News (Noticias) Tagged ‘graduation rate’

State Farm Insurance ® is empowering Latino students, teachers and administrators today to help solve the dropout rate. Through a $3 million education grant to the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), State Farm will help NCLR in their goals to promote excellence in students, increase Latino graduation rates, and close the achievement gap nationwide. Approximately 2.9 million Latinos are enrolled in U.S. high schools—representing 17% of all secondary public school students—and are less likely than their non-Hispanic peers to complete high school.

The grant, paid over a three-year period, marks the first major contribution to NCLR’s Campaign for Stronger American Communities intended to strengthen the organization’s Affiliates, improve its programmatic outreach, and enhance its effectiveness and impact by strategically focusing financial, human and technical resources in the field on issues of strategic importance to Latino communities across the U.S., such as education. To support this work, NCLR is raising $15 million over the next three years.

“State Farm is a long-time partner of NCLR and has worked with us to strengthen Latino communities by supporting our education programs,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “This latest commitment takes that work to a new level and supports our outreach efforts through our nearly 300 Affiliates. We’re excited by the prospective impact these grants will have on decreasing school dropout rates and building future leaders.” NCLR’s Affiliates reach throughout 41 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

“It’s vital that young members of this growing part of the American community attain the knowledge and skills that will allow them to be full and equal participants in the economy,” said Ed Rust Jr., State Farm Chairman & CEO. “NCLR and State Farm share a vision that begins with making sure our children stay in school and ends with all children achieving their greatest potential.”

The announcement of the grant was made today at a partnership luncheon hosted by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) for State Farm to recognize the long-standing support and contributions made to NCLR, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S. At the event, held at NCLR Headquarters in Washington, Ms. Murguía recognized Mr. Rust for his corporation’s support of NCLR’s initiatives.

State Farm’s commitment to NCLR spans over a decade, including NCLR’s community efforts, Annual Conference, Capital Awards, the Raul Yzaguirre Building Capital Campaign, and the NCLR ALMA Awards. Barbara Cowden, executive vice president at State Farm, sits on NCLR’s Corporate Board of Advisors and is the Chair of NCLR’s Education Task Force. As an early contributor to NCLR’s “Empowering an American Community” campaign when it was launched in 2002, State Farm’s commitment was a cornerstone in NCLR’s efforts to strengthen its long-term institutional abilities. “Latinos have a growing role in our nation’s future prosperity and well-being. At NCLR, we appreciate having such a dedicated and supportive partner as State Farm in our work to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans,” said Ms. Murguía.

The grant to NCLR is one of State Farm’s major commitments under its “State Farm Es Para Mí™” campaign, which focuses on citizenship, civic engagement and education in the Latino community. Other education elements include a directory of scholarships, internships and fellowships for Latino students and grant applications to non-profit organizations and public schools for 200 grants of $1,000 each (due November 4, 2008). For more information, please call 1-877-564-3119 to find a participating State Farm agent.”

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today announced that New York City’s four-year high school graduation rate continues to push upward, as it has every year under the Administration. The City’s four-year rate reached a new high of 55.8 percent in 2007, according to data released this morning by the New York State Education Department, with more students earning Regents diplomas and black and Hispanic students narrowing the graduation gap with their white and Asian peers. The State’s rates now include students who met graduation requirements in summer school following their senior year. Excluding these students to allow for comparisons with previous years, the City’s graduation rate has risen 5.7 percentage points since 2005, and 2.4 points since 2006. By comparison, graduation rates Statewide have risen by 2.8 points since 2005 and 1.4 points since 2006. The City’s increases translate into more than 5,000 additional students graduating since 2005. In addition, the City’s dropout rate has declined since 2005 by 3.3 points, to 14.7 percent from 18 percent. The Mayor and Chancellor were joined at Department of Education headquarters in the Tweed Courthouse by Deputy Mayor for Education and Community Development Dennis M. Walcott, United Federation of Teachers ( UFT ) President Randi Weingarten, UFT Chief Operating Office Michael Mulgrew, and Council of School Supervisors and Administrators ( CSA ) Executive Vice President Peter McNally.

“The graduation rate is a crucial indicator of whether our school system is fulfilling its core mission - giving our children the skills they need to become successful adults,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “After a decade of near-stagnation, New York City’s graduation rate has climbed significantly since 2002. We clearly need to help larger numbers of students to graduate, but the progress we’ve made so far means that thousands more students are graduating today than would have six years ago.”

“Today’s numbers confirm once again that steady progress is now the rule, not the exception, in New York City’s public schools,” said Chancellor Klein. “Although I’m pleased that the overall graduation rate is continuing to rise, it’s especially encouraging to see that the biggest increases are among our black and Hispanic students. This is further evidence that we’re beginning to close the shameful racial achievement gap in this City.”

Because this is the first year that the State included in its calculation students who graduated in August after their final semester, comparisons to previous years must exclude August graduates. Excluding those students, the City’s four-year graduation rate rose to 52.2 percent in 2007 from 49.8 percent in 2006 and 46.5 percent in 2005. At the same time, the dropout rate fell to 14.7 percent in 2007, down from 15 percent in 2006 and 18 percent in 2005. The five-year graduation rate rose to 59.5 percent in 2007 from 55.7 percent in 2006.

“Today is a day to congratulate teachers, principals, students and parents for all their hard work in keeping the graduation rate going in the right direction,” said UFT President Randi Weingarten. “Tomorrow we must ask ourselves what more can we do to get our kids ready for college, to enter the workforce, to improve their life skills? That’s going to require continued collaboration by everyone with a stake in our kids’ education, and in so doing we will dramatically increase the graduation rates.”

“We are seeing gradual, steady increases in student graduation rates because school leaders, teachers and parents are truly working together to improve student learning and ensure every child receives a quality education,” said CSA Executive Vice President Peter McNally. “Student achievement has always been a priority for school leaders, and while there is still more work to be done, with the proper resources we will continue to make progress.”

The percentage of graduates earning Regents diplomas has increased along with the overall graduation rate. A new high of 69.8 percent of graduates in 2007 earned a Regents diploma, compared to 68.4 percent in 2006 and 64.3 percent in 2005 - a 5.5 percentage point increase over two years. Students must meet more rigorous graduation requirements, including higher scores on their Regents exams, to earn a Regents diploma.

The four-year graduation rate among black and Hispanic students is increasing faster than that of their white and Asian peers. Overall, 47.2 percent of black students in 2007 graduated in four years, compared to 43.5 percent in 2006 and 40.2 percent in 2005. This 7.0 point increase over two years compares to a 4.7 increase among white students and a 4.5 increase among Asian students during the same period. Overall, 43 percent of Hispanic students in 2007 graduated in four years, compared to 41 percent in 2006 and 37.4 percent in 2005, an increase of 5.6 points. Between 2005 and 2007, the gap in the graduation rate between white and black students was reduced by 2.3 percentage points, and the gap between white and Hispanic students was reduced by 0.9 points.

The graduation rate among English Language Learners rose 3.1 points to 23.5 in 2007, after falling from 26.5 percent in 2005 to 20.4 percent in 2006. The graduation rate among special education students rose to 19.8 percent in 2007 from 19.4 percent in 2006 and 17.2 percent in 2005, a two-year increase of 2.6 percentage points.

Beginning this year, the City and the State are using a shared methodology to calculate graduation rates. Previously, the City used its own methodology to calculate the rate. Because this formula remained unchanged since 1986; it is still useful for comparisons over time. Using the City’s formula, the graduation rate rose from 58 percent to 62 percent between 2005 and 2007, an increase that tracks closely to the State’s calculation. Since the Mayor won control of the school system in 2002, the graduation rate has increased 11.2 points, using the City’s methodology, from 50.8 percent to 62 percent. Conversely, the graduation rate had been essentially stagnant over the decade prior to 2002.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Stu Loeser / Dawn Walker  ( 212 ) 788-2958

David Cantor  ( Department of Education )
( 212 ) 374-5141″

Nissan North America, Inc. (NASDAQ: NSANY) announced today that it has contributed $50,000 to the Hispanic Achievers — a program of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee. This will mark the second year Nissan has partnered with the local non-profit contributing a total of $100,000 to date.

“Nissan is proud to support the Hispanic Achievers Program in its efforts to help the Hispanic community reach educational success,” said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, senior manager, Philanthropy and Diversity Communications, Nissan North America, Inc. “It provides us an opportunity do our part to help ensure the success of the next generation of Latino leaders who will positively impact and improve our communities.”

The Y-Hispanic Achievers Programs help children, youth, and adults in the Hispanic community achieve their educational goals and better their lives. The program has achieved much success with its high school program, which has a 100% graduation rate with half of its participants moving on to college.

“Receiving support from a company of Nissan’s stature speaks volumes about its commitment to the community. Nissan’s generous contribution will help the Y-Hispanic Achievers Program make a greater impact on Hispanics’ lives,” said Jessie Van de Griek, Harding Place YMCA Community & Volunteer Development Coordinator. “We’re thrilled that Nissan shares our commitment to education, and this partnership will have a lasting impact in Hispanic communities across Nashville. We deeply value the support that the Nissan family has provided our efforts.”

The Y-Hispanic Achievers Program also seeks to direct families on the right path, looking for ways to develop strong academic and educational foundations, to discover their cultural identity, and to establish leadership roles among its participants. Nissan recognizes the numerous strides that the Y-Hispanic Achievers Program has made since its inception in 1992.

Nissan has long been a major contributor of other Hispanic organizations across the country including the National Hispana Institute, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund; and is a proud long-time sponsor of the Copa Nissan Sudamerica.

In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program 2010, whose key priorities are reducing CO2 emissions, cutting other emissions and increasing recycling. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.infiniti.com.

The Hispanic Achievers Program is part of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, YMCA of Middle Tennessee, a not-for-profit, worldwide charitable fellowship united by a common loyalty to Jesus Christ for the purpose of helping persons grow in spirit, mind and body. With 30 centers and 253 program locations, the YMCA reaches 278,328 lives-1 of every 6 people in the 12-county area it serves-through membership, program participation, volunteerism and philanthropy. The YMCA builds strong kids, strong families, and strong communities.
Website: www.nissannews.com/
Website: www.NissanUSA.com/
Website: “

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the AT&T Foundation, the corporate philanthropy organization of AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) announced today that LULAC will receive a $1 million grant from the AT&T Foundation’s Aspire initiative, to implement LULAC’s Adelante America program, which will provide academic classes, mentoring and student leadership development for underserved, at-risk Latino teens in grades eight through 10. “This important educational initiative in our community will help ensure that our nation’s rich high-tech future and digital empowerment is within reach of our Latino youth,” said LULAC president Rosa Rosales. “A good education is the key to a successful future. And as a long-time leader in broadband and mobile communications, and a long-term dependable partner of the Hispanic community, AT&T is once again demonstrating their corporate leadership by keeping the American Dream accessible to Latino students all across the country.” The $1 million grant will be spread out over two years and will serve a total of 910 at-risk participants in the eighth through the 10th grade. The Adelante America program will develop services and activities that will link classroom learning with the challenges that students face in post-secondary education and the workplace of the future. The goals include increasing rates of on-time promotion to the next grade; improvement of academic performance as measured by grades and test scores; improvement of interpersonal relationships between the children and their peers, teachers, family and other adults; reduction of the dropout rate, delinquency and gang involvement; and achieving a higher graduation rate for its participants. “As one of the most well-respected advocacy organizations in the country, LULAC will help ensure that Latino students have the tools they need to live up to their maximum educational potential,” said Susan Santana, assistant vice president, External Affairs, AT&T. “We are honored to play a small part in helping today’s Latino youth become tomorrow’s world leaders.” The AT&T Foundation’s Aspire program was launched earlier this year, in an attempt to address the fact that nearly one-third of U.S. high school students drop out every year, which amounts to one student dropping out every 26 seconds — a disproportionate number of whom are Hispanics. The $100 million philanthropic effort announced in April reflects AT&T’s commitment to help to strengthen student success and workforce readiness. Currently, Latinos are vastly underperforming when compared with other groups. The percentage of adults over the age of 25 that has earned a bachelor’s degree or higher, is 27.2 percent. Among Latinos, that percentage is only 12.2 percent. In addition, Hispanic secondary school students have the highest dropout rates of any ethnic or racial group in the U.S. “*

TRPI has released a report entitled: African American and Latino Enrollment Trends among Medicine, Law, Business, and Public Affairs Graduate Programs. The purpose of the report is to provide an analysis of the fields of medicine, business, law, and public affairs, and to present other relevant data pertaining to African American and Latino students in graduate education. The first section provides an overview of action policy and court cases. The second analyzes the relationship between affirmative action and nationwide enrollment trends of African American and Latino students in the four selected professional programs indicated.

Discovery:

• There have been significant improvements since the 1970s in high school graduation rates of African American and Latino students. Despite this, a low rate of African American and Latino high school alumni restricts the pool for medicine, business, law and public affairs students, because these disciplines require a bachelor’s degree.
• Multiple reasons and processes account for an underrepresentation of African American and Latino students in certain graduate programs, including factors stemming from affirmative action policy and court cases that have resulted from it.
• Institutional enrollment data from a significant number of schools need to be more transparent and more available so that the results of data analysis can be made public.
• Latino and African American applicants do not often have a lineage rooted in education from elite institutions, reducing their access to these gateways in fields of law, medicine, business and public affairs. (Half of the country’s business leaders come from elite schools, which comprise .5% of the nation’s colleges.)

National Enrollment Trends:

• The elimination of affirmative action has sharply decreased the number of underrepresented students enrolling in medical schools. African American applicants who applied to the top 10 public and private medical schools declined by 25%, from 5,379 in 1995 to 4,033 in 2001. Latino applicants to the same schools decreased 38.6%, from 2,769 in 1995 to 1,700 in 2001. Together, African American and Latino enrollment in the nation’s top 10 public and private medical schools declined by 11.2% and 27.2% respectively.
• From fall 1995 to fall 2006, the number of admitted African American and Latino students in University of California’s three law schools declined by 28% under California’s anti-affirmative action movement.
• Over the past nine years, there has been an increase in undergraduate business degrees awarded to African American and Latino students. These degrees rose from 9% of total degrees in the US in 1995-1996, to 15% in the 2003-2004 academic year. However, it should be noted that this statistic is not in keeping with growth of the African American and Latino population in the U.S., currently at 25%.
• MBA degrees for African Americans and Latinos are increasing faster than that of other master’s degrees (though it is also not in keeping with growth of the African American and Latino population in the U.S.).
• Public affairs master’s degrees train students for careers in government, business, media, nonprofit organizations, NGOs and other international organizations. M.A.s in underrepresented groups have increased from 18% in 1996 to 25% in 2004 (though the numbers are inconsistent with the growth of the African American and Latino populations in the U.S.).

Going further, TRPI’s Professor President Harry P. Pachon said, “It is not a question of affirmative action, it is a question of realizing the full intellectual potential of minority students in these programs.”

Download this report from Publications page under the education header at www.TRPI.org.

The report was prepared by Rodolfo de la Garza, and Sepehr Hejazi Moghadam, from the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute office at Columbia University.

Special thanks to the Ford Foundation who made this project possible.

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View more “Did You Know?” facts in our “Did You Know?” section

During the 2006-07 school year, 57.7 percent of eligible Hispanic students in Metro graduated high school, the lowest percentage among five racial and ethnic groups, including African-Americans and whites, district figures show. The school system’s overall graduation rate last year was 70 percent. This year’s numbers haven’t been crunched yet because of potential summer school graduates who start sessions this month.

In the last five years, the number of Hispanic students attending Metro schools nearly doubled, from 7.8 percent in 2003 to 13.3 percent last year, according to state figures.”*

On campuses large and small in every part of America, proud parents are snapping photos as their sons and daughters receive college diplomas. These freshly minted degrees not only fulfill families’ dreams but also hold the promise of a more productive and prosperous future for all of us.

• Today’s young people are NOT better educated than their parents, a sad position we hold in common with only one other developed country, and
• After years of progress, the black-white gap in college degrees is no smaller now than it was a generation ago, and the gap between Latinos and whites actually has widened.

These chilling facts are, in part, the result of what happens—and does not happen—on our campuses. For too many students, what does not happen is graduation: Only about four in 10 of those who start full time in four-year colleges earn a degree in four years, a number that rises to about six in 10 within six years.

If we are to achieve the goal of a better-educated populace and fulfill the dreams of millions of parents, we must identify, study, and replicate postsecondary success. College Results Online is a critical tool in that process.

Within low socioeconomic Latino communities, effective parental involvement practices are key to transforming school performance. Educators have struggled for years to find effective ways to improve student achievement, particularly in low-performing schools. These schools are increasingly comprised of students of color and lower socioeconomic status. Today, nationwide, children of color (including Latino children) represent nearly 40 percent of the total school enrollment, with this number anticipated to increase (National Center for Education Statistics 2005).

Marotta and Garcia (2003) pointed out that “Latinos constitute the fastest growing ethnic minority group in the United States, with varying estimates by demographers as to the year in which Latinos will become the largest minority group in terms of number of individuals in the U.S. census.” Unfortunately, many children of color are significantly below their peers on all measures of academic achievement, including standardized test scores, grades, graduation rates, and percentages entering college (National Center for Education Statistics 2005). Worst of all, this gap continues to increase (Haycock 1998).”*

Doing its part to help address the issue of nearly one-third of U.S. high school students dropping out, AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) today announced the launch of AT&T Aspire, a $100 million philanthropic program, which includes job shadowing for 100,000 students nationwide, to help strengthen student success and workforce readiness.

“In the U.S., 1.2 million students drop out of high school every year. This has implications for individuals and for our nation’s global economic leadership,” said AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson, who will address the topic Thursday at the Economic Club of Chicago. “AT&T Aspire is about supporting the great work already underway to help our kids succeed in school, and helping students see the connection between education and their best future.”

Through the Aspire initiative, AT&T and the AT&T Foundation are committing $100 million (over four years, 2008 - 2011) toward high school success and workforce readiness. The platform includes four key elements:

– Grants to schools and nonprofit organizations that are focused on helping students graduate from high school and become better prepared for college and/or the workforce.

– A student job shadowing initiative, involving 400,000 AT&T employee hours, that will give 100,000 students a firsthand look at the skills they will need to succeed in the 21st century workforce.

– The underwriting of national research that will explore the practitioner perspective (teachers, principals, superintendents, school counselors and school board members) on the high school dropout issue.

– Support for 100 state and community Dropout Prevention summits, announced earlier this month by America’s Promise Alliance.

America’s Promise Alliance recently noted that nearly one-third of U.S. high school students drop out before graduating — with about 7,000 students dropping out every school day, or one every 26 seconds. And, March statistics from the U.S. Labor Department show that the 8.2 percent jobless rate for Americans with less than a high school education is 60 percent higher than the overall jobless rate of 5.1 percent.

This issue has significant long-term implications for workforce readiness and continued U.S. leadership in the global economy, Stephenson said.

According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, students who are unprepared to enter college cost the U.S. economy more than $3.7 billion annually in lost earnings and remedial education costs. And, according to the landmark study “The Silent Epidemic” by John Bridgeland, a high school dropout earns, on average, $9,200 less a year than a high school graduate and about $1 million less over a lifetime than a college graduate.

$100 Million AT&T Aspire Program Will Fund Education, Workforce Grants

As one of the largest-ever corporate commitments to high school retention and workforce readiness, the $100 million AT&T Aspire program will support proven organizations that promote educational success, from the classroom to the workplace.

Beginning this month, the AT&T Foundation — the corporate philanthropy organization of AT&T Inc. — will solicit grant proposals from schools and local organizations focused on high school retention.

AT&T Launches Unprecedented Companywide Job Shadow Initiative

The company’s job shadowing initiative involves committing 400,000 employee volunteer hours to reach 100,000 students over the next five years. The program will pair AT&T employees with students in grades 9-12 so that students can experience the world of work and see firsthand the kinds of skills necessary to be successful in the workplace.

“AT&T is uniquely positioned to inspire tomorrow’s workforce through job shadowing,” said Bill Blase, senior executive vice president, Human Resources for AT&T. “With more than 300,000 employees, we are ready to motivate students and show them what a dynamic and diverse workplace is all about.”

AT&T will work with Junior Achievement to administer and execute the effort. Junior Achievement is a recognized leader in job shadowing and a key member of the National Job Shadow Coalition, which also includes the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Labor and America’s Promise Alliance. The AT&T program is the largest-ever corporate job shadowing initiative Junior Achievement has undertaken.

Job shadowing is a proven way to improve high school success. According to Junior Achievement, 79 percent of students participating in job shadowing report that the program increased their desire to stay in school.

“We are thrilled that AT&T is joining forces with Junior Achievement to address one of the biggest challenges facing our young people and the businesses for whom they would work — lack of work-readiness skills,” said Jack Kosakowski, executive vice president and chief operating officer of JA Worldwide and president of Junior Achievement USA. “This partnership makes the critical connection between classroom lessons and the world of work so that students enter the workforce ready to contribute and succeed.”

AT&T’s two major unions, the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, are supporting the job shadowing initiative.

AT&T to Underwrite Landmark Research, Dropout Prevention Summits

Picking up where his seminal education study, “The Silent Epidemic,” left off, John Bridgeland will turn his research to the perspectives of teachers and school administrators on the high school dropout crisis, including why students drop out, the barriers to keeping more students engaged and effective strategies to ensure more students stay on track to graduate. The research is being commissioned by AT&T and America’s Promise Alliance.

“The statistics on our nation’s dropout crisis are alarming, and the consequences of this crisis are devastating personally, socially, economically and civically,” said Bridgeland. “This research will help provide schools and communities with important new perspectives to design policies and initiatives that will help address the dropout epidemic.”

In addition, AT&T will help underwrite 100 state and community dropout-prevention summits. Led by America’s Promise Alliance — the nation’s largest partnership alliance working on behalf of children and youth — the summits will be held in all 50 states. The summits will increase public awareness of the dropout crisis, serve as a call to action for all Americans and develop workable solutions to improve graduation rates.

“Nearly one-third of all public high school students — and nearly one-half of minority students — fail to graduate with their classmates,” said Marguerite Kondracke, president and CEO of America’s Promise Alliance. “Through our Dropout Prevention summits, we will work closely with states and communities, listening to families, schools and students to find the best ways to fight the growing dropout crisis — and apply those lessons as quickly as possible.”

Stephenson said, “Investing in a well-educated workforce may be the single most important thing we can do to help America remain the leader in a digital, global economy.”

For more information about the AT&T Aspire initiative, please visit www.att.com/education-news .

About JA Worldwide(R) (Junior Achievement)

JA Worldwide is the world’s largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, JA Worldwide provides in-school and after-school educational programs for students which focus on three key content areas: entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy. Today, 140 individual area operations reach approximately four million students in the United States, with an additional 3.3 million students served by operations in 119 other countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org .

About the America’s Promise Alliance

America’s Promise Alliance is the nation’s largest partnership alliance comprised of corporations, nonprofit organizations, foundations, policymakers, advocacy and faith groups committed to ensuring that children receive the fundamental resources — the Five Promises — they need to lead successful, healthy and productive lives and build a stronger society. Building on the legacy of our founder General Colin Powell, the Alliance believes a child’s success is grounded in experiencing the Five Promises — caring adults; safe place; a healthy start; an effective education; and opportunities to help others — at home, in school and in the community. For more information visit: www.americaspromise.org.

About Civic Enterprises

Civic Enterprises is a public policy firm that helps corporations, nonprofits, foundations, universities and governments develop and spearhead innovative public policies to strengthen our communities and country. President and CEO John M. Bridgeland authored “The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts,” which showed that most dropouts could have graduated from high school if they had had more support. Bridgeland also led the National Summit on America’s Silent Epidemic with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Governors Association, TIME Magazine and MTV that prompted action at the federal, state and local levels around a 10 point plan of action to increase graduation rates and college and workforce readiness. For more information, visit www.civicenterprises.net .

About Jobs for America’s Graduates

Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) is a non-profit organization and youth development program dedicated to helping at-risk youth graduate from high school and make successful transitions to postsecondary education and meaningful employment. JAG has served over 550,000 youth since its inception in 1980 and is currently helping 40,000 young people in 700 high schools, middle schools, community colleges and other locations in 27 states to achieve academic, career and life success. For more information, visit www.jag.org .

About Philanthropy at AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its philanthropic initiatives and partnerships, AT&T supports projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; and address community needs. In 2007, AT&T contributed more than $164 million through corporate-, employee- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs. AT&T and the AT&T Foundation, the corporate philanthropy organization of AT&T, combine more than $1.9 billion of historic charitable commitment to communities across the country.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world’s most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation’s leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at www.att.com .

(C) 2008 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.

Note: This AT&T news release and other announcements are available as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss . For more information, please review this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at www.att.com/newsroom .“*

*From: http://www.hispanicprwire.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Dropout rates increased for all subgroups except Hispanic students:

* Asian 3.2%
* Native American 7.0%
* African American 7.4%
* Hispanic 7.9%
* White 3.6%
* Total 4.4%

Even with the increases in the Oregon’s dropout rate, it continues to be significantly lower than the very high dropout rates of the mid-1990’s. A decade ago, the statewide dropout rate stood at 7%, and the Hispanic rate was about 18%. The African American rate was nearly 12% and the Native American rate about 10%.”*

*From: http://www.salem-news.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Pueblo City Schools officials were happy to see a strong improvement in the district’s graduation rate last year, but a closer look at the figures show that Hispanic students are receiving diplomas at a rate less than the overall school population.

The Hispanic graduation rate did improve, though, rising to 60 percent from 50 percent, but it’s still more than 10 percentage points behind the overall district and the rate among white students set at 77.4 percent. Hispanic students make up 56 percent of the number of students expected to be in the class of 2007, but 48 percent of the number who actually received diplomas”*

*From: http://www.chieftain.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Florida is one of three Southern Regional Education Board states expected to see “explosive growth” of greater than 20 percent in the overall number of Hispanic high school graduates through 2022.

According to a new report, a major increase in Hispanic students will significantly impact the SREB states as they work to raise high school and college graduation rates.

The number of Hispanic public high school graduates in 2008 in SREB states is projected to more than double by 2022, a higher rate of increase than in the nation, according to a report released today by the Denver-based Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, SREB’s counterpart for higher education in the West. “*

*From: http://www.nwfdailynews.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

The Campaign for High School Equity, the only coalition of leading civil rights groups to focus on high school education reform, held a briefing for policymakers yesterday to address changes to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that would ensure stronger provisions for the more than five million English language learner (ELL) students enrolled in America’s public school system.

While ELL students represent the fastest growing segment of students, they are among the country’s lowest performing. For instance, in 2007, only 4 percent of eighth-grade ELL students scored at or above a “proficient” level on the reading portion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, compared to 31 percent of non-ELL students. In addition, only 49 percent of ELL students graduate from high school on time, with a regular diploma.
“While we work on reauthorizing NCLB, we must keep in mind the civil rights of all students,” said Victor Goode, assistant general counsel of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). “Currently, NCLB doesn’t require states to assess ELL students in their native language.”

Phitsamay Uy, board chair for the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, joined Goode and coalition members Peter Zamora, regional general counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and Brent Wilkes, executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, at the briefing. Uy stressed that the needs of many Southeast Asian students, especially those who are English language learners, are overlooked as a result of the model minority myth that stereotypes all Asian Americans as doing well academically.

“Many of these children are trying to learn a new language at the same time as learning a new subject. Their success needs to be defined by academic achievement, not English-language proficiency alone,” said Uy. She noted that, after Spanish, Vietnamese and Hmong are the two most common primary languages of ELL students.

Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX) and Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) made remarks at the briefing, showing their support for the Campaign’s recommendations to safeguard the civil rights of those students whose proficiency in spoken and/or written English is not yet strong enough to permit them to succeed in an English-language classroom setting without extra support.

The Campaign called on Congress to incorporate the following priorities into NCLB reform:

– Require the public reporting of data broken down by students’ racial and ethnic backgrounds in order to highlight subgroups of students;

– Hold high schools accountable for increasing graduation rates for all student subgroups and consider graduation rates on an equal footing with high-quality assessments aligned to college and work readiness in determining high school quality;

– Provide high-quality assessments and instruction that help to improve student reading and math skills without sacrificing their access to high-level academic subjects;

– Give students excellent teachers, and provide parents with adequate supports so they can play a more confident and informed role in their children’s education; and

– Ensure that federal policy provides sufficient resources to serve all students, particularly ELLs.

For more of the Campaign’s recommendations on strengthening NCLB to better serve students of color, visit their Web site at www.highschoolequity.org.

The Campaign for High School Equity is a diverse coalition of national civil rights organizations representing communities of color that believe high schools should have the capacity and motivation to prepare every student for graduation, college, work, and life. The Campaign was formed to address the unequal public education system that fails to provide high-quality education to students of color and youth from low-income neighborhoods. Members of the Campaign include the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, the National Council of La Raza, the National Indian Education Association, the National Urban League, and the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center. The Alliance for Excellent Education serves as the Campaign’s convener and coordinator.”*

*From: http://www.hispanicprwire.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Esmeralda County School Superintendent Robert Aumaugher found out a few months ago something that almost everyone else involved in education already knew: There is a “gap” in the high school graduation rates in Nevada. While 75 percent of “white” students graduate, only 55 percent of “Hispanics” cross the finish line.

So what did Mr. Aumaugher decide to do to reduce that disparity? He sent out a letter informing parents of students that their children would not be allowed to speak Spanish on the school bus anymore.

Now the 12 Latino students who ride the bus will have to speak English or be quiet for an hour each way in order to improve the dropout rate of minorities in the Silver State.”*

*From: http://news.rgj.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

What has often been overlooked in the community’s ongoing dialogue on the Rochester School District’s graduation rates is the simple fact that Latino students have the lowest rates in the district. According to district reports, the Latino graduation rate is about 12 percent lower than that of African Americans.

Why should this concern anyone? After all, Latinos are relatively new to Rochester. Other ethnic groups that also find themselves struggling were here first. Earlier immigrants made it through the urban school system, and yet became part of America’s middle class. Why should Latinos be given any breaks?”*

*From: http://www.democratandchronicle.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Hundreds gathered at Taylor University on tuesday for “Latinos Count”, an event organized by Salvador Soto to educate the latino community and the public.

“There’s a lot of us, we have a lot of needs, and a lot of economic clout,” Soto said. “We want people to understand that.”

This year’s conference focused on graduation rates in the hispanic community, and featured an exclusive workshop for teens. Students met with representatives from area colleges for useful application tips.”*

*From: http://www.wane.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

This morning, the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options, will gather with other national school choice allies to host a roundtable discussion on the results of a statewide poll school choice, which was released Tuesday. The poll showed that many Latino parents in Illinois support expanding educational options in the state.

“This poll proves that Hispanics in Illinois are not satisfied with the status quo,” said Rebeca Nieves-Huffman, President of Hispanic CREO. “They want the most opportunities to provide their children with the best education possible. These parents need more educational options for their children.”

The poll revealed that 52% of Hispanics were in favor of parents using public funds to send their children to private school. The poll also revealed that 53% of participants would be in favor of instituting Corporate Tax Credit scholarships, which would use corporate donations to provide students with scholarships to attend private school.

In 2006, only 54% of Hispanic students in Illinois graduated from high school, compared with 85% of White students, according to the Alliance for Excellent Education, which tracks high school graduation rates across the country.

The discussion roundtable will be held this morning at 11:30 AM in the 8th Floor Club of the Chicago Symphony Center, 220 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

Hispanic CREO’s previous research has shown that Latino parents are widely in favor of school choice. A recent national poll, conducted in collaboration with the Alliance for School Choice, demonstrated that 75% of Latino parents would be interested in using vouchers to send their children to private school. The poll also revealed that 82% of Hispanic voters considered education to be a top priority for the 2008 presidential elections.

ABOUT HISPANIC CREO
Hispanic CREO is the only organization in the United States committed to improving the educational outcomes of Latino children by empowering parents through school choice. More information about the organization can be found at www.hcreo.org. “*

Hispanic students are more likely to succeed academically at Cal State Northridge than at most state-supported schools throughout the U.S., according to a report released recently by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

The CSUN students also outperform national benchmarks in retention, and in closing the gap between white and Hispanic graduation rates, according to the “Hispanic Student Success Study.” The report - which uses the U.S. Census Bureau catchall term “Hispanic” for anyone with ancestry in a Spanish-speaking country - focused on 11 campuses, including Northridge, that were invited to participate in the study because they “retain and graduate Hispanic students at much better rates than their peers.”

At Northridge, where the demographic is more commonly referred to as “Latino,” the graduation rate for Hispanic students continues to rise, as does their percentage of all graduates. More than 34 percent of Hispanic students graduate within six years from CSUN, while barely 20 percent do so nationally within the same time frame.

The report attributed a 10 percent jump over five years in the Hispanic graduation rate to the leadership of CSUN President Jolene Koester. She has emphasized improving the completion rate for all students since her first university address in 2000. Her ongoing message is cited as motivating faculty and staff to take independent steps that are resulting in higher graduation rates across the board.

CSUN, long a popular campus for Latino students ranging from affluent, fifth-generation Mexican-Americans to disadvantaged newcomers from Central America, has often been recognized for success with this expanding demographic. When graded on how well universities serve Hispanic students, for example, Northridge ranked fifth in the nation among colleges and universities that award bachelor’s degrees in The Hispanic Outlook for Higher Education’s 2006 ranking of the top 100 colleges for Hispanics. Based on data provided by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, the magazine also ranked CSUN second in the nation in awarding degrees to Hispanics in Hispanic studies, third in psychology and in the visual and performing arts, sixth in area studies and in communications, seventh in English literature and ninth in business and marketing.

More Hispanic students who attend Northridge are also succeeding in the sciences, subject areas that traditionally attract fewer minorities, according to the college association report. Many who excel and go on to graduate school in those fields, the study said, are often participants in one of two programs: Minority Access to Research Careers or Minority Biomedical Research Support, which provide faculty mentoring and, when necessary, supplemental instruction.

The study cited as additional evidence of Hispanic success, the preponderance of Hispanic students in leadership positions at CSUN. The researchers also met with two leaders of a prominent Hispanic organization at CSUN, and both were enthusiastically involved in a pen pal project reaching out to fifth-graders and showing them that they, too, could aspire to college.

Noting the causes of the broad success of Hispanic students at CSUN, the study cited many factors such as “vividly inspiring” Hispanic faculty and staff - including some alumni - who go beyond their official positions to encourage student achievement. The report also described a variety of support services ranging from mandatory advisement to a freshman experience program and, if needed, access to tutoring and financial assistance that have helped Hispanic students.

The successes and the factors that influenced them are especially significant as the nation’s Hispanic population continues to increase rapidly, with the fastest growth among children under the age of 18, the pool from which future college students will come.

Despite that demographic surge, Hispanic students remain underrepresented on most campuses. Not at CSUN, where they represent 28.1 percent of the undergraduate enrollment, according to the report, reaching a “critical mass” capable of providing support and a feeling of belonging without isolation or stigma.

Cal State Northridge was also praised for developing connections with Hispanics of all ages in the surrounding community by reaching out via invitations to cultural events, by allowing use of campus facilities, through an active speakers’ bureau, and through programs that bring younger Latino students to CSUN or provide opportunities for Northridge faculty and students to work with them elsewhere. California State University, Northridge has 35,200 full- and part-time students and offers 62 bachelor’s and 50 master’s degrees as well as 28 teaching credential programs. Founded in 1958, CSUN is among the largest single-campus universities in the nation and the only four-year public university in the San Fernando Valley. The university serves as the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Valley and beyond.”*

An American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) study has recognized The University of Texas at Arlington as a trailblazer in “closing the gap” between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white students in college.

UT Arlington had a much greater than average improvement in the gap between non-Hispanic white and Hispanic student graduation rates for the reporting years from 2002-2005.”*

“Gustavus Adolphus College is hosting its annual Chicano/Latino Youth Leadership Institute service conference Oct. 25-26. This year’s conference is for Latino high school students from St. Peter and St. James high schools.

ChYLI is a culturally based positive youth development program that provides Chicano-Latino high school youth from southern Minnesota with opportunities to develop their leadership ability and enhance their educational outlook.

The program was developed in 1993 by the Region Nine Development Commission in Mankato, Minn., and is now coordinated by Gustavus. Goals of the program include building a network of Chicano-Latino leaders, increasing understanding of the Chicano-Latino culture, involving youth in service-learning opportunities, community decision-making and vision setting, and increasing school connectedness and graduation rates among Chicano-Latino youth.”*

“Michigan State University will receive $2.3 million over the next five years to help seasonal and migrant farm youths achieve their educational goals.

The U.S. Department of Education grant will enable MSU to continue to provide quality educational services to 70 eligible students each year through the university’s High School Equivalency Program (HEP). The program provides intensive academic instruction for General Educational Development (GED) preparation, support services and resources for academic and career planning to program participants.

“MSU has the only HEP program tailored to provide General Educational Development and job preparation services to the migrant and seasonal farm worker community in the Michigan, Illinois and Ohio region,” said Luis Alonzo Garcia, HEP director.

Current research indicates that agriculture, Michigan’s second largest industry, contributes $60.1 billion in direct and indirect economic activity to the state economy, Garcia said.

According to a recent study on the impact of migrant farm workers on Michigan agriculture, Michigan is the nation’s fourth largest employer of migrant farm workers in the United States.

“A large labor force is necessary to sustain the viability of this industry in Michigan,” Garcia said, “and the agricultural industry will continue to demand a large population of migrant farm workers.

Education of the migrant farm worker population is needed to break the continuous cycle of migrants who work to keep their families out of poverty, he said. Young people face barriers including cultural differences, limited English proficiency, the need for financial assistance and the lack of access to role models for education or careers.

“MSU’s HEP program focuses on the gaps and weaknesses and needs to overcome these barriers, and determines strategies and objectives to help meet the students’ educational goals,” Garcia said.

Two 12-week residential academic sessions are held each year on campus and at a commuter satellite site in Sturgis to provide academic instruction for GED preparation, support services and resources for academic and career planning to all program participants. Project graduates continue to receive referrals and support as they continue their higher education pursuits, or enter the work force or the military.

“Because of the large numbers of Latino/Hispanic citizens residing in Michigan and the difficulties associated with a lack of employment opportunities, it is essential to continue programs that further prepare this population for a competitive future by increasing graduation rates and job preparation,” Garcia said. “Michigan needs qualified, educated employees to improve its future and MSU HEP will continue to contribute to this goal.”

For more information on MSU HEP, visit www.msuhep.msu.edu.”*

“More than a year ago, Cal State Long Beach was designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution and a five-year development grant was awarded to help expand the university’s capacity to serve Latino students.

With the specific purpose to improve retention and graduation rates of Latino students, the U.S. Department of Education provided our university with a unique opportunity - one that - it seems sadly to be squandering.

The award of $570,000 per year for five years is no paltry amount, yet there appears to be little to show for it thus far. Going into its second year, the grant money should have accomplished much to centralize assistance for Latino students with dire academic needs. But this wasn’t the direction administration chose to follow, against the advice and insistence of the Latino campus community.”*

“Today, Rev. Luis Cortes, Jr., Esperanza’s president and CEO, announced that only 2 of 630 Esperanza Academy Charter High School students dropped out during the 2006 school year.

The Philadelphia School District has a 43% Latino dropout rate — higher than any other ethnic group in the city. Nearly half of Esperanza’s neighborhood population over age 25 does not have a high school diploma.

“We are delighted with this extraordinary success,” said Rev. Cortes. “I congratulate our teachers, our parents and most of all, our students for their tireless dedication to learning.”

“Over the past two years, the school’s board, administration and staff have moved toward individualized instruction,” explained Rev. Cortes. “Tailoring curriculum and instruction to our students’ needs develops students with hope, a belief in their future and a willingness to work hard. Dropping out is simply not an option.”

The Academy’s drop-out rate is just one of the school’s many accomplishments:

– 89% attendance rate — in contrast to 65% - 75% for area high schools — 70% graduation rate — 20% higher than the citywide Latino graduation rate — 91% college acceptance rate — 31% improvement in math scores since 2003 — One of only three neighborhood (non magnet) high schools in the city to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (No Child Left Behind standard) for two consecutive years.

The Academy’s student body is 92% Latino and 8% African American. The school has a zero tolerance policy for fighting, vandalism, drug, alcohol and weapons possession.

The Rev. Luis Cortes is president of Esperanza, the largest Hispanic faith-based community development corporation in the country. With a national network of 10,000 faith- and community-based agencies, Esperanza is one of the leading voices for Hispanics in America. For more information, go to www.esperanza.us/. “*

“In its 79-year history, Yakima Valley Community College has educated thousands of students from all over the Valley.

Now, it will pour nearly $3 million into making sure that even more students become educated.

YVCC was recently awarded a federal grant of $575,000 a year for five years.

Called “Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions,” the Department of Education grant will enable the college to focus on increasing the numbers of students who attend college, particularly Hispanic students, and improving graduation rates.”*