A study examined English-dominant and Spanish-dominant students' perceptions of opportunities to communicate in science and mathematics classrooms. A survey was administered to 207 Mexican American secondary students who attended a summer enrichment program in mathematics and science at a university on the Texas-Mexico border. The students were…

Interviews with 43 Mexican American 4th- and 5th-grade students found that student beliefs about their ethnicity influenced perceptions of their social and behavioral competence, self-worth, and attitudes toward school, but were not related to their level of academic achievement. Discusses the relationship between parents' and childrens' beliefs…

Mathematics achievement was used to distinguish between resilient and nonresilient Latino middle-school students, primarily immigrants from working-class families speaking English as a Second Language. Resilient students had greater involvement and satisfaction in math class, academic self-concept, and achievement motivation than nonresilient…

This paper addresses the continuing failure of racial and ethnic minorities, specifically Mexican Americans and American Indians, to gain full representation in doctoral graduating classes and college faculties. The demographics of minorities in doctoral programs is reviewed with particular emphasis on the Southwestern United States and the two…

As part of a study of racial relations between Mexican Americans and Anglo Americans in rural Idaho, over 60 teachers, school administrators, and students were interviewed in educational institutions in five southwestern Idaho communities. One high school was the focus of field research, which also included attending school activities and school…

Although Mexican Americans are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, their history and literature are seldom taught in American classrooms. A study of over 3,000 high school sophomores in the Southwest revealed that neither Anglos nor Hispanics were aware of the contributions of Mexican Americans. Incorporating Mexican American…

Reports on a study of the relationship of family role and structure with academic achievement among 2,666 Anglo and 492 Mexican American high school students. Relates behavioral, attitudinal, and structural dimensions of families to students' self-reported grades. Finds that familistic attitudes are important to academic success. (CFR)

Focusing on the ethnic identity and achievement motivation of adolescents, this book reports on a study of Mexican-origin and Anglo American adolescents and sets it in sociopolitical, theoretical, ethnohistorical, and demographic contexts. The opening chapters examine public malaise over immigration and ethnic diversification in the United States…

A questionnaire with 120 variables was given to 105 high school juniors and seniors in Anthony and Canutillo, Texas, small school districts in which the majority of students are Mexican Americans, to study the perceptions of the schooling experience of this regional culture. Questions covered policy awareness; perception of school, teachers, and…

A historical baseline report on the Edgewood Independent School District of San Antonio, Texas, was prepared by external evaluators to give direction to the coming evaluation of a National Institute of Education (NIE) Experimental Schools (ES) Program, designed to raise pupil achievement through improved administration and instruction, coupled…

Interviews with 30 successful undergraduate Latino students in a highly selective university revealed that although most students came from "at-risk" socioeconomic backgrounds, they had access to specific personal and environmental resources that made them invulnerable to negative consequences of educational risk. Stresses the importance…

The Edgewood Independent School District (San Antonio, Texas), using a mini-system of one high school, one middle school, and four elementary schools, conducted an Experimental Schools Program from 1972-1977 to test a local decision making, long-term innovative program to effect substantial changes in the affective and cognitive characteristics of…

Prepared to assist professional educators and researchers who want greater detail on certain aspects of the evaluation of the five-year Experimental Schools Program conducted by the Edgewood Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas, this supplement to the Final Report on the Edgewood School Plan is composed of abstracts that give the…

This book overviews the process by which Mexican American children are socialized to the dominant Anglo American society and analyzes a 1973-76 study and 1983-86 follow-up of Mexican American college students regarding their knowledge of their own race and ethnicity and their attitudes toward the White race and culture. The chapters are: chapter…