NALEO Convenes New Mexico Elected Officials to Discuss Higher Education Access Strategies for Latino Students

“The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, the nation’s preeminent Latino leadership organization, will convene more than 30 Latino policymakers from New Mexico to participate in the NALEO Educational Fund’s New Mexico Statewide Naleo Education Leadership Initiative (NELI) Institute on Higher Education Access. In an effort to eliminate the achievement gap, the institute will provide a dynamic framework in which Latino policymakers will discuss current state education policies, develop effective goals, tools and strategies that will promote key aspects of successful higher education access in the state.

Participants will hear from education experts who will share the latest research findings on closing the educational achievement gap among Latino students; discuss the best practices that help increase Latino student college attendance and graduation rates; and examine policy recommendations from federal, state and local governments that help increase higher education access for Latino students.

According the 2000 U.S. Census, the gap between the educational level of non-Latinos and Latinos in New Mexico are substantial. Among working-age adults (between the ages of 24 to 64), about 31 percent of Latinos do not have a high school diploma compared to seven percent of non-Latinos. However, the disparities are greater between college-educated non-Latinos and Latinos with only 17 percent of Latinos attaining college degrees compared to 44 percent of non-Latinos.

Since 2005, the Institute has continued to improve the ability of Latino policymakers to shape public policies that will help eliminate the achievement gap and increase college graduation rates among Latino students across the nation.

What: NALEO Educational Fund Convenes New Mexico Elected Officials to Higher Education Access Strategy Session for Latino Students

When: Dec. 8-10, 2006

Dec. 8: 4 p.m.: The State of Higher Education Access for Latino Students in New Mexico – New Mexico South

Dec. 9 : 9 a.m.: College Readiness: Getting Latino Students Prepared – New Mexico South

– 11 a.m. Regional Strategy Session – Parlors C, D, and G

– 12 noon Keynote Speaker – Governor Bill Richardson (invited)

– 1:15 p.m. Closing the Information Gap: Applying for & Financing College Dreams – New Mexico South

Dec. 10: 9 a.m.: Creating the Seamless P-20 Pipeline: ENLACE New Mexico Case Study – New Mexico South

– 10:30 a.m. Strategy Sessions – Parlors C, D, and G

– 11:30 a.m. Strategy Session Group Presentations – New Mexico South

Where: Hilton Albuquerque Hotel, 1901 University NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico

For a complete agenda or list of participants log on to www.naleo.org or contact Olga Quinones 213-747-7606, ext. 122″

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