This qualitative study grounded in critical inquiry and cultural-ecological theory explores barriers to academic achievement for Latino English language learners (ELLs). Parents and teachers were purposefully selected from a rural school district in the Rocky Mountain region to participate in focus group interviews. Findings included barriers…

To date, research on immigrant Latino students has neglected to fully explore the school experiences of immigrants from Oaxaca, a community that has historically experienced economic, political, social, and cultural oppression in Mexico and now in the United States. Drawing from formal and informal interviews and observations, I examine the high…

This study was conducted with 11 Latina/o college students in order to provide insight into how these students develop a sense of resilience. Five factors from J. H. McMillan and D. F. Reed's (1994) concept of resiliency appeared to play an important role in these students' high academic achievement: high educational goals, support and…

Culturally and linguistically appropriate strategies for family involvement are essential to ensure successful home-school partnerships. This article explores the use of "dichos," or popular sayings in the Spanish language, as tools that may have the potential to enhance school-home communication. Given their authenticity as constructs of the…

This research project is a qualitative study of 4 White female elementary school teachers working in an urban school district populated by primarily Mexican American students. The data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and documents. This study examines the perceptions, beliefs, and life experiences of White female teachers…

Few studies have examined the link between children's early school achievement and parents' at-home practices exclusively among Latino groups. This study examined the relation between Latina mothers' reported at-home practices regarding school preparation and their children's literacy skills. Participants included 56 kindergarten children and…

To examine factors predictive of successful 4th-grade 2nd language reading, I used a hierarchical multiple regression equation that included Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) Reading percentile rank as the criterion variable. The equation tested 5 predictor variables: English language proficiency, years of U.S. schooling, and 3…

Research on Latinos in schools tends to focus on first-generation immigrant and second-generation students. This article raises the profile of the later-generation (third or later) Chicano (LGC) or Mexican American students who continue to experience academic neglect despite their citizenship and English monolingualism. Using 31 oral histories…

Participation in school-based extracurricular activities influences educational success. Thus, it is important to depict a profile of school-based extracurricular activity involvement for a Latino student population that is marginalized in schools. This research uses the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 and logistic regression analyses to…

A retrospective account of the evolution of the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) program shows how English learners and students of diverse cultural backgrounds were marginally considered throughout the development of the "California Standards for the Teaching Profession" and BTSA induction development, implementation, and…

In this commentary, we extend the cautionary tales regarding dual-language programs raised by several scholars by considering the interface of such programs with global education. We consider the possible pitfalls of uncritically framing dual-language programs within the global education movement in the United States, especially in light of how…

Latino immigrant parents were interviewed in an urban California school district post Proposition 227. Approximately half had placed their English-learner children into bilingual classes. The others had children in English-only classes. Guided by sociohistorical psychology, the study explores the parents' motivations for the goal of preserving the…

Children from migrant agricultural families have some of the lowest socioeconomic and educational indicators in the American Southwest, and migrant parents are often characterized by school personnel as "hard to reach" and uninvolved in their children's education. This study analyzes the process of school participation among migrant parents who…

In 2007, the presidents and chancellors of Hispanic-serving institutions identified 5 challenges that their institutions will face as the end of the first decade of the 21st century approaches. Almost 8 of 10 respondents listed lack of funding as the most important challenge. The 2nd most important issue was the poor academic preparedness of…

This qualitative case study explores the political debate that surrounded North Carolina's House Bill 1183, also known as Access to Higher Education and A Better Economic Future. This bill would have made undocumented students eligible for in-state tuition at North Carolina's colleges and universities. This article discusses the political debate,…