Nearly Half of Latino Students Don't Finish High School

Wed26Apr2006

Nearly Half of Latino Students Don't Finish High School

On average, 70 percent of U.S. students receive their high school diploma. Yet for Latinos this number is only at 53 percent according to a study released last week by the conservative think tank, the Manhattan Institute. The report cites that whites have the highest graduation rates at 78 percent, followed by Asians at 72 percent. African-Americans are cited as having a 55 percent graduation rate. What is really alarming is the gender gap pointed to in the study, which shows that girls have a higher graduation rate across all races/ethnicities compared to boys. Even more alarming are the numbers coming out of urban Latino New York City showing that only 29 percent of boys and 37 percent of girls are graduating high school. What's going on in our schools and with our youth?