Dropout rates of Latinos in U.S. And their effect on gang violence (or vice versa) Hispanic gang violence and high school drop-out rates Hispanic teens have the highest dropout rates of any demographic group in the United States. Gang membership amongst Latino adolescents is also increasing, rising 50% from 1999 to 2002, according to one estimate (MacDonald 2004). While rates of juvenile delinquency and gang affiliation have always been highest amongst the

Hispanic Dropouts There is a crisis going on in elementary and secondary educational forums. It is a crisis that many have ignored and it is a crisis that needs to be addressed in school districts and in the individual classroom immediately. Studies show that more than one out of ten Hispanic students drop out of school every year. Though Hispanic students only make up twelve percent of the high school population

Hispanic High School Students To look at the problem of high school education and Hispanic students, we need to identify who we are talking about, because different writers use different terms. Some writers mean people of Mexican heritage when they say "Latinos." The United States also has many residents of Puerto Rican or Cuban heritage, and many others come from other central or South-American countries. The United States Census indicates that

schools experience higher graduation rates amongst minorities than other high schools. The key terms that will be used throughout the discussion include; High school dropout- those individuals enrolled in high school in October but a year later were not enrolled in school and had not completed high school. (Event Dropout Rates by Family Income, 1972-2001, 2004) High school graduation rate- the percentage of students that graduate high school each year At risk

Preventing Dropouts Among Minority Middle School Students The dropout rate of minority middle school students is rising. This can be contributed to a number of factors that cultivate frustration and develop low self-esteem among minority adolescent students. Middle school students already struggle with self-image issues, but when the added pressure of factors such as low literacy skills, poverty within the home, early pregnancy and low regard for education are also introduced,

6 million of the 17.3 million eligible Hispanic voters cast a ballot (Kaufman 2007). The language barrier might be yet another reason that Hispanics struggle to find a foothold in American society. ESL programs often fail to address Latino's needs in schools. Latinos have the highest high school dropout rate of any ethnic group in America, and there is no statistically significant difference between drop-out rates for immigrants or the native