The disparities in the U.S. educational system have profound negative consequences for children of color and those living in poverty. With high school drop out rates continuing to climb, the crisis facing our educational system shows no signs of abating. In this Spotlight webcast, Michael Wotorson, executive director of the Campaign for High School Equity, and Kerry Venegas, high school policy project director for the National Indian Education Association, examine how race and ethnicity effects high school success and completion and ways the educational system could be reformed to support minority students.

Wotorson and Venegas discuss the role that community colleges play in the transition from high school to college, the need for education reform to achieve poverty reduction, and the potential for the new Common Core State Standards initiative to serve as a critical first step in closingthe high school racial gap.   

This webcast is the second in a series examining education,race and poverty. The first webcast featured Dr. Eric Cooper, founder and president of the National Urban Alliancefor Effective Education, and Dr. Dan Domenech, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators. View the webcast.