California Policy Options to Accelerate Latino Student Success

California Policy Options to Accelerate Latino Student Success (Link to PDF) provides new analysis and proposes a range of policy options to expand college access, particularly for California's Latino population, an issue that will have a significant impact on the state’s – and the nation’s – economic future.

Lessons for the Nation:

In California, Latino students represent 46 percent of the school-aged children; however, they represent only 29 percent of students entering community colleges, 8 percent of students entering the CSU system, and 3 percent of students entering the UC system. Unless the college attainment of Latino students improves, the income of California residents is projected to decline over the next two decades.

Policy Recommendations:

California Policy Options proposes steps in the following three areas that legislators and institutional leaders can implement to increase the state's current and future human capital:

• Ensure that students and parents understand the long term benefits of a college education (for instance, the state could develop a middle school course on preparing for college), 
• Make college affordable for all students (the UC system could offer a scholarship program targeting students from economically disadvantaged and underrepresented communities), and
• Increase the number of California Latino students with postsecondary degrees (the report calls on institutions to set goals for degree completion and for accelerated outreach efforts to encourage degree completion).

Reactions and Discussion

This brief is offered to stimulate discussion and deliberation and lead to policy actions by elected officials and institutional leaders of higher education. Watch this space for a report on impact.