Analyzes factors influencing mathematics attitudes among 543 south Texas Mexican-American university students, tested for factors connoting fear and enjoyment. Survey results show ability, quality of preparation, college credits, and perceived importance of mathematics to be major determinants of math attitudes. No evidence linking ethnic or…

No studies have tested persistence models on Hispanic community college students in which financial aid have been included. This study tested a structural equation model of retention for a Hispanic student population (N=170) to determine the direct, indirect, and total effects of campus-based resources on minority retention rates. (Author/MLW)

This study examined ethnic and language group differences on dimensions of parent-rated and teacher-rated parent involvement after adjusting for the influence of family socioeconomic factors. A total of 179 teachers and 481 parents provided information on parent school involvement for a sample of ethnically and linguistically diverse first-grade…

Underrepresentation of minority students in gifted and talented (G/T) programs is a well established fact. A study examined procedures and criteria used to identify, place, and instruct gifted and talented students with limited English proficiency (GT/LEPs) in Texas, California, Colorado, Florida, Arizona, and New York public schools, to help…

This newsletter contains five articles on the implications of school choice for minority and disadvantaged students. "School Choice: Choices for Whom? Promises and Panaceas," by Maria Robledo Montecel, discusses some major problems related to school choice and vouchers, particularly who would have the choice (families or schools), who…

The Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) assessment of basic skills for college was mandated by the Texas legislature in 1987. Students in Texas public colleges and universities that fail a section of the test--reading, writing, or mathematics--must attend remedial courses until they can pass all sections. They may not enter upper division courses…

Volume 5, the fifth of eight publications developed by the Intercultural Development Research Association as part of the "Texas School Dropout Survey Project," decribes a study, conducted exclusively in Texas, which replicated national studies on benefits and costs of dropout prevention. The benefits in the study are expressed in terms…

Volume 7, the seventh of eight publications developed by the Intercultural Development Research Association as part of the "Texas School Dropout Survey Project" focuses on study methods and procedures. It includes all surveys, protocols, and instructions and documentation of procedures used in the Texas Dropout Survey Project. Included…

The study was designed to identify (1) the academic and behavioral areas most often addressed in the Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) of limited English proficient (LEP) and English proficient (non-LEP) mildly handicapped Hispanic students; and (2) the priority rankings assigned by Admission, Review and Dismissal committees to each area.…

Described are aspects of the Avance Educational Programs for Parents and Children, a non-profit, community-based organization in San Antonio, Texas, with the general goal of strengthening and supporting low income Hispanic families. Introductory remarks focus on the organization's goals, target population, funding, and services. Subsequent to a…

Evaluation of a structured immersion program, operating since 1968 in Uvalde, Texas as part of the United States Department of Education's Project Follow Through, suggests that the structured immersion approach has had a consistent positive effect on the academic achievement of the language minority students involved. Approximately 130 Spanish…

A law suit filed by a coalition of Hispanic civil rights and student groups to sue Texas and the boards of its public four-year colleges and universities is discussed. The state is charged with discriminating against Hispanic students by providing fewer programs and giving less money to public colleges with large Hispanic enrollments. (MLW)

In 2003-04 representatives from six baccalaureate-granting Hispanic-Serving Institutions in three state public university systems participated in a project entitled, "Latino Student Success at Hispanic-Serving Institutions." These institutions include two from California State University--(Los Angeles and Dominguez Hills), two from City…

This study reviews recent empirical research on the effect of school vouchers on student achievement (particularly for low-income minorities attending private schools) and the effect of the threat of vouchers on low-performing public schools. The study examines the Milwaukee voucher experiment, the Cleveland voucher program, and new voucher…

The Texas Education Code requires the Texas Education Agency to submit a comprehensive biennial report on the number of students retained in grade level in the Texas public school system. This report presents a summary of the literature on the effects of grade level retention on the academic, social, and psychological development of students,…