FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2011
State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Issues Statement Regarding
Report
Released by
National Center for Education Statistics
SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson released the following statement in response to a report issued Thursday by the National Center for Education Statistics: Achievement Gaps: How Hispanic and White Students in Public Schools Perform in Mathematics and Reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
"The long-standing achievement gap is a matter of deep concern, and addressing it is a top priority. The California Department of Education already has published a book to provide schools with the latest research on assisting English learners, who make up a significant number of our state's Latino students.
"We also are moving quickly to reexamine our efforts to make sure these students succeed, including playing a more active role in the development of the next generation of assessments for students learning English."
More information on the book can be found at Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches (PDF).
