Introduction
By a number of different measures, Ohio's Latino community is being left behind in terms of education and academic achievement.  Hispanic youth - disproportionately affected by underperforming schools - are dropping out before high school graduation at terrifying rates.  Teachers are in need of professional development to enhance cultural competency skills.  Schools lack adequate resources for limited English-language proficient students.  Parents are not as engaged as much as is necessary.  Colleges and universities across Ohio have low Latino student enrollment and retention rates due to issues of access and cultural relevance.

When one marries these facts with demographic trends across Ohio and across the country, the community and policy implications are tremendous.  The state faces a future with an ill-prepared and under-educated workforce at a time when global economic forces require highly-educated workers in our knowledge-based economy.  This preparation-deficit will result in stagnant economic prospects for the state, equally stagnant tax revenues which will be increasingly stretched as the "Baby-Boom" generation transitions out of the workforce and into retirement.

The Ohio Latino Affairs Commission launched a series of education initiatives beginning in 2001.  These have been:

• 2001 - Statewide Town Hall meetings on the Educational Status of Latino Students
• 2002 - Report on the Educational Status of Hispanic/Latino Students
• 2004 - Partnership with the Ohio Close The Gap Campaign
• 2005 - National alliance with the National Black Caucus of State Legislators and the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators
• 2006 - ¡soluciones! statewide education roundtable meeting

Presently, Ohio Latino Affairs is conducting a new series of town hall meetings, Education Mini-Conferences, during October and November 2008 to gather additional information and to help the Commission to prepare new strategies for the 2010-2011 state biennium budget cycle.

Policy Briefs

• Status Report on the Educational Status of Hispanic/Latino Students (2001-2002)
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• ¡soluciones! Education Campaign Brochure (2005)
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• ¡soluciones! Education Campaign Roundtable Notes #1 (2006)
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• ¡soluciones! Education Campaign Roundtable Notes #2 (2006)
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• ¡soluciones! Education Campaign Roundtable Notes #3 (2006)
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• ¡soluciones! newsletter volume #1 (2006)
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• ¡soluciones! ongoing support services plan (2006)
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• Follow-up Meeting Notes (2007)
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• Status of LEPs in Ohio (2009)
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• Communites Organizing to Reform Education, CORE Report (2009)  - - - NEW!!!
  CORE Budget Analysis Addendum (2009)  - - - NEW!!!

Additional Information

Links to External Websites