"Looking Closer" is the eighth biennial report to SREB states on their progress in meeting SREB's Challenge to Lead goals for education. Each customized state report documents progress on both measurable outcomes and state policies. Through effective policy implementation, the goals can help states drive improvements in student…

Background: Little is known about access to medicine among immigrant Latinos in the United States (US). This study explored access to, and use of, prescription drugs obtained from nonmedical sources among recently arrived, Spanish-speaking immigrant Latinos in rural North Carolina (NC). Methods: Our community-based participatory research…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), in partnership with the National Assessment Governing Board and the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS), created the Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) in 2002 to support the improvement of student achievement in the nation's large urban districts. The TUDA focuses attention on urban…

Special education placements for more than 69,000 preschoolers with disabilities were examined within and across five southern states. Data were gathered from the 2007 December 1st Child Count reported to the U.S. Department of Education. All states examined offered state-funded prekindergarten programs. Analyses compared disproportionate…

This study investigated how adolescent and parent acculturation (culture-of-origin and U.S. cultural involvement, biculturalism, acculturation conflicts, and parent-adolescent acculturation gaps) influenced family dynamics (family cohesion, adaptability, familism, and parent-adolescent conflict) in a sample of 402 Latino families from North…

This three-year qualitative research study took place in a new immigrant-receiving community in North Carolina. Utilizing narrative analysis, it explores how Mexican, Salvadoran, and Guatemalan immigrants of indigenous backgrounds use language as a survival tool to move in and out of transnational social spaces. In addition, it explores the ways…

The authors describe the service-learning component of two intermediate Spanish-language courses and present the findings of a qualitative study that examined the nexus between language learning and cultural understanding. The service-learning component was designed to enrich the curriculum and enhance academic learning while providing significant…

The four-year cohort graduation rate for WCPSS [Wake County Public School System] in 2009-10 was 78.2%, down slightly from 2008-09, when 78.4% of that year's cohort graduated within four years. Female students in WCPSS had a much higher graduation rate than male students (82.9% vs. 73.6%). Graduation rates for the Asian (91.3%), Hispanic/Latino…

Research Findings: We examined associations among Anglo acculturation, Latino enculturation, maternal beliefs, mother-child emotion talk, and emotion understanding in 40 Latino preschool-age children and their mothers. Mothers self-reported Anglo acculturation, Latino enculturation, and beliefs about the value/danger of children's emotions and…

The WCPSS dropout rate in 2009-10 for grades 9-12 was 3.53%, compared to 3.47% in 2008-09. The state's rate showed a decrease in 2009-10--from 4.27% to 3.75%. Other large school districts in North Carolina, including Durham (4.32%), Forsyth (4.07%), and Mecklenburg (4.15%), had higher dropout rates in 2009-10 than did WCPSS, while Guilford (2.81%)…

Nationally, Hispanic achievement lags behind non-Hispanic peers in reading proficiency scores. The gap in achievement persists through subsequent grade levels for Black, Hispanic, and poor students of all races. Current school environments present evidence of dissimilar levels of minority and poverty in schools. Identifiable differences in…

This report provides information about the performance of North Carolina's 2016 graduating seniors who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and self-reported at the time of testing that they were scheduled to graduate in 2016. Beginning with the Graduating Class of 2013, all students whose scores are college reportable, both standard…

"Drugs and the Brain: A Serious Game," a prototype museum exhibit, was designed to employ virtual models of the brain into a video game format. It was done to create a fun and engaging way of conveying knowledge and concepts about neuroscience, as well as the impact of methamphetamine abuse on the brain. The purpose of this study is to…

A growing body of research confirms that parents have a profound impact on their children's educational attainment, particularly in the secondary grades. Yet many Latino parents, particularly those of first-generation college students, lack information and knowledge about what their children need to prepare for college and are less likely to help…

In 2010, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) convened an advisory panel of state leaders to study college completion, answer key questions and make policy recommendations to guide states toward improvement. The commitment of these leaders and philanthropic groups to address the problems of college completion--both nationwide and in SREB…