Statement By: Education Commissioner John L. Winn Regarding the NAEP Hispanic student achievement gap report

Thursday, June 23, 2011

DOE Press Office (850) 245-0413

Statement By: Education Commissioner John L. Winn Regarding the NAEP Hispanic student achievement gap report

"Florida received a welcome reminder today that the hard work of our teachers, combined with our long-standing commitment to higher expectations for all students, is paying off in increasingly significant ways. According to a U.S. Department of Education report released today analyzing two-decades' worth of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data on the achievement gap between Hispanic and White students, Florida was the only state with a large, diverse population to claim a smaller gap than the nation for both reading and mathematics at grades 4 and 8. Even more telling, the nation's Hispanic student achievement gaps were reported as more than double the size of Florida's gaps in reading and almost double in mathematics.

"While the data has been reported and publicized over the years, this summary analysis reminds us that we have chosen the right strategies to improve our education system, and our teachers have embraced those strategies to their fullest effect. Equally encouraging, the trends seen in this report mimic successes we are seeing with other groups of students. Of course, any achievement gap, no matter how small, is unacceptable and I'm confident that our continued focus on data analysis, informed decision-making, high accountability standards and the dedication of our teachers will ultimately allow us to eliminate these gaps."