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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The State of Illinois needs to close achievement
3gaps and provide a quality education for all; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Latinos are the fastest growing population in the
5State; and
 
6    WHEREAS, There is a current population of 2 million Latinos
7in Illinois, which makes up 16% of the State's population; and
 
8    WHEREAS, In the State of Illinois, Latinos contribute to
917% of the population of people between the ages of 18-24 and
1025% of the population of people under the age of 18; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Despite the fact that such a large percentage of
12the Hispanic population in Illinois is of college age, Latinos
13make up only 14% of the college enrollment in the State; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Sixty-nine percent of Hispanic high school
15graduates in the class of 2012 enrolled in college that fall, 2
16percentage points higher than the average rate; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Hispanic youth are less likely to enroll in a
184-year college than their white counterparts, at a rate of 56%
19compared to 72%; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Hispanic youth are less likely to attend a
2selective college and are less likely to be enrolled in college
3full-time; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Latino students are less likely to earn a
5bachelor's degree and have the lowest graduation rate in the
6State at 7%; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The Illinois Community College System reported
8that there were 112,746 students identifying as Latino in 2012,
9constituting the second largest minority group; and
 
10    WHEREAS, By 2020, 67% of Illinois jobs will require a
11career certificate or college degree; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Seventeen percent of Latinos in Illinois
13currently have an associate degree or higher; and
 
14    WHEREAS, There is a 50% skills gap for Latinos in Illinois,
15double the average for the general population, and therefore a
16need for effective education to provide more training to work
17towards closing the gap; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL
19ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Illinois Board of

 

 

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1Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board shall
2work along with the Illinois Latino Family Commission to
3develop a self-study guide that will be distributed to all
4public universities and community colleges throughout the
5State of Illinois; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That the Latino Family Commission shall provide
7administrative support during the creation of the guide; and be
8it further
 
9    RESOLVED, That the self-study shall include, but not be
10limited to, the following:
11    (1) identifying the current status and achievement levels
12    for Latino students;
13    (2) examining the current practices that support Latino
14    students;
15    (3) developing an action plan for improving Latino academic
16    achievement; and
17    (4) creating a plan for increasing degree and certificate
18    completion for Latino students; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Board of Higher Education and
20the Illinois Community College Board shall work with the
21Illinois Latino Family Commission to better understand low
22graduation and degree achievement among Latinos in public
23universities and community colleges and will generate a report

 

 

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1on this self-study; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Board of Higher Education and
3the Illinois Community College Board shall report their
4findings and recommendations to the General Assembly and the
5Governor on or before July 1, 2015; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Board of Higher Education and
7the Illinois Community College Board shall make this report
8available to all Illinois public universities and community
9colleges.