Nonprofit Group Steps Up Campaign to Get More Hispanic Students to Complete College

Excelencia in Education expects to announce on Wednesday several plans to accelerate its national efforts to improve college completion among Hispanics, the fastest-growing minority group in the United States.

Fifty groups will be joining the campaign, the nonprofit organization will say. Among them are the National Governors Association, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Maricopa Community Colleges.

"We know everyone has to increase their numbers, but we have so much farther to go," Deborah A. Santiago, vice president for policy and research at Excelencia, said of the Hispanic population.

Excelencia will also release a statistical report on Wednesday that examines the current condition of Hispanics in higher education compared with other racial and ethnic groups.

As part of its national efforts, Excelencia plans to track the college-completion progress of Hispanic, black, and white students on an annual basis. It will use the statistical report as a baseline.

"If our work doesn't lead to action, then we are not being successful," Ms. Santiago said.