The educational system in many schools fails to meet the academic needs of minority students. The dramatic shifts in student demographics are demanding changes in the ways teachers are teaching them. It is essential to understand the long term effects of past educational practices and bilingual programs. Research indicates that there are many academic, historical, socioeconomic and language factors that can contribute to minority students' success in schools. This research looks into the factors that have influenced the academic success or failure of native Spanish speaking students who were placed in monolingual English instruction programs in their early schooling. The project presents five case studies of these students over thirteen years in one district. The students' case histories reflect many of the same academic and social problems encountered by minority students in the school system. The parents' lack of formal educational experiences provided limited home support for the students. The families' and students' language and cultural backgrounds were in conflict with the school district's focused method of delivering academic instruction. The students' academic history showed the limited academic skills learned through their English instruction. Test scores did not show a steady upward growth of skills and students never reached parity with their English speaking peers.