economical earnings achievable at their current level of societal hierarchy.  It is natural that an achievement gap develop between students with advantages and students with disadvantages.  History shows us that the elite, aristocratic, well-off 1%er can and do provide an educational level to their students that include, not only the best academic institutions, but knowledge, educators, teachers, instructors, and tutors. 

Achievement gap between disadvantaged and advantaged.  Those who have limited access to knowledge, educational institutions, and instructional time will always be at an academic disadvantage.  This educational achievement gap needs to be acknowledge, addressed and closed.

Helping students in the Socio-Economically Disadvantage Sub-Group close the achievement gap, and achieve educational equality with their S-E advantaged counterparts is beneficial to society, the economy, and education.  Benefiting these three areas serves the purpose of becoming a better prepared people who will be ready to face any future challenge that may come.  Beneficial contributions to the world have come from advantaged and disadvantage students alike.

Copyright 2012 MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

ELL's Language Barrier

English Language Learners

The Language Barrier Sub-Group

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

English Language Learners (ELL) are a subgroup of students who have not acquired the fluency skills, in the English language, that the average native speaker possesses.  They have moved to a place where English is the native or primary language at a time when they are of school age and grade level. An English Language Learner, is learning language skills, while having the experience of practicing the language, in a new place of residency.  It takes a place of learning, like school, and it takes time, months and years, for an ELL to learn and become proficient in the language skills needed to equal those who have lived longer in a place where the English language is the primary language of communication.

There are two barriers that ELL's must overcome: experience with the language and skills practicing the language.  Experience with the language is how much time and exposure the student has had since birth.  An 8 year-old student has had 8 years of experience and exposure to a language given that they have had only one language throughout their 8 years.  Skills practicing the language is how the student learns to communicate and express successfully with others.  Two 8 year-old students may have 8 years of experience and exposure to a language, but may be at different skill levels in speaking, reading, and writing. An ELL can overcome these two barriers by learning how to make a transition between their native language and English.

The experience that an ELL has in their native language, as well as, the skills developed in the same are a contributing factor in the student's transition from English Language Learner to Fluent English Language.  An ELL student who is well educated, has a formal academic educational background, and has had at least limited experience with the English language will have a greater chance of success in transitioning between the native language and English; when compared to an ELL student who is not educated, has no formal academic educational background, and has not been exposed to the English language.  Understanding the initial skills of the English Language Learner should be the primary step to develop a path that will guide the ELL student toward becoming a Fluent English Language student.

Copyright 2012 MRCR Educational Consulting Group.  All Rights Reserved.

2012 CA API Results (Target)

2012 California Academic Performance Index Results by State Target (800pts)

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

The State of California has set an Academic Performance Index of 800 points as the standard that students must meet.  In California, students should meet or exceed the target score of 800 points to achieve the set State standard.  Illustrated below is the subgroup results in comparison to the state target of 800 points. Students identified as Asian score the highest with 105 points above the state target, while students identified as Disabled score the lowest with 193 points below the state target.  California students score 12 points below the state target for the 2012 year.

• California has set 800 as the target score that students must meet.
• As a whole, California Students score 12 points below State Target.
• Students with Disabilities score 193 points below State Target.
• Two subgroups score above the State Target:
• Asian ( 105 points above target)
• White ( 53 points above the target)
• Four subgroups score between 100 and 50 points below the State Target:
• African American ( 90 points below target)
• English Language Learner ( 84 points below target)
• Socio-Economically Disadvantaged ( 63 points below target)
• Latino ( 60 points below target )
• 298 point achievement gap
• Largest between two subgroups
• 105 points above the target (Asian)
• 193 points below the target (Disabled)
• 3 point gap achievement gap
• Closest between two subgroups
• 60 points below the target (Latino)
• 63 points below the target (Socio-Economically Disadvantaged)

Copyright 2012 MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

2012 CA API Results (Score)

2012 California Academic Performance Index Results

by Subgroup Score

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

All California student subgroups showed a higher score when compared to 2011 results. The state as a whole is closing in on the State Mark of 800.  It could be possible for California Students, as a whole, to meet the State Mark of 800 within two years (by 2014) if growth trends continue amongst all subgroups. There is more growth that can be achieved by all students, with the largest growth possible in the lowest performing subgroup of Students with Disabilities.  Students, parents, teachers, administrators, and educators have benefited over the years with a further understanding of the API's implementation and assessment through training and experience.

Analysis of 2012 CA API Results

• The subgroup with the highest score is students identified as Asian with a score of 905.
• Two subgroups have a score above the State Mark of 800 (Asian-905, White-853).
• Four subgroups have a score within a 30 point range:
• Latino - 740
• Socio-Economically Disadvantaged - 737
• English Language Learners - 716
• African American - 710
• Five subgroups have a score 50 points below the State Mark of 800:
• Latino - 740
• Socio-Economically Disadvantaged - 737
• English Language Learners - 716
• African American - 710
• Students with Disabilities - 607
• The Performance gap between highest and lowest score by subgroup is 298 points.
• Asian - 905
• Students with Disabilities - 607
• All of CA student scores (788) are 12 points below the State Mark of 800.

Copyright 2012 MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved

2012 CA API RESULTS (Growth)

2012 California Academic Performance Index Results

Growth by Subgroup Analysis

By: Manuel R. CortezRodas

The 2012 California Academic Performance Index growth by subgroup are as follows:

• By Race/Culture
• Asian (+7pts)
• White (+8pts)
• Latino(+10pts)
• African American (+14pts)
• By Classification
• English Language Learner (+10pts)
• Socio-Economically Disadvantaged (+11pts)
• Disabled Students (+14pts)
• Overall
• CA Student growth +10pts.

Analysis of the 2012 CA API Growth by subgroup:

• Highest growth:
• Obtained by African Americans and Students with Disabilities.
• Each Subgroup demonstrated a 14 point growth.
• These two Subgroups are still performing well below the State requirement.

• Lowest Growth
• Obtained by Asian students.
• Subgroup demonstrated a 7 point growth.
• This Subgroup has the highest performance well above State requirements.

• Overall
• All 8 major Subgroups demonstrated positive growth.
• 6 Subgroups demonstrated a growth of 10 points.

Copyright 2012 MRCR Educational Consulting Firm, All Rights Reserved

2012 CA API RESULTS

2012 CALIFORNIA ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE INDEX RESULTS

By: Manuel R. CortezRodas

This week we will look at the State's Sub-Groups and how their scores compare amongst the groups, as well as, the State set mark of 800 points.  Using the 2012 CA API Data Source: http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr12/yr12rel96.asp posted on Thursday, October 11th, 2012.  Each day this week an analysis of the API results will be presented to the readers in the following scheduled:

• TUESDAY: 2012 API Results by Sub-Group Growth.
• WEDNESDAY: 2012 API Results by Sub-Group Score.
• THURSDAY: 2012 API Results by Sub-Group Standing.
• FRIDAY: 2012 API Results by Sub-Group State Target.

The overall data indicates a continued positive growth among California students and the major Sub-Groups.  Only two Sub-Groups (Asian, White) have achieved an API Score above the 800 mark set by the State.  California students score 788 showed a growth of +11 points, and is only 12 points below from the State set mark of 800.  African Americans, and Students with Disabilities demonstrated the largest growth with +14 points.  The data presented here is from Data for analysis from the California Department of Education News Release at http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr12/yr12rel96.asp which is available for the public.

Copyright 2012 MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved