Background/Context: Previous research has focused on the importance of a social justice leadership approach to improve schools that serve marginalized students, but less attention has been focused on potential dilemmas associated with social justice leadership and the ways in which principals prioritize when dilemmas or challenges arise.…

Notions of citizenship, as taught through the official state curriculum, are narrow and fail to consider the importance of histories that reveal a composite of diverse races/ethnicities, multiple languages, and complex patterns of immigration and transnationalism. The richness of such histories embodies the experiences and contributions of…

The purpose of this study is to provide an understanding of how successful secondary schools located along the Texas-Mexico border, particularly those enrolling predominantly Latino students, have supported high achievement among their student population and promoted parental involvement. The roles and perspectives of parents and school community…

Drawing on sociocultural approaches to literacy and literature on the communal spaces of teaching and learning of Latino/as, I share one Mexican border women's life story and analyze her literacies and ways of knowing in relation to the literacy event of giving "consejo." Using data gathered through individual interviews and…

Transforming low performing schools to ensure the academic success of Hispanic children situated in poverty remains an educational challenge. External factors impacting student learning are often targeted as the main reasons for poor academic achievement, thereby advancing the culturally deficit model. This study is about an elementary school that…

In today's increasingly complex society, schools and communities must work in partnership to develop the foundations for a more just and equitable future. On the U.S./Mexico border, the University of Texas at El Paso's (UTEP) College of Education has long integrated schools, families, and community partners into its teacher education program to…

"Curanderismo," or folk healing is seen as an important part of Mexican and Mexican-American culture, and continues to have significant influence in South Texas. A teaching unit, as well as lectures and various publications on curanderismo have been developed, based on research and interviews with practitioners. The practice of…