This project attempted to identify differences in the communicative skills of American Indians compared to other applicants for employment in the food service industry and conducted a demonstration training program to improve both verbal and nonverbal communication skills. The study developed out of a perceived lack of communicative competence…

A study was conducted by Glendale Community College (California) in 1991 to obtain information about amnesty applicants participating in programs offered by the California community colleges. Two sets of data were used for the study. The first set was collected as part of a spring 1989 needs assessment survey in English as a Second Language…

The study examined whether a relationship exists between cultural background (Caucasian, Hispanic, or Black) and families' attitudes toward educational programming for a family member with severe disabilities. Useable surveys were returned by 91 respondents out of the 103 of 337 families (31%) to whom surveys had been distributed. The 40-item…

The Office Information Systems-International Program at Southwestern College, in California, was designed to provide Hispanic students with training for entry-level office employment. This model program guide stems from a project to improve curricula and delivery and focuses on changes in three intensive bilingual programs in general, medical, and…

The problem of poor school climate in an eighth- and ninth-grade center was addressed by the implementation of a school climate improvement project. The following are the primary goals of this practicum: (1) improve school attendance; (2) reduce out-of-school suspensions; and (3) improve student and teacher morale. To address these goals, a…

Written to enhance the understanding of administrators, faculty members, and board members regarding the position of community college dean of instruction, this book reports and analyzes study findings on the background, preparation, and roles of people in this position. The book draws from a national survey of the careers and lifestyles of…

In spring 1987, a study was conducted at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) to assess the satisfaction of minority students with campus life and to gather selected demographic and performance data. Random samples of 100 Asian, 100 Black, 100 Hispanic, and 100 White students were surveyed by mail or, if there was no response to the mail survey,…

This study identifies the institutions of higher education which are the most productive in the number of degrees in mathematics, engineering, and science (MSE) awarded to minority students (African Americans, American Indians, and Hispanics). Using 1992-93 data, the study focused on the 17 states (and Puerto Rico) in which minority students…

A study was undertaken to examine the influence of in- and out-of-class experiences on the learning and retention of diverse first-year community college students, examining three critical dynamics of the first-year college experience: the transition to college, student involvement and connections on campus, and the view students form of…

A mail survey was conducted of all migrant youth who had received awards from the Gloria and Joseph Mattera National Scholarship Fund for Migrant Children during 1986-1992. Of the 354 scholarship recipients, 129 responded. In addition, 26 scholarship recipients were interviewed through structured telephone surveys. Over 92 percent of the mail…

This paper first explores the problem of increased cultural diversity in public education and then offers suggestions and guidelines for educators in the creation of an anti-biased classroom and curriculum. Case studies of two Hispanic students illustrate the role of acculturation and the middle school classroom setting and curriculum on academic…

This report describes a pilot study of the attitudes and personal estimates of progress of students who have spent 4 or more years in the Amigos two-way bilingual program in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The program currently enrolls about 300 students: 50% native Spanish speakers and 50% native English speakers, approximately half of whom are African…

This guide describes "Pequenitos en Accion" (Small Children in Action), the Edgewood (Texas) Independent School District (ISD) early childhood intervention program for Spanish-speaking 3-year-old preschool children. The program is an innovative early childhood education model involving educational programming, collaboration and…

This study examined the information seeking behavior of gatekeepers in five ethnolinguistic communities: American Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Latino. Personal interviews were conducted with 129 gatekeepers and a conceptual information model was used to generate an analytical framework for presenting and discussing the data. The major…

A survey of all New Mexico public schools with students enrolled in grade nine or higher gathered data on the extent and nature of the school dropout problem during the 1986-87 school year. All 88 New Mexico school districts and 100% of the 146 schools surveyed provided information on grade, sex, ethnicity, and reason for dropping out for students…