The Fontana Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce
EDUCATION
MORE LATINOS NEED TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE
California's economy needs more college-educated Latinos
February 27, 2007 - By Martin Carnoy
California faces a major economic crisis: a shortage of four-year
college graduates.
The state stands to produce too few graduates to fuel its
cutting-edge service economy, mainly because not enough
Latinos attend and complete college.
In 2005-2006, one-half the students in California's public schools
were Latinos, but Latinos earned only about 15 percent of the
150,000 bachelor's degrees awarded by all California colleges
that year. As the student population of California becomes
increasingly Latino, these numbers bode badly for the state's
economy.
The problem will not be easy to resolve. Many Latino students
start out behind in kindergarten and never catch up. By the time
they reach middle and high school, many bright Latino students
are counseled by poorly trained school officials into low-level
courses which are not in the academic track. Without family
members who are savvy in navigating middle and high school
choices, most Latino students never fulfill minimum course
requirements for college. Many also attend high schools that
don't offer the honors and advanced placement courses now
needed to attend the University of California.
Many dedicated teachers and administrators have motivated
Latino and other disadvantaged students academically and have
led them through this complex maze to a college education. But
they can't do it all. To achieve the massive increase in Latino
graduates needed by the economy, state and federal action is
needed.
State Schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell's P-16 Council has
recommended steps that could help Latinos (and
African-Americans) do better in school. But almost all will take a
long time to produce results. For example, expanding free,
high-quality early childhood education could jump-start Latino
students in elementary school and, in 15 years, produce more
college students. Similarly, pushing primary and secondary
schools to do better could continue to raise student achievement,
and eventually should produce better prepared Latino students
to enter college. This, too, will take quite a while.
Much more emphasis has to be put on policies that would
increase Latinos' college attendance and graduation over the
next five to 10 years. For example, California middle and high
schools should have financial incentives to identify potential
college-bound Latino and African-American students and help
them along.
College counseling in California high schools has to be
strengthened, so that counseling staffs can encourage minority
students to choose college prep courses and pursue funding
opportunities for college. As many private schools have known
for years, good counseling and college placement courses
produce much greater results per dollar spent than just trying to
raise test scores.
Next year, a new administration in Washington must pass tax
credits for college tuition, increase the Pell Grant program aimed
at low-income students and make the Pell Grant application
process much simpler. This could help Latino families offset some
of the rising costs of higher education. The state can do more,
too. State universities should be rewarded for identifying potential
lower-income minority applicants in high school. Colleges should
also get financial help for providing remedial courses. If colleges
can do this for athletes, they should be able to do the same for
students with academic potential.
There are private, non-profit models for achieving success with
young, minority, first-generation college students. One of these,
First Graduate, is a San Francisco program that identifies
students in middle school and mentors them through high school
into college, helping them also find financing. Another is San
Jose's National Hispanic University, which has its own
pre-university program to help guide young Latinos into college.
Yet, such programs are small. They are good models but cannot
do the job on a large scale. The bottom line is that if government
does not step up to the plate, California won't have the educated
labor force it needs in the decades to come.
Source: The Mercury News
MORE LATINOS NEED TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE
California's economy needs more college-educated Latinos
February 27, 2007 - By Martin Carnoy
California faces a major economic crisis: a shortage of four-year
college graduates.
The state stands to produce too few graduates to fuel its
cutting-edge service economy, mainly because not enough
Latinos attend and complete college.
In 2005-2006, one-half the students in California's public schools
were Latinos, but Latinos earned only about 15 percent of the
150,000 bachelor's degrees awarded by all California colleges
that year. As the student population of California becomes
increasingly Latino, these numbers bode badly for the state's
economy.
The problem will not be easy to resolve. Many Latino students
start out behind in kindergarten and never catch up. By the time
they reach middle and high school, many bright Latino students
are counseled by poorly trained school officials into low-level
courses which are not in the academic track. Without family
members who are savvy in navigating middle and high school
choices, most Latino students never fulfill minimum course
requirements for college. Many also attend high schools that
don't offer the honors and advanced placement courses now
needed to attend the University of California.
Many dedicated teachers and administrators have motivated
Latino and other disadvantaged students academically and have
led them through this complex maze to a college education. But
they can't do it all. To achieve the massive increase in Latino
graduates needed by the economy, state and federal action is
needed.
State Schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell's P-16 Council has
recommended steps that could help Latinos (and
African-Americans) do better in school. But almost all will take a
long time to produce results. For example, expanding free,
high-quality early childhood education could jump-start Latino
students in elementary school and, in 15 years, produce more
college students. Similarly, pushing primary and secondary
schools to do better could continue to raise student achievement,
and eventually should produce better prepared Latino students
to enter college. This, too, will take quite a while.
Much more emphasis has to be put on policies that would
increase Latinos' college attendance and graduation over the
next five to 10 years. For example, California middle and high
schools should have financial incentives to identify potential
college-bound Latino and African-American students and help
them along.
College counseling in California high schools has to be
strengthened, so that counseling staffs can encourage minority
students to choose college prep courses and pursue funding
opportunities for college. As many private schools have known
for years, good counseling and college placement courses
produce much greater results per dollar spent than just trying to
raise test scores.
Next year, a new administration in Washington must pass tax
credits for college tuition, increase the Pell Grant program aimed
at low-income students and make the Pell Grant application
process much simpler. This could help Latino families offset some
of the rising costs of higher education. The state can do more,
too. State universities should be rewarded for identifying potential
lower-income minority applicants in high school. Colleges should
also get financial help for providing remedial courses. If colleges
can do this for athletes, they should be able to do the same for
students with academic potential.
There are private, non-profit models for achieving success with
young, minority, first-generation college students. One of these,
First Graduate, is a San Francisco program that identifies
students in middle school and mentors them through high school
into college, helping them also find financing. Another is San
Jose's National Hispanic University, which has its own
pre-university program to help guide young Latinos into college.
Yet, such programs are small. They are good models but cannot
do the job on a large scale. The bottom line is that if government
does not step up to the plate, California won't have the educated
labor force it needs in the decades to come.
Source: The Mercury News
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| Joining the Fontana Hispanic Chamber is a Smart Business Investment |
| Student Chapter |
| Unidos Ganamos – Separados Perdemos “There are People who wonder what will happen. There are those who let things happen. And there are those who make things happen.” Which one are you? Armando Yepes Chairman of the Board and CEO |
| John Paul Valencia Visions by Paul (909) 262-7470 johnpaul5515@yahoo.com Professional Event Photographer Paul is the official photographer for the Fontana Hispanic Chamber of Commerce |
| Peter Zavala Musician / Songwriter and Band Leader of the Rock Group "The Changes" To book the band call (951) 295-0507 lzavala2@earthlink.net Private Lessons in Drums and Bass Guitar Call Peter Zavala (951) 205-5650 |
| Congratulations! to Antonio Salazar A Junior at Fontana High School and Soccer Star who lead the FOHI "Steelers" Varsity Soccer Team to a 2008 Division II Citrus League Championship with 35 Goals in a single season |
| Please Note: To STOP the music you need to place your mouse pointer on the "square" within the sound bar and then you can "CLICK" on the link to VOTE for Peter Zavala. Thank you for Voting. |
| CLICK below to visit the City of Fontana Chamber of Commerce David Pulido President (909) 822-4433 |
| "What will it take to awaken the sleeping giant" If not us....then who.......if not now......then when? |
| Antonio is a memeber of the Fontana Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Student Chapter |
