Closing the Achievement Gap in California

The number of Latinos earning college degrees in California has risen sharply in recent years, but they still lag behind white students in graduation rates, according to a report from the advocacy group Excelencia in Education. Between 2005 and 2008, the number of Latinos with undergraduate degrees rose by 13 percent, compared to 8 percent for all other ethnic groups, according to the report. But a closer look at the numbers shows that Latinos still trail white students in graduation rates, completion rates per 100 full-time-equivalent students, and the number of degrees awarded per 1,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 44.