Hispanic Dropout Rate Remains Highest Of All

Hispanics still drop out of school at a far higher rate than non-Hispanic blacks and whites and leave school at an earlier age, the Education Department reported Thursday.

The department’s National Center for Education statistics found that nearly one-third of Hispanics age 16 to 24 were dropouts in 1995, a rate that has held steady for more than 20 years.

By contrast, the dropout rate for black Americans age 16 to 24 has fallen and is approaching the rate for whites, the center said in its yearly report on dropouts.

Advocates for Hispanic education said the reasons were complex and varied. They cited low education of parents, lack of access to early education programs such as Head Start, a huge problem with teen pregnancy, few Latino teachers to hold out as good examples and cuts in bilingual education.