Can Ethnic Studies Improve Student Achievement? Researcher Says Yes

*As if more evidence and studies were needed … But it’s good to have validation like this. VL

By Juan Castillo, NBC News

A new study linking Mexican American Studies with academic achievement is adding to a growing national conversation about the benefits of ethnic studies curriculums, a researcher tells NBC Latino.

“In many respects, ethnic studies is sometimes treated like a convenient academic add-on,” said Nolan Cabrera, an assistant professor in the Center for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Arizona. “What this (research) is demonstrating is that ethnic studies in and of itself represents real education.”

Cabrera was lead author of the study of Tucson’s controversial ethnic studies program. It found that students who took Mexican American Studies courses are more likely to graduate from high school and pass standardized tests.

The report appears in the December issue of the American Educational Research Journal.

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[Photo by Lumina Foundation/Flickr]