Helping or Hindering? State Policies & Latino College Completion

With support from the Ford Foundation, Excelencia in Education conducted data analysis and preliminary policy audits in 3 key states--California, Colorado and Texas-- to consider existing state policies most obviously connected to equity and Latino college completion. The result is a high level review of state policies that may be helping, hindering, or warrant reconsideration to improve Latino student success in higher education.

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The brief profiles Latino and other post-traditional students in the three states, expands the consideration of public policy from national to state governance levels and links to Excelencia in Education’s national initiative, Ensuring America's Future by Increasing Latino College Completion.

Partners in the selected states include The Campaign for College Opportunity (CA), Metropolitan State University of Denver and the Colorado Coalition for the Educational Advancement of Latinos (CoCEAL) (CO), and Educate Texas (TX).

CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP WEIGHS IN

“The future of our country hinges on the success of the Latino community. Latino students deserve a quality education – from the early learning stages all the way to the higher education years. In order to close the equity gap, it is critically important that policies address the needs of Latino youth.”
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Linda Sánchez (CA 38th District)

"It is vital that we continue to focus on bridging the achievement gap for Latinos in higher education. As policymakers, we have the ability and responsibility to help more students succeed and we must take seriously the recommendations made in this report."
- Representative Loretta Sanchez (CA 46th District)

"Excelencia in Education’s findings underscore the importance of closing the achievement gap. For far too long, minority students have gotten the short end of the stick. If we are to truly give minority students the opportunity of a quality education, we must advocate for and implement some of the policy recommendations laid out in this audit. Only then, will we begin to fix our education system."
- Representative Mark Takano (CA 41st District)

"Colorado knows all too well the persistent achievement gap that exists between white students and their Latino peers. We must narrow this gap by examining our education policies and identifying which ones are actually improving Latino student success rates, and which ones aren’t. Excelencia in Education’s state audit is an important step in achieving these goals."
- Representative Jared Polis (CO 2nd District)

"For the sake of our nation’s future, policies at every level of government should aim to close the equity gap and support, not impede, all young people’s access to a higher education. Young Latinos like all students in America, should have the opportunity to attend and graduate college. Earning a higher education makes it possible for folks to find a good job and achieve their dreams."
- Representative Joaquin Castro (TX 20th District)