
Lucy Flores was a former high school drop-out and is now a third-year law student. Find out more about her story.

Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation

To help keep girls in school and on track for success, the National Women's Law Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund went straight to the source: Latina students and the adults who work with them every day. Our new report, Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation, explores the causes of the dropout crisis for Latinas and identifies the actions needed to improve their graduation rates and get them ready for college.

Latinas are dropping out of school in alarming numbers. Forty-one percent of Latina students do not graduate with their class in four years-if they graduate at all. Many Latina students face challenges related to poverty, immigration status, limited English proficiency, and damaging gender and ethnic stereotypes. And the high teen pregnancy rate for Latinas - the highest of any ethnic group - reflects and reinforces the barriers they face.

Download the Report:

Conference Call:

Promising Practices to Improve Latinas' Graduation Rates (10/14/2009)
- Transcript
- Audio Recording

For Schools:

Helping Latinas Succeed in School: How Schools Can Address Barriers to High School Graduation

For State and Local Policymakers:

Helping Latinas Succeed in School: How State and Local Policymakers Can Address Barriers to High School Graduation

For Federal Policymakers:

Helping Latinas Succeed in School: How Federal Policymakers Can Address Barriers to High School Graduation

Take Action:

Pledge to Support Latina Students

Learn More about Dropout Prevention

Every year, an estimated one in four girls drops out of high school - and the rates are even worse for girls of color. Female dropouts face particularly steep economic consequences. As compared to their male peers, female dropouts have higher rates of unemployment, earn significantly lower wages, and are more likely to need to rely on public support programs to provide for their families.

Report: When Girls Don't Graduate, We All Fail: A Call to Improve High School Graduation Rates for Girls
Fact Sheet: How Schools Can Help Keep Girls in School
Resources: Ensuring Access to Education for Pregnant and Parenting Students
Learn More: Find out more about dropout prevention

Learn More about Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Students

One-quarter to one-third of female dropouts say that pregnancy or becoming a parent played a role in their decision to leave school. Providing better support for pregnant and parenting students; together with implementing effective pregnancy prevention measures; are critical steps for schools to take in their efforts to reduce those dropout rates.