While Hispanics constitute an increasingly large proportion of the student population in the United States, high school dropout rates for Latinos and English language learners (ELLs) remain very high. In fact, only 58% of Latinos graduate from high school, and those who do graduate have not necessarily had the education necessary to succeed in college. 

NCLR’s Latino High School Reform Project focuses on developing and supporting policies that result in increased graduation rates among Latinos. The project seeks to increase the number of Latino high school graduates in NCLR’s charter schools and in public schools by an additional 56,000 Latinos every year, or by an annual increase of 8% in graduation rates over the next 20 years. It also seeks to ensure that Latino graduates are prepared for college and work. Specifically, NCLR’s education policy work helps build support for the following three initiatives: