Hispanic Students at Risk: Do We Abdicate or Advocate?

Fradd, Sandra H., Correa, Vivian I., Exceptional Children

Hispanic Students at Risk: Do We Abdicate or Advocate?

ABSTRACT: With the rapid growth of Hispanic student populations in the United Stages comes a corresponding increase in the number of students who have limited English proficiency as well as disabilities. Specific educational interventions, such as programs of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and bilingual instruction, are needed to enable these students to enter the mainstream. The chief obstacles to bilingual special education are the paucity of personnel training programs that include cross-cultural communication, and a lack of awareness of the need for these services. Transdisciplinary teaming is a cost-effective, appropriate approach to providing the services which both handicapped and at risk language minority students require. It is our expectation that every person in America be educated to his or her fullest potential, that will result only when all students stay in school, and this year's first graders go on to graduate in the year 2000.

Lauro F. Cavasos

U.S. Secretary of Education

January 1989 Will at-risk Hispanic students and those with disabilities be among America's appropriately educated population in the year 2000? Is this country moving toward advocating for effective education for Hispanic students by committing resources to meeting the needs of this special population? Or is the United States abdicating by resigning to a slowly changing system plagued with prejudices, vague fears, and misunderstanding?

The time has come to answer these questions. The Hispanic student population entering public schools is rapidly growing, and with that growth come increasing numbers of students with disabilities. Serving at-risk Hispanic students and their families has become one of the most critical concerns for many public schools across this country. Although demographic data clearly indicate that the population of Hispanic students in this country is on the rise, professionals are only now realizing the complex ramifications these data will have on schools serving Hispanic students with disabilities. Revitalization and reform is needed now in special education to meet the complex needs of Hispanic students and their families.

The common issues of nonbiased assessment, second-language acquisition, and bilingual education continue to be critical in understanding the needs of Hispanic students. Educating Hispanic students has become a complex task not only requiring sensitivity to linguistic and …

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Publication information: Article title: Hispanic Students at Risk: Do We Abdicate or Advocate?. Contributors: Fradd, Sandra H. - Author, Correa, Vivian I. - Author. Journal title: Exceptional Children. Volume: 56. Issue: 2 Publication date: October 1989. Page number: 105+. © 1999 Council for Exceptional Children. COPYRIGHT 1989 Gale Group.

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