New Report Finds Latino Children Gaining Ground in Education

America’s Hispanic Children--Gaining Ground Looking Forward, issued by Child Trends Hispanic Institute includes the latest data released by the U.S. Census Bureau and documents key areas in which Latino children are finding greater success, especially in education, health and elsewhere, while also examining key challenges. 

The report paints a complex picture of the 17.5 million Hispanic children, the largest racial/ethnic minority group of children in the United States. With more than 22 statistical charts, it provides a comprehensive portrait of Hispanic children across six areas: demographics, economics, family, education, health, and media use.  

Some key findings from the report include:

• The percentage of Hispanic eighth graders achieving at or above the “proficient” level in math (an important predictor of high school completion) has increased from 8 percent in 2000 to 21 percent in 2014
• Latino children’s participation in center-based early care and education programs has increased by one-third since 2007
• Hispanics are more likely to be born at a healthy weight and more likely to be breastfed relative to other racial/ethnic minority groups.