The college retention rates for underrepresented minorities (URM) in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) are lower than other groups. One reason may be that the studies often do not view premature departure from a cultural perspective. This exploratory investigation focused on developing an instrument that employed a cultural…

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 focuses on poverty and social inequality in San Francisco (California), presenting basic demographic information on the socioeconomic conditions of Latinos, African Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and Whites in San Francisco, based on an analysis of U.S. Census data for 1970, 1980, and 1990. Although it presents comparative…

This newsletter includes five articles on gender equity and related issues in education, with particular reference to the education of Hispanic girls. "IDRA's MIJA Program Expands" (Aurora Yanez-Perez) describes a program for sixth-grade Hispanic girls that promotes awareness of science- and math-related careers, provides training in…

This report documents the problems of Black and Latino males in New York City by assembling a broad range of data regarding the connections between the City's Black and Latino men and its social and economic institutions. The report draws primarily on data from federal surveys and administrative data from New York City and New York State agencies.…

An analysis of student achievement and the ethnicity of students and instructional staff in the Syracuse (New York) City School District found a need to develop a multicultural curriculum that would ensure equal educational opportunity. A comparison of the scores of White, Black, and Hispanic elementary and middle school students on the IOWA…

Data on earned degrees (by minorities) by selected fields of concentration are presented according to a national survey by the American Council on Education (ACE), Office of Minority Concerns. Its special focus is on the current critical issue of the escalating shortage of minority teachers. The following issues are discussed: minority high school…

The Metropolitan Achievement Test scores for Boston, Massachusetts, have improved from 1987 to 1988, with scores for 8 grades matching or exceeding the 50th percentile as established in 1986. Reading scores improved over the previous year in seven grades. Yet this "good news" provides little information about real reading skills or…

The 12 articles in this book cover most of the significant issues about which judges, policymakers, educators, and parents are concerned when they evaluate and debate the desirability of school desegregation. Part I addresses the legal context of desegregation policy with (1) "Brown in Perspective," by William L. Taylor. The effects of…

This report examines national, state, and metropolitan trends in the desegregation of U.S. public schools, based on federal enrollment statistics. The data indicate that the White majority is declining, and that Hispanic, Asian, American Indian enrollments are growing rapidly. There has been no overall change in Black segregation on a national…

The effectiveness of bilingual bicultural education as a means of increasing the opportunities of language minority students is examined in this report, which is addressed to educators and the general public. First, an introduction defines key terms, briefly outlines controversies which surround bilingual education, and describes the contents of…

This study addresses the question of whether a State system of higher education based on different tiers (a community college system and a State university system) provides equal access and opportunity for minority students. Specifically, the study investigates access distribution, retention, and progression of minority students using Florida…

California's sometimes controversial efforts to keep Hispanic students in school and interested in college education include tutoring programs, financial aid, curriculum development, partnerships between school districts and higher education institutions, Spanish-language and Hispanic-oriented recruitment and encouragement efforts, and transfer of…

It is necessary to be blunt in approaching relations between brown and black Americans. Whether African Americans and Hispanic Americans want to admit it or not, in many areas they are in conflict that simmers and is not usually verbalized. Yet the two groups have much in common. Both arrived in what is now the United States before whites, and…

Pio Pico Elementary School, Santa Ana (California), is a public school that provides a rigorous academic program for every one of its low income Latino students by embracing the multifaceted offerings of the community in a spirit of equity for all, inside and outside the classroom. This qualitative study explores the complexities of Pio Pico…