Why are Arizona Latino students trailing in test scores, and how can the gap be closed?

PHOENIX — With Latino students trailing their Arizona peers in test scores, education experts are looking at the causes and possible solutions to the issue.

All In Education, a Latino public education advocacy group, compiles a report about the state of education in Arizona every year.

According to the 2025 MAPA report, as it’s known, Latino students tested 24 percentage points lower than white students in third grade reading and 23 points below white students in eighth grade math.

Anaiis Ballesteros with the organization explained that the problem stems from a language gap created by variety of factors.

Why are Latino students falling behind?

One is the lack of representation. According to the report, 48% of Arizona’s public K-12 population is Latino, but the same can be said of only 27% of State Education Board positions and 18% of administrator and educator roles.

“We believe that in order for student outcomes to change, we must have leaders in the education space that are reflective of the student population we serve,” Ballesteros said.

She explained that not having administrators or teachers who reflect the community makes it hard for kids and parents to connect with educators.

Another issue is a 25-year-old state law that all students be taught in English-language classrooms. The requirement was approved by more than 60% of Arizona voters in 2000 as Prop 203.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has spoken out against schools teaching English learners in dual language classrooms, saying it violates the state law.

“We’re not providing English learners the opportunity to retain their native language while learning English, which is very possible,” Ballesteros said. “Instead, we’re saying you need to no longer speak your native language and only focus on learning English. We’re doing a huge disservice not only to that population of students, but frankly to our workforce and our society.”

According to the MAPA report, 12% of Arizona’s student population speaks multiple languages, and the English learners are at a huge disadvantage.

“English learners are achieving third grade reading at a 6% level and eighth grade math at a 4% level,” Ballesteros said. “That is a massive gap, and we are leaving this population of students behind.”

Victoria Perches, a former teacher with All in Education, said the language gap made it hard to build a connection with the students and parents.

“Being able to further that relationship with their parents really is that extra step, and it just builds that trust level that you really need to teach the whole child, right? Because you only have them at school for so long versus when they’re also at home,” Perches said.

How can Latino students improve performance?

Ballesteros said parent engagement is key to closing the Latino testing gap. Having parents take a more active role in the education community — creating a team with teachers — can provide the needed representation schools otherwise lack, she said.

“There is a strong potential for parents to become the next educators, the next paraprofessionals. And that’s addressing multiple issues for us. It’s addressing educator workforce recruitment and retention. It’s also addressing student outcomes and lived experience within the school because now there’s representation of the community,” she said.

From a teacher’s perspective, Perches says that makes all the difference.

“I think a big piece moving forward is just like that community investment that cultural communities build,” she said.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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