U.S. Under Secretary of Education Martha J. Kanter and Jon Whitmore, CEO of ACT, joined Excelencia in Education at the U.S. Capitol today to honor Brazosport College’s Learning Frameworks program as among America’s top programs that increase degree completion among Latinos at the associate, bachelor, and graduate level.

Learning Frameworks was selected from among 195 competitors as one of 16 national finalists for the 2011 Examples of Excelencia recognition.

“As one of this year’s national finalists, Brazosport College is at the forefront of meeting the challenge of improving higher educational achievement for Latino students, and we congratulate them for their current and continued efforts,” said Sarita Brown, president of Excelencia in Education.

Learning Frameworks (PSYC 1300) is a three-credit hour, college-level, transferable course. Touted as “on the job training” to become a successful, or more successful, college student, this course is designed to support students by enhancing study skills, developing key cognitive strategies, and by assisting students in setting goals and handling stress.

At Brazosport College, this course has been highly successful in increasing student success. During the last three years, students who successfully completed Learning Frameworks were nearly 30 percent more likely to stay enrolled in college than students who did not take the course.

“I can’t think of a more important thing that you can do for a student than to get them engaged in their first semester and teach them how to navigate in waters that many of them have never traveled before,” Brazosport College president Millicent Valek said about the Learning Frameworks program.

For the 2011 Examples of Excelencia competition, 195 programs were nominated at three academic levels: associate, baccalaureate, and graduate. These programs demonstrate broad geographical representation in the effort to contribute to Latino student success and represent 22 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Examples of Excelencia is a national initiative to systematically identify and honor institution-based programs and departments that demonstrate with evidence that they effectively boost Latino enrollment, performance and graduation. It is supported by USA Funds, ACT, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, EduK, Univision Communications, Educational Testing Service, College Board, and the California State University System,

To download “What Works for Latino Students in Higher Education,” which includes detailed information about all of the programs recognized today, visit www.edexcelencia.org.

Excelencia in Education is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate Latino student success in higher education.