In his State of the Union, the President made it clear that the most important contest this country faces today is not between Democrats and Republicans, but with competitors around the world for the jobs and industries of our time. To win that contest and secure prosperity for all Americans, the nation must out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world. The Latino community is integral to that plan to win the future. In today's American public education system, Latinos are by far the largest minority group, numbering more than 12.4 million in the country's elementary, middle and high schools. Currently, nearly 22 percent, or slightly more than 1 in 5, of all pre-K-12 students enrolled in America's public schools is Latino. Yet, Latino students face persistent obstacles to educational attainment. Less than half of Latino children are enrolled in any early learning program. Only about half of all Latino students earn their high school diploma on time; those who do complete high school are only half as likely as their peers to be prepared for college. Just 13 percent of Latinos have a bachelor's degree, and only 4 percent have completed graduate or professional degree programs. Overall, Latinos have the lowest education attainment level of any group in the U.S. In his speech at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce conference in March 2009, the President laid out his education agenda and the importance of education to the Latino community, and to all Americans. President Obama called for a focus on early learning, higher standards for student learning, effective teachers and school leaders, and innovation that builds on what works in America's classrooms. Improving education also means providing support to turn around low-performing schools, reducing high school dropout rates and strengthening higher education to increase rates of college attainment and completion so that every student can realize his or her full potential. Appended are: (1) Additional Education-Related Information; and (2) Executive Order--White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.