A study in a south Texas preschool found that Mexican American children, when given the opportunity to engage in sociodramatic play, displayed various language functions needed for the development of early literacy skills. The preschoolers created elaborate monologues and dialogue in their native language (sometimes in their second language),…

A 4-year ethnographic study in Carpinteria, California, examined the school district's parental involvement activities for their effectiveness with lower-class Spanish-speaking parents. Research at three elementary schools included observations of traditional activities, such as parent-teacher conferences and open house, and non-conventional…

Among over 600 Arizona students in grades 1-8 in maintenance bilingual programs, fluent Spanish-speaking students outperformed limited-Spanish-speaking students on a measure of Spanish reading, mathematics, social studies, and science achievement; girls achieved higher reading scores than boys; and 16 of 18 grade mean scores were equal to or…

Presents available but incompatible national, state, and institutional data regarding patterns and trends of enrollment/access, retention/attrition, and achievement/completion of Chicano students in community colleges and universities in Texas and California. Includes policy recommendations regarding the collection, analysis, and dissemination of…

High- and low-achieving Mexican American students were selected from a database that included 2,169 Mexican American students in three California high schools. A sense of belonging to school was the only significant predictor of student grades, but family and peer support and certain cultural influences also contributed to resilient outcomes.…

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…

Among 150 Mexican immigrant students followed throughout their careers in a Los Angeles high school, those who had entered U.S. schools after 2nd grade had lower graduation rates than those entering in grades K-2, but this was not related to differences in English proficiency, at-risk status early in high school, or family or peer factors. (SV)

Among six Mexican-American fifth graders who were native Spanish speakers and had varying levels of English proficiency, oral proficiency was related to reading comprehension within each language. Assisted line-by-line reading facilitated comprehension for low proficiency students, deficient in both English vocabulary and syntactic knowledge. (SV)

A survey of 226 Mexican-American mathematics students at a Texas high school found that student attitudes toward mathematics were not very favorable, with female students' attitudes being more negative than those of males. There was a greater occurrence of traditional, teacher-centered activities in all classes in comparison to nontraditional,…

Examines cultural factors that may create tension between relationship-oriented and educational goals for Mexican American men and women. A survey of 546 Mexican American college students assessed cultural orientation (ethnic loyalty, ethnic social orientation, and cultural awareness) and marriage and gender role attitudes. Ethnic loyalty most…

Dropout rates for Hispanic students are approximately twice those of white Anglo students. This paper reviews the literature on dropout and examines the effects of self-esteem, career and school expectations, family structure, and English language proficiency on the Hispanic youth's decision to drop out. A questionnaire was completed by 139…

Personal narratives were analyzed to determine if a pattern would emerge in the lives of Tucson, Arizona's successful Mexican American adults who had grown up in a traditional barrio without benefit of inherited wealth. Participants in the study were nominated as successful by their peers. Nominees who agreed to participate were given a life…

The purpose of this research was to identify the self-reported factors affecting the career decision making of Mexican and Mexican-American students. It was hypothesized that the factor clusters would differ between the two sample populations, Mexican and Mexican-American. It was also hypothesized that these clusters would differ from six clusters…

The major thrust of this study in the Edgewood Independent School District's Experimental Schools Program in San Antonio, Texas, was the utilization of a conceptual model to understand and predict the factors affecting change in the project. Three treatments in the instructional program were selected for study: best paced mathematics, cultural…

Collaborative planning between the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) and a school district in central Texas provided concrete data to implement changes in inservice training programs for bilingual teachers. Five instruments were developed to obtain the attitudes of 108 teachers of kindergarten through fifth grade who taught…