(NAME-MCE) LUCHA™ Program

[Anselmo Villanueva]

For more information on this innovative program, surf to:

http://www.utexas.edu/cee/dec/lucha/

Anselmo
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LUCHA™ Program

Children immigrating to Texas from Mexico and other Latin American countries
face extenuating circumstances. These students face academic failure not
only because of a language barrier but also because most schools do not have
the resources to determine appropriate grade placement, diagnose mastery of
the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or train personnel to recognize
and address the challenges faced by immigrant students.
Purpose

LUCHA (Language Learners at the University of Texas at Austin's Center for
Hispanic Achievement) is an innovative K-16 Education Center initiative
designed to help Hispanic English Language Learners transition into public
schools, thereby helping them to achieve success in school, college, and
life.

Goal

To increase the graduation rate for Hispanic English Language Learners

Objectives

To provide Hispanic English Language Learners the opportunity to:

- transition into Texas schools without losing instructional time and
credits while learning English
- pass the state-mandated performance exams and receive a high school
diploma
- build a foundation for successfully completing a post secondary education