Latino men, part of the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority group, stand to benefit from new knowledge related to factors that positively influence college persistence. In this study, the investigators examined whether "machismo"--a multidimensional and gendered social construct--was directly and indirectly associated with…

This report estimates the number of recent immigrant students that would enroll in Texas public schools as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and recommends educational strategies to address the unique needs of recent immigrants. Research approaches included a review of existing research on immigration trends and…

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…

In fall 1997, students in a Social Science Research Methods class developed and administered a survey questionnaire to assess the degree of stress experienced by students at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU). Located in Laredo, TAMIU serves communities along the Texas-Mexico border. The student body includes many older students who…

In 1992, the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) published standards that can be used as guidelines for preparation of bilingual multicultural teachers. A survey of 22 beginning bilingual education teachers, graduates of Texas bilingual teacher education programs, examined their preservice preparation in relation to NABE standards.…

A study investigated 261 Mexican American mothers' estimations of their preschool children's cognitive performance. Existing literature on parental estimations was reviewed. The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) were administered to 107 boys and 154 girls, ranging from 32 to 75 months of age. The children's mothers were then asked how…

This report examines patterns related to academic performance and language development in the lives of 16 children of Mexican descent in grades 3-5 who were identified as learning disabled. Research questions focused on factors that made these students eligible for referral for learning disabilities, patterns in the development of students' oral…

Questionnaires that were developed to measure factors in the academic persistence of minority college students were administered to 454 Mexican American students at two large southwestern universities. Both the Cultural Congruity Scale and the University Environment Scale were significant predictors of academic persistence of Mexican American…

In a low-income south Texas school with primarily Mexican American students, teacher assessments of fourth-grade students' content reading ability and work habits predicted student success for that school year, as measured by grades and achievement scores. Teacher input can be critical in the early identification of students at risk of dropping…

This document reports on the results of five surveys conducted during the 1980s by the Field Institute and Los Angeles Times that included questions of particular interest to the Latino community. Between 1982 and 1989, 6,668 California residents participated in the 5 surveys. Surveys included questions addressing the impact of Latino immigration…

San Elizario, Texas, is a border community with a high poverty rate, overcrowded school conditions, and a 60% limited English proficiency (LEP) rate among school students. In 1984, the school district began a cooperative university and school system project to improve Hispanic LEP students' achievement through applied computer technology. In…