Since 1980, Chicago's United Neighborhood Organization (UNO) has been a major player in school reform, organising Mexican-American communities to build a neighbourhood high school, founding a local technical institute, passing radical school governance reform, and launching a major charter network. At UNO's apex in 2013, a corruption scandal…

In this article, college students and faculty narrate their co-constructed journey across differences, through intersecting identities and intertwining paths in an effort to stand in solidarity with students, teachers, and community members resisting the removal of the Mexican-American Studies (MAS) program in the Tucson Unified School District in…

This case study outlines the struggle for desegregation and the adoption of culturally responsive curricula in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) as it attempted to balance state politics and federal court oversight. The case offers a detailed illustration of the political and legal events that led up to the adoption, elimination, and…

A study examining Latina parents' perspectives about their children's mathematics education invited three mothers to observe three middle-school reform mathematics classrooms and discuss their observations. The parents noted and approved of new roles for teachers and students, such as walking around the room, listening to students, and cooperative…

Critiques contemporary efforts to reform Chicano education, premised on "affirmational" education (use of cultural role models to reinforce self-concept) and "reformational" education (increased minority participation in educational institutions). Proposes a "transformational" education encompassing a bifurcated…

Science education reforms grounded in the male, Anglo cultural perspective are centrally faulty in that they expect females and minorities to participate in an educational and political structure that devalues them. Presents four recommendations for creating a "new science" education that values multiple perspectives and teaches students to look…

Describes the development of a Title VII bilingual program in a California community where Hispanics constitute 46 percent of the population. Examines change strategies used over a ten-year period of renewal. (NEC)

Because of the increasing Hispanic population, more colleges and universities are offering programs in Chicano studies. Reasons for the slow evolution of such programs include lack of university commitment to ethnic studies, lack of qualified faculty, and racism. However, students have the power to demand the offering of more Chicano studies…

Reviews a book that analyzes the 1970s political takeover of the Crystal City (Texas) school board, city council, and county offices by radical Chicano activists; district-wide establishment of maintenance bilingual education; internal and community divisions that followed; and eventual abandonment of the innovative programs. Points out the links…

Describes the Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico Rural Systemic Initiative (UCAN RSI), which aims to improve and integrate science, mathematics, and technology education for the primarily Native American and Hispanic students of the Four Corners region. Discusses UCAN RSI's focus on community engagement, cultural sensitivity and relevance, and…

Relates experiences with replacing textbooks with computer-based multimedia, citing middle-school use of multimedia software Science 2000 in Laredo, Texas. Advantages include interactivity, extensive databases, visual learning, data links, and student enthusiasm. Drawbacks include superficiality, lack of infrastructure support, teacher resistance,…

A case study examined interactions between elementary school staff and 18 Mexican American parents during the school's conversion to a dual language program. Although parents were included in program planning, parental satisfaction and involvement declined with time. Analysis suggests that parents were alienated as educators' ideals were…

Describes the problems facing schools with large Hispanic populations and the need for the federal government to develop specific policies directed toward improving the education of Hispanic Americans. Discusses the role of corporate and private support in working toward this goal. (LP)

By focusing on advantages inherent in what are typically considered disadvantages for rural schools, 14 rural, southern California school districts cooperated in implementing a successful inquiry-based elementary science program. Isolation and low population density resulted in a stable teaching force familiar with the community, and the area's…

Describes the successful bilingual education program at Socorro High School, Texas. As a result of site-based management, teacher-collaborative strategic planning, widespread ESL certification, and a parent-student-teacher school improvement team, students (98% Hispanic, 90% poor) consistently score above state averages; fewer than 2% drop out,…