What Works Publications

The importance of college degree completion for U.S. society and economic competitiveness makes it imperative to improve educational outcomes for Latino students. Institutional leaders, educators, and policymakers who recognize this imperative are challenged to determine what they can do to improve educational outcomes for Latino students.

Excelencia in Education responds to this challenge by linking research, policy, and practice that supports higher educational achievement for Latino students. Premier in this effort is Examples of Excelencia, a national initiative to systematically identify and honor programs boosting Latino enrollment, performance and graduation with evidence of effectiveness. While there are a growing number of programs worthy of recognition for their efforts to increase Latino student success, Examples of Excelencia focuses on institution-based programs and departments. These programs do not serve Latino students exclusively, but each program disaggregates their data and can demonstrate
success with Latino students.

The 2011 Examples of Excelencia are:

Associate Level - Early College High School Initiative at El Paso Community College

Baccalaureate Level - STEP 2 (Successful Transition to Educator Preparation) at Texas Tech University

Graduate Level - PhD Clinical Psychology Program at Carlos Albizu University

More detailed information about these outstanding 2011 winners is included in this compendium. Also included is information about programs selected as finalists in each category and efforts in newer Latino communities to foster Latino student success.

This compendium is a central component of the Examples of Excelencia initiative. By sharing what works we hope to prompt educators and policymakers to challenge the current status of Latino achievement in higher education and inspire these decision makers to work to increase Latino student success. All the programs profiled in this compendium are at the forefront of meeting the  challenge of improving higher educational  achievement for Latino students and we congratulate them for their current and continued efforts.

According to the US Census Bureau, Latino young adults are less likely to have earned an associate degree or higher than other young adults. In 2008, eight percent of Latinos 18 to 24 years-of-age had earned a degree, compared to 14 percent of all young adults.  Latino adults, 25 years and over, were also less likely to have earned an associate degree or higher than other adults, with 19 percent of Latinos earning a degree, compared to 29 percent of blacks, 39 percent of whites, and 59 percent of Asians.  Meanwhile, census projections estimate that Latinos will be 22 percent of the nation's college-age population by 2020.

Excelencia in Education responds to this challenge by linking research, policy, and practice that supports higher educational achievement for Latino students. Premier in this effort is Examples of Excelencia, a national initiative to systematically identify and honor programs and departments boosting Latino enrollment, performance and graduation.

The 2010 Examples of Excelencia are:

Associate Level - Carreras en Salud (Careers in Health): A Chicago Bilingual Healthcare Partnership at the Wilbur Wright College - Humboldt Park Vocational Education Center

Baccalaureate Level - College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at California State University, San Marcos

Graduate Level - Hispanic Theological Initiative at the Princeton Theological Seminary

More detailed information about these outstanding 2010 winners is included in this compendium. Also included is information about programs selected as finalists in each category as well as a recognition of innovative programs that support Latino student success.

This compendium is a central component of the Examples of Excelencia initiative. By sharing best practices, we hope to prompt educators and policymakers to challenge the current state of Latino achievement in higher education and inspire them to work to increase Latino student success. All the programs profiled in this compendium are at the forefront of meeting the challenge of improving higher educational achievement for Latino students and we congratulate them for their current and continued efforts.

By 2025, 22 percent of the U.S. college-age population will be Latino, a level already exceeded in four states: California, Florida, New York, and Texas. However, today, only seven percent of Latinos ages 18 to 24 have an associate's degree or higher compared to 9 percent of African Americans, 16 percent of white, and 25 percent of Asians of the same age cohort. Given the importance of college degree completion for U.S. society and economic competitiveness, meeting the country's future human capital and workforce needs make it imperative to improve outcomes for Latino students. As public attention is focused on achievement gaps in education, educators and policymakers search for what they can do to improve education outcomes for Latino students. Finding the right solutions can be difficult.

Excelencia in Education responds to this challenge by linking research, policy, and practice that supports higher educational achievement for Latino students. Premier in this effort is Examples of Excelencia, a national initiative to systematically identify and honor programs and departments boosting Latino enrollment, performance and graduation.

The 2009 Examples of Excelencia are:

Associate Level - Puente Project at the University of California

Baccalaureate Level - Science Educational Enhancement Services (SEES) at California State Polytechnic University

Graduate Level - Center for Behavioral and Community Health Studies (BACH) at San Diego State University

More detailed information about these outstanding 2009 winners is included in this compendium. Also included is information about programs selected as finalists and for honorable mentions in each category.

This compendium is a central component of the Examples of Excelencia initiative. By sharing best practices, we hope to prompt educators and policymakers to challenge the current state of Latino achievement in higher education and inspire them to work to increase Latino student success. All the programs profiled in this compendium are at the forefront of meeting the challenge of improving higher educational achievement for Latino students and we congratulate them for their current and continued efforts.

The 2008 Examples of Excelencia were:

Associate Level: Bilingual Nursing Fellows Program at South Mountain College, Phoenix, AZ.

Baccalaureate Level: Bachelor of Architecture Program at Woodbury University, Burbank, CA.

Graduate Level: Intellectual Entrepreneurship Pre-Graduate Internship Program at The University of Texas at Austin, Texas.