This article argues for the need to center Latine students' experiences and language practices in Spanish programs at Hispanic Serving Institutions. We describe the work and possibilities of designing programs informed by Latine Studies perspectives as well by culturally and linguistically sustaining approaches to teaching Heritage Language…

In this paper, we address a lack of assessments of partner language development in dual language immersion (DLI) programs. We propose several important considerations that are necessary for the creation of research-based assessments of partner language development in DLI programs, focusing on Spanish as an example. We first discuss what these…

According to the National Education Association, one out of every four children in the U.S. public education system will be an English Learner (EL) by 2025, with at least half of these students likely being Spanish-speaking EL students. As school populations become more ethnically, racially, and linguistically diverse, current and future music…

This Data Point examines the barriers due to speaking a language other than English faced by Spanish-speaking families of enrolled students when they try to participate in their student's school activities. It also explores the language services that are provided by schools to Spanish-speaking parents. This Data Point uses data collected from the…

This Data Point uses data from the Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program (PFI-NHES: 1999-2019). The survey collects data about students in kindergarten through grade 12 and asks about ways parents are involved in their child's education, such as helping with homework, family…

This article examines the history of youth educational programming at a Kansas City nonprofit called El Centro, Inc. Youth educational programming has been a focal point of El Centro's programming throughout its history. It is a part of a larger historical research study that investigated the forty-seven-year history of the organization. The…

In this article, we will highlight an overview of a project that we facilitated with colleagues that encouraged immigrant youth and members of their families to share photographs that they took and stories that they wrote with fellow students in their school, their teachers, with members of their own student and cultural communities, and with…

Young English learners (ELs) whose home language is Spanish continue to lag behind in several school readiness areas including language and literacy skills in spite of their strong social skills, which are positively related to language and literacy. The purpose of this article is to identify challenges that preschool Spanish speaking ELs face,…

Despite the increasing number of U.S. born Latinos, placing heritage and native speakers in the Spanish curriculum is still a challenge (MacGregor-Mendoza & Moreno, 2020). The present article: (1) addresses the unique needs of heritage speakers in the Spanish curriculum; (2) problematizes traditional grammar-based placement exams; and (3)…

Creating Responsive Educational Avenues for Training Environments in Early Childhood (CREATE EC) is a new, interdisciplinary initiative aimed at transforming academic programs and professional development at the University of New Mexico's College of Education and Human Sciences. The goal is to co-create a community-informed approach for early…

In 2016, California voters approved state Proposition 58, repealing an almost 20-year ban on bilingual education for English Learners (ELs), who represent nearly 20% of the state's public school students. The state's reversal on bilingual education reflects a national trend of promoting bilingualism and expanding bilingual (also referred to as…

Despite different childhood experiences--primarily differences centered around language access--the authors share stories of growing up in large Spanish-speaking families with a strong sense of cultural identity and values. Now as they raise three children together, this is what they want for them as well--a sense of cultural identity and pride,…

Even though study abroad programs in Spanish-speaking countries are increasingly popular, there are hardly any programs specifically designed for Spanish heritage language learners (Beaudrie, Ducar, & Potowski, 2014). However, there are many heritage language learners who still choose a Hispanic country to study abroad. How can we as…

In this article, the authors present a composite counter-story of seemingly innocent encounters between a teacher and Raza learners for educators to grapple with color-blind and race-neutral practices when working with Raza learners. The authors offer entry points and questions to reflect on the intersection of race, language, and learning…

Education and outreach bring science to the general public, engage families, and ignite a passion for science in youth to seek careers in STEM. However, engagement in science depends on access, and language can be a major barrier. To ensure a welcoming, inclusive, and diverse community in the geosciences, we are calling for a community of practice…