This Digest focuses on the teaching of Spanish to U.S. Hispanic bilinguals at the university level. Traditionally, Spanish has been taught as a second or foreign language in the United States, and little attention has been given to developing and coordinating well designed and carefully articulated programs for Hispanic bilingual students of…

The digest is based on a full length report (with the same title) on African-American and Hispanic faculty at predominantly white, four-year institutions of higher education. The full report provides a definitive review of the literature and institutional practice on the topic. Three topics are discussed: (1) how necessary affirmative action…

Students come to the classroom with theories that they have actively constructed from their everyday experiences. However, some of these theories are incomplete half-truths. Although such misconceptions interfere with new learning, students are often emotionally and intellectually attached to them. Some common mathematical misconceptions involve:…

This digest examines findings from two studies on the minority achievement gap in suburban schools. The first study, by Ronald Ferguson, analyzed data on middle and high school students from the Minority Student Achievement Network. In the second study, John Ogbu investigated how K-12 African American students' identity as an oppressed group…

This digest presents an analysis of the workforce participation of Latinos, emphasizing findings by generation. It describes the demographics of native-born and immigrant Latinos and compares labor market outcomes for adult, young adult, and teen workers. The digest also explores the relationship between schooling and labor market participation,…

This digest presents recommendations from the U.S. Department of Education's Hispanic Dropout Project for school practices that promote the academic achievement of Hispanic youth, and it supplements the recommendations with examples from case studies. Each Hispanic student should have an adult in the school committed to nurturing the student's…

Noting that people of Hispanic origin represent one of the largest minority groups in the United Sates, this digest points out that, for Hispanic students, success in school is a complex process, dependent on both the actions of parents and teachers separately and also on their interactions. The digest provides an overview of: (1) problems…

Provides information about: (1) demographics of Hispanic Americans; (2) findings indicating poorer preparation for college of Hispanics, than of non-Hispanic Whites; (3) roles of sociocultural characteristics and encouragement by school personnel; (4) predictive value of Hispanic high school grades and college admission test scores; and (5)…

This digest discusses issues and challenges in providing English language instruction to Latino and other linguistically diverse (LCD) incarcerated youth, aged 16-24, suggesting best practices and models to provide this intervention in correctional settings. It focuses on th following: the rationale for instruction (the instruction that LCD youth…

The resources described in this annotated bibliography are selected to help those working at Hispanic serving institutions (institutions with at least a 25% Hispanic student population) and other institutions that serve Hispanic students. The bibliography highlights literature about recruitment and retention of Hispanic students. The resources are…

To determine effective strategies for involving Hispanic parents in their children's early childhood programs, educators need to develop a greater understanding of the features of the Hispanic culture that influence parents' childrearing practices and orientation toward formal education. Educators should be aware of Hispanics' diversity in terms…

This digest consolidates recent, key information on minority representation in the teaching profession. Despite widespread efforts to recruit minority teachers, by 1983 the total had decreased 1.5% (down to 11% since 1973). Therefore, many students will go through their entire school career with no minority teachers, no role models, and no sense…

The National Commission on Secondary Schooling for Hispanics (NCSSH) has found that secondary schooling for most Hispanics is not preparing them to assume productive and satisfying adult lives. This paper discusses whether the current or proposed reforms and strategies are meeting, or can meet, the needs and potential of Hispanic youth. It is…

Latinas' educational experiences are affected by the interaction of many factors, including poverty, racism, sexual harassment, and lack of English language proficiency. With guidance from educators, Latina adolescents can make fulfilling educational choices. This digest presents a range of strategies that schools can employ to promote Latinas'…

The educational experiences of Latinas are affected by the interaction of many factors, including poverty, racism, sexual harassment, and lack of English language proficiency. This Spanish-language digest presents a range of strategies that schools can employ to promote the academic achievement of Latinas. Schools should communicate that Hispanic…