New Mexico, according to the Santa Fe High School Portfolio released in September 2009 by the Santa Fe Public Schools Office of the Deputy Superintendent, is a leader when it comes to the number of Hispanics taking AP classes, but still, only 36.7 percent of students in AP classes are Hispanic, while more than half of the students in public high schools are Hispanic.

The report also showed that there are about three times as many whites than Hispanics enrolled in "gifted" programs, such as Advanced Placement classes. Among those Hispanics enrolled, there is one demographic missing from many AP classes at Santa Fe High School: Students who are English language learners or who are learning English as a second language.

A few students said their English skills kept them from enrolling in advanced classes.

Hector Zambrano, a senior at Santa Fe High, has never taken an AP class. "I don't understand English well enough to take an AP class," he offered in perfect English. After four years at Santa Fe High, Zambrano doesn't really know what AP is, or why he never signed up for a class. "My counselor never said anything."

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Editor's note: This article appears in the May 21, 2010 edition of Generation: Next, a publication of The Santa Fe New Mexican that is written by local teens. The writer, Lucy Ohlsen, is a Santa Fe High School senior. To submit feedback on the article, please submit a letter to the editor, letters@sfnewmexican.com

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Zambrano is going to college next year. "My grandma only went to school up to second grade," he said, earnestly. "And my dad went maybe to fourth grade."

"Our parents generally want us to have a little better life than they had," pointed out Randy Grillo, a Spanish teacher at SFHS. "For a lot of kids, graduating from high school, and then maybe college afterwards, is it.

"There are a lot of successes happening (for Hispanics), that may not be the AP test," Grillo added.

Marisol Treviso came to Santa Fe High knowing practically no English. Now a junior, she is fluent in English and has a reputation of being a bright student. She has considered taking an AP class, but decided against it.

"I was going to take AP classes, but my counselors told me that they involve a lot of writing in English. I think I just didn't want to be so pressured right now," Treviso said, seeming anxious to get back to her psychology class. "It's kind of hard when you have Spanish as your first language ... You learn (English) really fast, but it's not like you know everything."

Edith Zapien also learned English as a second language. She has also never taken an AP class. "I don't feel able to write all perfect, like an English speaker. I have to focus more on college ... It would be too challenging," she said.

Zapien said she made the decision about not taking AP classes all on her own. "My parents don't know about the AP," she said. She was never encouraged to enroll in an AP class. Despite this, she has definite plans for her future. "I want to go to a cosmetology school," she said. "I'll go to the community college first, though, because it's ... more cheap."

In Florida, a recent standard has been passed that requires every student to take one AP class during their high school years. To many teachers at Santa Fe High, this is unimaginable. However, Florida has been commended for those efforts.

The problem may be the English as a Second Language classes, which most English language learning students take, including Zambrano and Treviso. Zambrano expressed frustration with the program. Instead of helping him learn English, he said classes did the opposite.

"It's hard to learn English (in ESL classes)," he said, and paused to organize his thoughts. He then looked to his Spanish teacher and spoke very quickly and emphatically in his first language. His Spanish teacher related that Zambrano thinks ESL classes don't work because there isn't enough English speaking going on in the classroom. The students, since they all speak Spanish, are not motivated to learn to communicate and think in English.

"At lunch, we speak Spanish," Treviso said. "We can make friends with people that speak English," she said, but admitted that most of her friends are Spanish speakers.

"I don't really focus that much on what language people speak," Zapien commented. "But I have more friends that speak Spanish than English. It just happens."

"I need more English-speaking friends," Zambrano said. He is ready to move on from high school, but he is concerned that Hispanics and whites are separated at Santa Fe High, in more places than just the AP classrooms. "It's bad that we don't communicate," he said. He has no solution for the "separation", but emphasized the inefficiencies of the ESL program.

Chris Eadie, an AP teacher at SFHS said AP is not an elitist program. "It's difficult to succeed in AP without proficiency in English," he acknowledged.

However, Eadie identifies other factors as well. "Students succeed in AP and advanced courses because of motivation and encouragement. I don't believe that motivation is based on race. Achieving in advanced classes depends on asking questions and taking initiative."

Eadie pointed out that succeeding in challenging courses is not only up to a motivated individual, but requires some outside support as well. "I worry that a lot of kids don't get the encouragement they need to sign up for challenging courses," he said. "Counselors are focused solely on high school graduation, and don't expect anything extra from students."

When asked why he didn't talk more to English speakers, Abel Samaniego said, "I don't know. I guess we're just shy."

Eadie thinks the shyness may be a cultural aspect as to why Hispanics aren't in AP classes.

Linda Esquibel, a counselor at Santa Fe High, is also concerned with the gap between the ethnicities. "We encourage all students to take AP classes," she said. "But not all students are ready. Students are only discouraged if their grades in regular classes are not up to par."

Esquibel wants more Hispanics to enroll in the courses, but is also conflicted about the solution. "I don't push APs on anyone. I see many more Anglo parents push students into AP classes, before they are ready."

She said she believes that AP is an elitist program, and that not everyone is ready to be in an AP class. She still wishes, however, that Santa Fe High had more Hispanics in the AP program and who will go off to college.