There was general agreement among the more than 200 people testifying at hearings held by the Michigan Commission on Spanish Speaking Affairs in the summer of 1990 that the quality of life is lower for Hispanic Americans in Michigan than for the population as a whole. Hispanic Americans lag in average educational attainment, high school graduation rates, college attendance, and occupational status, and they have the poorest attendance, the lowest scores in state and national achievement examinations, and the highest dropout rate. They are denied access to remedial and accelerated programs and are cut off from bilingual education after 3 years. Of the total Michigan enrollment in higher education, Hispanic Americans represent only 1.54 percent and attain only 0.94 percent of the bachelor's degrees. Improving the quality of the education offered to this ethnic group can begin with systems to obtain more information about the educational needs of Hispanic Americans. Among the many specific recommendations for improvement in elementary and secondary school are more Hispanic role models (teachers and administrators) in school systems, better dropout prevention, better bilingual programs, some language immersion programs, improved teacher education for cultural sensitivity, and improved curricula and funding. Three tables present findings from the hearings. An appendix gives enrollment and graduation rates for Hispanic Americans in the Michigan public university system. (SLD)