This brief, based on a presentation by New York City Board of Education member Dr. Luis Reyes, describes the work and findings of the Latino Commission on Educational Reform, a special commission of the Board. In an effort to gather information for 1990-91 on Latino students in New York City schools, the Commission found that: Latino students…

This collection of 16 papers attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of the state of children in the nations of the Americas. The collection's five sections examine children's rights, perspectives of five parents from five different nations, children with disabilities in the legal system, promoting the rights of children through social…

Techniques for using children's rhymes, games, tongue twisters, and fables in Spanish to teach bilingual education classes are described. It is argued that these abundant materials serve as natural sources for authentic Spanish from a variety of Hispanic cultures. With the appeal of rhythm, rhyme, and game-like feeling, they can be used to teach…

This report compares two studies, one conducted in 1993 and the other in 1996, that examined public attitudes toward higher education in California. Grouping the findings as enduring values, changing concerns, and "dealing with the next tidal wave," the report concludes that Californians: believe education is essential for a decent job…

This issue presents 11 research papers submitted by students: (1) "An Exploration of Problem-Behavior Theory" (Casey Ann Reeves); (2) "HIV/AIDS Prevention, Intervention, and Education Techniques Used within the American Indian Population" (Ursule R. Smith); (3) "Parent-to-Child Conflict Tactics in Late Adolescence"…

The Puerto Rican language-culture nexus is seen as the natural field where young Puerto Ricans forge their ethnic identities. Ethnographic theory and methods were used to study this nexus from a naturalistic perspective. A focus group of 12 Puerto Rican 8th grade students (9 males and 3 females) attending a school within 1 Puerto Rican barrio in…

Cultural competence assumes greater importance in the United States as international relations shift and the United States changes its own demographic makeup. Hispanics have significant health care needs and cultural beliefs that influence their acceptance of service. As part of an effort to build cultural competence in undergraduate social work…

This study describes the individual, family, school, and community characteristics of Hispanic ninth-grade students enrolled in predominantly minority high schools in five major U.S. cities: Chicago, Miami, Milwaukee, Newark, and San Antonio. The data, which are reported for four groups--Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Central…

Based on data from the High School and Beyond Study, a longitudinal study of high school sophomores and seniors, this report summarizes some of the study's findings on the differences between Hispanics and non-Hispanic blacks and whites in school delay, aspirations, test scores, language usage, and socioeconomic status. Tabular data indicate that:…

Written for teachers to use with migrant children in elementary grades and to highlight the many Americas, three magazines provide historical and cultural background information on Canada, the United States, and Mexico and feature biographies of Black and Hispanic leaders. Each edition has a table of contents indicating the language--Spanish…

This study of Bolivia's National Revolution of 1952 illustrates the effects of a peasant revolution on inequality and status inheritance. It was hypothesized that when an exploited peasantry revolts and overthrows the traditonal elite, peasants would be better off because inequality and status inheritance would decline as a result of the…

Training of four Puerto Ricans and four non-Puerto Ricans to assess the portrayal of Puerto Ricans in a sample of ethnic literature using a holistic approach is described. Basic assumptions involved in a holistic reading or scoring are as follows: (1) readers judge each textual unit as a whole and also within the context of the range of categories…

These 12 essays examine trends and innovations at the community colleges of the State University of New York (SUNY). George Robertson details aspects of recruitment and mission planning at Mohawk Valley Community College for the 1980's. Judith Hall relates her experiences in integrating Latin American reading materials in an introductory…

A second interim report on a reading program for Mexican-American children in an East Los Angeles elementary school notes that reading ability in the primary grades has improved. In January, 1967, the average first grade reading score on the Stanford Reading Test was at the third percentile, whereas in January, 1968, the score was at the eighth…

A product of a 1968 Title III National Defense Education Act Pilot Workshop on Teaching Latin American Cultural Themes, this booklet is designed to (1) further the cause of Latin American understanding in Spanish, social studies, and elementary school classes, (2) to be used in future workshops, and (3) serve as a model for similar handbooks…