Utah, Mexican schools unite

In Mexican schools, children aren't taught to spell like U.S. students. In Mexico, it's taught the phonetic way, meaning the spelling of a word could be different from one child to the next, but they could all be correct.

That's just one example of where continuity in education collapses for the estimated 30,000 Mexican immigrant and migrant students going to school in Utah.

It's why Utah and Mexico have entered into a first-of-its kind agreement meant to establish similar standards for educating Mexican students and to start a tracking process that teachers in both school systems can access to help determine student progress.

"That equals more successful high school graduates in a population that historically has had dismal graduation rates," said John Bennion, project director for the Oquirrh Institute.

Bennion, along with Lt. Gov. Olene Walker and several Mexican delegates, signed a memorandum of understanding Monday at the Capitol. Over the weekend Gov. Mike Leavitt signed the agreement, which grew out of Leavitt's trade mission to Mexico earlier this year.

The Oquirrh Institute will be crafting a Web-based student tracking system, which should be complete by December. By next summer, the nonprofit group will have put together a set of graduation requirements and standards specific to Mexican students.

"There's no question they have difficulties because of the transitory nature of their stay," State Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven Laing said of the 7,500 or so migrant students who make up Utah's Mexican student population.

The agreement is actually the start of a pilot program, which organizers hope will catch on in other states with large Mexican immigrant and migrant student populations.

"This will help the teachers have an understanding of where that student is immediately rather than learning by trial and error," Walker said. "So, this agreement is basically about kids."

For teachers like Maria Requena, who teaches first grade at Midvale Elementary School, it'll mean she can go to a Web site, call up the name of a student coming to her school from Mexico and look at that child's strengths and weaknesses as reflected in a tracking system. A teacher in Mexico could do the same in reverse.

"This is great for teachers," Requena said.

Daniel Gonzalez Spencer, Mexico's director general of international relations, praised Utah's efforts toward reaching an understanding with Mexico before signing the memorandum.

"At the heart of this agreement is the migrant child," Gonzalez Spencer said. "We think that with the implementation of this agreement . . . we can put together such a team as has not been put together before, to bring about the accomplishment to the great satisfaction of both countries, the teaching and incorporation of these young minds that can give so much to humanity."

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E-MAIL: sspeckman@desnews.com