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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Minority students in Oklahoma public schools are expected to outnumber white students when classes begin across the state in the next several weeks.
According to statewide enrollment numbers collected by the Oklahoma Education Department in October, white students outnumbered nonwhite students by 26 last year.
The Oklahoman (http://bit.ly/2aovgI2 ) reports that based on yearly demographic trends, which has seen minority enrollment increased 2.5 percent annually during the past few years, minority students should become the new majority in the state this upcoming school year.
Ardmore City Schools superintendent Sonny Bates says "that trend has been very noticeable over the past few years."
The shift in the state follows growth patterns that saw minority students become the majority in schools nationally in 2014.
According to Pew Center Research Center analysis of nationwide enrollment, the majority of growth among minority students is driven by U.S.-born Asian and Hispanic children.
The number of Hispanic students in Oklahoma has seen the largest growth. They totaled over 112,000 last year.
Patricia Watson-Hunt, an instruction leadership director with Oklahoma City Public Schools, said officials need to make sure that strategies are implemented to address English-language learners.
"It's a changing time but I think (cultural outreach) is one of the areas we are most successful," said Bates.
Some school districts like Oklahoma City have hired bilingual teachers to better communicate with students and their families.
Deivi Coon, a bilingual teacher at Buchanan Elementary, said that one of the best ways to reach out to families of another ethnicity is to make an effort to understand their culture.
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Information from: The Oklahoman, http://www.newsok.com
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