DPS issues report on improving education for Latino students

Zoom in: The "La Raza Report" included multiple recommendations for the district, students, teachers, staff and parents. The proposals include:

• Creating a Latino Student Initiative to focus on improving standardized test scores and partnering with local nonprofits and colleges to create a tutoring and instructional support program.
• Coordinating with Denver companies to help pay for tutor programs, something the report notes can help develop the city's future workforce.
• Establishing a "Grow Your Own" teacher development program to recruit, train and retain Latino teachers.
• Developing a Bilingual Parent Leadership Institute to help parents learn more about how they can be more involved in their child's education.
• Hiring more bilingual, Spanish-speaking teachers.

Between the lines: The report calls for a new executive director position responsible for implementing, monitoring and measuring the impacts of those recommendations.

Behind the scenes: The Multicultural Leadership Center completed the report from November 2022-2023 after the district opened a bidding processed in July 2022.

• The firm looked at the experience of Latino students in the district over several decades.
• It hosted 51 focus groups at 15 DPS schools, which included nearly 300 participants, and surveyed 558 students and 2,238 parents.