Hispanic students make gains in graduation rates in Colorado

What's happening: A confluence of factors helped lead to this achievement.

• The state began evaluating high schools by graduation rates, a move that pressed the district to deploy targeted solutions using data.
• An improvement in health and economic factors, combined with a reprieve from fear of deportation and better intervention programs, enhanced school culture.
• In addition, less stringent graduation requirements and a new grading system that considers all factors of a student's learning took effect in some districts.

By the numbers: This student population's graduation rate increased from 55% in 2010 to 75% in 2020, according to state figures.

• Over the same period, Hispanic dropout rates fell to 2.8%, down by half.
• The rate of those needing remedial college classes also dropped.

What they're saying: "Certainly they better have gone up, there was a lot of room to move up," said Jim Chavez, executive director of the Latin American Educational Foundation.

Yes, but: Hispanic students are less likely to go to college than their white peers and still are twice as likely to need remedial classes.

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