Stats That Stick: January 12, 2011

Today there are more than 2 million Latinos in college - a sizable total, but still one that represents less than 58 percent of Latino high school graduates ages 16-24. Among whites in that age group, the college-going rate tops 68 percent. -The Houston Chronicle

As many as 25 percent of young people in Texas select a high school based on whether they are likely to graduate with a class rank high enough to guarantee them admission to any Texas public college under the state’s “top-10-percent plan.” -The National Bureau of Economic Research

In addition to cutting budgets and making other changes to spending, many states have enacted policy changes to provide school systems with greater flexibility to meet the challenges posed by the economic crisis. Twenty-one states broadened the eligible uses of education funds originally intended for a particular purpose, 11 have loosened class size requirements, and ten have relaxed length of school year, week, or day policies. -Education Week