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ERIC Number: ED527060
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Nov
Pages: 20
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Men of Color: Ensuring the Academic Success of Latino Males in Higher Education
Saenz, Victor B.; Ponjuan, Luis
Institute for Higher Education Policy
The U.S. Census data are clear: In the coming years, America's Latina/o community will continue to drive population and labor force growth. Therefore, federal and state policymakers, higher education leaders, and communities small and large across the pre-K to college continuum would be wise to seize this sizeable demographic shift to help propel the United States into a position of economic and social prosperity. Yet, as advocates have articulated, improving the proportion of Latinas/os that access and complete college armed with the knowledge and skills to compete in the 21st century will require much work. The pressing reality is that men of color, and Latino males in particular, lag significantly behind their female peers in terms of both college access and degree attainment. This situation weakens the nation's ability to utilize its great human capital and ensure the success of its diverse families and communities. This three-part brief has been written to bring needed clarity to the growing gender gap in educational attainment among Latinas/os and to provide recommendations for education practitioners, institutional leaders, and federal and state policymakers on how to support Latino males at the national and regional levels. To that end, this brief contains: (1) A review of recent census and educational attainment data, identifying critical transition points in early childhood, secondary, and postsecondary education between Latina/o boys and girls that affect college readiness and completion; (2) The introduction of a promising blueprint that outlines key factors to help develop and implement education programs and initiatives to increase the success of Latino male students; and (3) Policy and programmatic implications for stakeholders seeking to enact change at the pre-college and college levels and within national, state, and local contexts. Ultimately, the sobering statistics for Latino males discussed in this brief are a clarion call for action among policymakers, the philanthropic community, educators, families, and communities large and small. Simply stated, if individuals do not act strategically and collaboratively, Latino males may continue to vanish from the American higher education landscape. (Contains 2 tables, 6 figures and 2 footnotes.)
Institute for Higher Education Policy. 1320 19th Street NW Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-861-8223; Fax: 202-861-9307; e-mail: institute@ihep.org; Web site: http://www.ihep.org
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: Community; Teachers; Policymakers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Institute for Higher Education Policy
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A