Educators are preparing for what promises to be a lively discussion on the somewhat taboo topic of why academic achievement gaps continue to exist for Latino, African-American and Southeast Asian students.

The fourth annual Community Summit for Educational Equity and Excellence, which takes place on Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University Courtyard Dining Hall, plans to focus on issues that aren̢۪t frequently discussed, said Regina Uribes, president of the Latino Educational Issues Roundtable, which is hosting the summit in collaboration with Fresno State̢۪s Kremen School of Education.

“Everyone wants to focus on achievements, which is great,â€Â Uribes said. “But there’s also students dropping out, in high school or before. There’s many students at the low end of the education spectrum who miss out on opportunities to go to college.â€Â

Uribes acknowledged that talking in depth about racial issues and underachievement among some minority groups isn’t a popular topic, but “we need to put it out there.â€Â

Latino students have the highest high school dropout rates of any major ethnic group in the United States, according to a 2003 U.S. Department of Labor study. The study found a high school dropout rate of 21 percent among Latino students.

In addition, more than half of Latino college students never complete a post-secondary degree, the study found. Only 16 percent of Latino students graduate college with a bachelor̢۪s degree, compared to 37 percent of whites.

Although Uribes̢۪ Roundtable group focuses primarily on Latino issues, she said what impacts one group of students would likely impact the others, including African-American and Southeast Asian students.

Uribes touted a student panel at the summit, where students will talk about “what challenges they had preparing for college.â€Â She said this panel should highlight where the system fell short in some of these students’ lives.

“The Latino roundtable performs an important role in helping districts across the Valley close the achievement gap. Teachers administrators and teacher educators can benefit from the groups’ collective wisdom and ideas,â€Â said Paul Beare, Ph.D., dean of the Kremen School of Education, in a press release.

Speakers will include Quoc T. Tran, director of educational quality and public relations for the Alhambra Unified School District; Larry Powell, Ph.D.,superintendent of Fresno County Schools; Ananda Aspen, Ph.D., of the Fresno County Office of Education; and Herma Williams, Ph.D., provost of Fresno Pacific University.

Uribes said in the press release that discussions about these problems have identified four major issues connected to the achievement gap: dropout rates, declining scholastic achievement starting in the third grade, entering high school students̢۪ lack of preparation for required courses for college, and hiring practices.

Although part of the summit is geared toward educators and ways in which they can more positively impact students̢۪ lives, Uribes said that students and the general public were welcome to attend, and contribute.

Latino summit

Those wishing to attend the summit need to register with the Latino Educational Issues Roundtable by calling (559) 696-9232 or via e-mail at [email protected].

̢ۢ Where: University Courtyard Dining Hall

̢ۢ When: Friday, Oct. 19. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

̢ۢ Cost: $20 per person.