9:30 – 10:45 am

"Hispanic Serving Institutions and the Viability of a Federal Rating System"

Moderated by CHCI- McDonald’s Higher Education Graduate Fellow Félix Muñiz Jr.

2015 Higher Education Graduate Briefing White Paper - Félix Muñiz Jr.

In seeking to address present challenges concerning college affordability and institutional quality, President Barack Obama has announced an ambitious plan to implement a Postsecondary Institutional Rating System (PIRS).  Harnessing relevant student data, the system intends to:  1) provide families with reliable consumer information on college choice; 2) inform institutional policy and practice; 3) and enable an accountability structure within the federal financial aid program.  Seen as a potential high stakes evaluation, a frequent question for the U.S. Department of Education has been how it will come to define college value and rate institutional performance.  Other recurrent questions pertain to the unintended impacts of PIRS implementation, particularly upon the nation’s diverse set of academic institutions and the wide array of students they serve.  For Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), these questions figure prominently. This briefing brings together experts to comment on the viability of PIRS to serve as an effective transparency and accountability tool for HSIs.

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11:00 am – 12:15 pm

"Reaching for 2020: The Role of Latino Community College Success in National College Completion Goals"

Moderated by CHCI Higher Education Graduate Fellow Tracie Sánchez

2015 Higher Education Graduate Briefing White Paper - Tracie Sánchez

Ambitious national completion goals set by the Obama Administration have prompted dialogue around unmet workforce demands, educational equity, and the role of Latino college completion. Although representing a significant portion of the American mosaic, educational attainment for Latinos remains relatively low, as they continue to face barriers towards college completion. In 2012, it is estimated that 21.3 percent of Latino adults had earned an associate’s degree or higher compared to a 40.1 percent average of adults in the country. To increase college completion among Latinos, federal policy must play a central role by ensuring sustained funding of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and advocating for more efficient streamlining of students from community college to four-year institutions. This briefing explores recommendations for re-authorization of the Higher Education Act, which advances the country’s push to once again become the most educated country in the world by addressing concerns of equity among Latino college students across the country.

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12:15 – 1:00 pm

Afternoon Intermission

1:00 – 2:15 pm

"College Knowledge as Cultural Capital"

Moderated by CHCI Secondary Education Graduate Fellow Braulio Salas

2015 Secondary Education Graduate Briefing White Paper - Braulio Salas

In its current form, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), fails to require State Educational Agencies (SEAs) or Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) to provide families with information regarding post-secondary attainment. The limited access to college knowledge is one of various factors that contribute to reduced post-secondary enrollment rates among Latinos. The reauthorization of ESEA provides an opportunity for Congress to improve Latino enrollment rates by strengthening the parental involvement provisions already present in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, the most recent reauthorization of ESEA. By amending the legislation to incorporate crucial language on parental engagement, Congress will provide states and local entities with important guidance regarding the type of engagement that should be taking place. This briefing will bring together experts to discuss the importance of developing the whole child and highlight the role that parent engagement plays in student college attainment.

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