In an attempt to formulate a set of testable propositions about the dynamics of Hispanic life that will be valuable pedagogically and as a basis for public policy formation, this study assesses the impact of Hispanic Americans on Wichita, Kansas. Chapter 1 identifies the Hispanic origins of Kansas' 63,339 Hispanics who represent 2.7% of the…

The study described in this report examines both the positive and negative influences on student retention and transfer at six community colleges located along the U.S.-Mexico border. Chapter I reviews the literature on retention and transfer and establishes the conceptual framework and research objectives of the study. Chapter II offers baseline…

Students from different ethnic backgrounds respond differently to a mutually experienced school environment. In this study, 804 students in five multiethnic urban middle schools in New York State were surveyed using the Elementary and Secondary Environment Index, a companion to the Organizational Climate Index. Each school's population was broken…

An overview is provided of the discussion at the conference, as well as edited versions of the keynote address and nine commissioned papers prepared as background for the working sessions: "Achieving Quality and Equality" (Donald M. Stewart); "Financial Aid and Ethnic Minorities" (Jacob O. Stampen and Robert H. Fenske); "Minority Education…

The importance of parent participation in a child's education is undisputed, and low-income urban parents can and want to help with their children's schooling, both at home and at school, as much as do middle class parents. However, most poor urban children live in single-parent, female-headed households--often Black or Hispanic--and many school…

Although nearly 90,000 students in the New York (New York) public schools participate in bilingual education programs and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, insufficient data are available to conduct effective program evaluations. The school system's bilingual and ESL programs achieved their size and permanence as a result of two…

The Spanish Literacy Investigation Project was implemented to identify adult Spanish literacy programs throughout the country, to explore the availability of relevant Spanish literacy teaching methods, to determine relevant elements between Spanish literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL), and to describe a model for incorporating a Spanish…

Originally presented as lectures at Georgia State University in 1982, these three papers address the themes of multiethnic societies in the United States and Great Britain. In the first paper "Identity, Conflict, and Survival Mechanisms for Asian Americans," the author discusses how the observable patterns of mobility through education…

A research guide on student access to the Arizona University System, with studies of retention and persistence, is presented as one working paper in the final report of the Arizona Board of Regents' Task Force on Excellence, Efficiency and Competitiveness. Six topics of discussion, covering areas to be investigated, are as follows: academic…

In response to concerns about the loss of effectiveness of the community college transfer function, this paper examines the steady decline in rates of minority student transfer from two- to four-year colleges and offers policy recommendations for facilitating transfer and baccalaureate degree attainment. Initial sections review data showing the…

The National Association of State Scholarship and Grant Programs/National Council of Higher Education Loan Programs conference on student aid is reported. Following the conference agenda and lists of registrants and conference speakers, the following papers are presented: (1) "Reinterpretation of Hansen's Census Data" (John B. Lee); (2)…

The results of a survey measuring the knowledge that 173 credentialed educators in selected California four-year public high schools had about the academic entry requirements for California two- and four-year public colleges are presented. College-related information relevant to academic entry requirements is not reaching those students who need…

As part of an effort by William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) to determine the educational needs of minorities on campus and in the community, a study was conducted of the academic performance of different ethnic groups. Using student transcripts, the longitudinal performances of 100-student samples each of Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics were…

The testimony presented in this report addresses the effects of recent reforms on the achievement of disadvantaged students, their dropout rates, and their enrollments in vocational education. An evaluation of programs in four large-city school districts revealed that educational reform has been neither a disaster nor a boon for the performance of…

A review of research on the cognitive, linguistic, and scholastic development of mainland Hispanic-American children paints a dismal overall picture. Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, 11% of the population in 1986; about 75% have Mexican ancestry. Less than half of Latin adults speak English well enough for the…