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Two new studies of the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Public Policy and Community Development [2] together provide a comprehensive look at Latino student achievement in the Boston Public Schools system.

The Gastón Institute will release the two reports on Monday, June 23, 2008.

The first study, called "Where We Go to School: Latino Children and the Public Schools of Boston," presents a detailed view of Latino children within Boston schools. The study looks at type and quality of the schools as well as educational outcomes of the students.

Miren Uriarte, first author of the report and the director of the Gastón Institute, said in a press statement, "[W]e come away from this research convinced that where Latino children go to school is important to their success. Latino children thrive in schools that are academically challenging and socially safe, where there is a culture of achievement and respect, and where there is a critical mass of very qualified teachers, confident in their skills and able to exercise them."

Uriarte authored the report with Jie Chen and Mandira Kala.

The second study, called "If Our Students Fail, We Fail. If They Succeed We Succeed: Case Studies of Boston Public Schools Where Latino Students Succeed," presents the achievement of Latino students at five Boston Public Schools. The study's authors are Eileen de los Reyes, David Nieto, and Virginia Diez.

De los Reyes, who is also a research associate at the Gastón Institute, said, "Teachers and administrators in the Boston Public Schools need examples of schools where Latino students are succeeding socially and academically. The schools we studied provide these examples, which should offer much-needed guidance for other schools in the district."

To learn more about the two studies, which will be available to the public on June 23, 2008, visit www.gaston.umb.edu [3].

The Gastón Institute was established in 1989 at the University of Massachusetts Boston by the Massachusetts State Legislature. The mission of the Gastón Institute is to inform policy makers about issues vital to the state's growing Latino population and to provide this community with the information necessary for effective participation in public policy development.

source: EthnicNewz.org