Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Hispanic Students Lag in College Admission

Hispanic Students Lag in College Admission: Hispanic students in Texas are falling behind educationally, with high school graduation rates lower than average and college enrollment lagging that of Black and White students.

Hispanics are the fastest-growing ethnic group in Texas, but they are falling behind in some measures of academic success.

Only 68 percent graduate from high school within four years, 10 points below the overall rate, and just 42.5 percent of those who graduated in 2007 enrolled in college or technical training the following fall, lower rates than Black and White students.

The challenges of improving education of Hispanics, who make up about 36 percent of the state, have been complicated by rapid growth.

“We’ve made progress,” said Raymund Paredes, higher education commissioner for Texas, in a story published Sunday for the Houston Chronicle. “Our challenge is, we started so far behind, and the Latino population is growing so fast.”