This ethnographic study of high school students' classroom practices and perceptions about participation reveals the extent to which students' perceptions determine their understandings of practice, even when these understandings conflict with researcher observations and the bulk of the literature on gender and participation. This study shows,…

Reports on an investigation of the out-of-school literacy practices of two African American urban high school students. Conclusions are drawn about the complex and productive ways these youths use literacy practices in their social environments. Implications are made for instruction using youth culture as a bridge to writing development. (SLD)

This article looks closely at one instantiation of a poetry-centered practice as supported by June Jordan's Poetry for the People, specifically in the context of an inaugural poetry contest. It builds on an earlier empirical study, which investigated the partnership between Poetry for the People and one East Bay Area high school and the rich…

This study analyzes urban youths' career decision-making in a career and technical education program that provided work-based learning experiences and a pathway linking high school, community college, and work in biotechnology laboratories. The program provided work experiences not generally available to adolescents, and enabled students…

This report, first in a series of eight, is based on findings from a survey of the opinions of Californians, parents and nonparents, about everyday concerns of children, youth, and their families. It highlights the opinions of California parents about children's health insurance coverage. This information is particularly relevant as California…

This report, fourth in a series of eight, highlights the views of Californians about policies local communities and the state can establish to reduce the potential for alcohol problems among young people. In the California Center for Health Improvement (CCHI) "Children and Youth Survey," 51% of the adults surveyed said that they were…

This survey was contracted for by the Bay Area Social Planning Council (BASPC) with funding from a Rosenberg Foundation Grant. Questionnaire responses obtained from 255 youths were analyzed to provide the Study Committee on Chinese Newcomers with information about Chinese immigrant youth. Following acquisition, the data was said to have been…

In January 1970, the Department of Labor restructured its Neighborhood Youth Corps (NYC) out-of-school program and made age limits for entering the program more restrictive. Education, skill training, and work experience were emphasized. The restructured NYC-2 program was carried out in urban or growth areas, but the original NYC-1 program was…

Examines a program for newly arrived, non-English-speaking immigrant children in a California city. Findings from a fourth-grade class demonstrate how a nurturing setting, culturally flexible teaching approach, linguistic and cultural validation, and a valued spatial environment contribute to newcomer students' success. (SLD)

This study investigated how communities limit teenage childbearing among Latinas, despite high rates of poverty. Data from documents and 167 interviews in eight California communities with low or high birthrates for Latinas aged 15-17 found that communities with low adolescent birthrates had more Latino residents, stronger social networks, and…

This report, second in a series of eight, highlights some of the findings from two recent surveys of the opinions of adult Californians on products and policies affecting youth tobacco use. The specific focus is on public perceptions of the role of the media in affecting youth tobacco consumption. The surveys were conducted in October and November…

The Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations held a public hearing to examine the effects of poverty on the hundreds of thousands of low income Blacks and Latinos under the age of 18 residing in Los Angeles County (California). The Commission's findings, recommendations, and concerns are presented. The following findings are presented: (1)…

This book traces the histories of two Chicano gangs in East Los Angeles since the early 1940s, when common gang stereotypes were created by the media and law enforcement agencies. In an unusual collaborative effort, researchers worked with former gang members to make contact with and interview members of various "cliques" (cohorts) of…

This report examines student mobility among California Latino adolescents. Latinos are now the largest ethnic group in the California schools; if student mobility is indeed a problem for both students and schools, it is important to understand the consequences of changing schools for Latino adolescents. Longitudinal data were studied for two…

This report, fifth of eight in a series, highlights the views of California parents and other adults about issues affecting the health of adolescents, the role communities play in helping young people grow up well, and policies to address behaviors that undermine their health. Six in 10 parents surveyed by the California Center for Health…