By Cynthia Hubert

August 28, 2024

Sacramento State is helping to fill a critical need for Latine educators, a newly released national report indicates.

A report by Excelencia in Education, an organization that promotes Latine college student success, ranks the University 10th in the nation in awarding undergraduate Education degrees to Latine students. Three other CSUs also are listed in the top 10 in that category.

The report is based on graduation rates from 112 institutions across the country for the 2019-20 academic year. Since then, Sac State has continued to maintain a strong pace in awarding Education degrees, University data shows.

Sac State and other listed colleges and universities can serve as models for helping to fill a serious shortage of educators prepared to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population, Excelencia in Education said.

“To ensure America’s future, institutions and employers in education must play an active role in preparing, selecting, and sourcing Latino talent for a global economy,” the report reads.

In 2021, according to the report, Latines represented 26% of all K-12 students in the nation, but less than 10% of teachers.

"Sacramento State has a presence as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and our innovative programming that serves Latine students has received national recognition. It is our notable faculty and amazing staff in our Latine-serving centers that deserve recognition for work they do in supporting our Latine students to graduation.”

-- Amber Gonzalez, professor of Child and Adolescent Development and DEGREES Project faculty advisor

Excelencia in Education analyzed national databases to identify the top 25 institutions that are “graduating and preparing Latinos for the workforce,” the report reads. The institutions “serve as prime locations for sourcing and selecting Latino talent,” it says.

The report shows that Sac State awarded 180 undergraduate Education degrees to Latines in 2019-20, representing 36% of all degrees awarded. The University awarded 205, 183, and 213 Education degrees to Latines in the three subsequent years, respectively, University statistics show, and this year is on pace to meet or exceed last year’s number.

The ranking is the latest acknowledgement of Sac State’s work to promote Latine student success. The University is a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a federal designation indicating that at least 25% of its students are Latine. The designation makes Sac State eligible for federal grants designed to help advance Hispanic education.

Sac State is also a two-time recipient of Excelencia in Education’s Seal of Excelencia, which recognizes institutions that intentionally serve Latine students.

The University has made steady progress in enrolling and graduating Latine students. The strides have occurred in part because of Sac State’s commitment to improve graduation rates overall, as well as programs and institutional practices designed with Hispanic students in mind.

Those programs include the College Assistance Migrant Program, which offers support to students from farmworker backgrounds; the Serna Center, which focuses on political knowledge, activism and community service; the Educational Opportunity Program, which serves low-income students; and the Dreamer Resource Center, which assists undocumented students.

The University also is increasing the number of faculty who have demonstrated records of success in working with Hispanic students.

"Sacramento State has a presence as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and our innovative programming that serves Latine students has received national recognition,” said Amber Gonzalez, a professor of Child and Adolescent Development and DEGREES Project faculty advisor in Sac State’s College of Education.

“It is our notable faculty and amazing staff in our Latine-serving centers that deserve recognition for work they do in supporting our Latine students to graduation.”

Carlos Nevarez, Sac State provost and interim vice president of Academic Affairs, said the data cited by Excelencia in Education “serves as a valuable benchmark, allowing us to measure our progress and reaffirm our dedication to supporting Latino students.”

The top-10 ranking “is not just a number,” he said. “It represents countless opportunities for our Latino graduates to become influential professionals and role models in their communities."

“Sacramento State's consistent performance in awarding Education degrees to Latino students reflects our unwavering commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in teaching, research and service,” Nevarez said.