The issue of recruitment of community college minority students who are underrepresented in higher education (Hispanics and Blacks) is complex and needs various programs which are unique and fit within the framework of the institution. Historical elements in Texas make it difficult to implement recruitment efforts. Recent statistics illustrate the…

These guidelines for California's community colleges specify required elements of a staff diversity/affirmative action plan, recommend sound practices and activities that will maximize the likelihood of success, and provide information on, and required elements of, related issues such as sexual harassment, handicap discrimination, and AIDS in the…

Intercollegiate cooperation, an essential element of successful course articulation and student transfer, can be hindered by the inherent differences between two- and four-year institutions, such as their mission emphases, functional priorities, and preconceptions about the other. In 1986, a study was conducted of three community colleges in…

Since the late 1970s, California's rural poor (frequently immigrants and refugees) have been engaged in grassroots efforts to change the cultural and political landscapes of their communities. Told in the words of rural people, this book presents six stories of struggle and empowerment. In Yuba City, Latino and East Indian farmworkers felt that…

The challenge of equal educational opportunity in California and lessons from student affirmative action efforts are considered in a California Postsecondary Education Commission task force report, which also offers recommendations to promote high school and college preparation and educational opportunities for low income and minority students.…

The community college represents the only form of universal access to education, and is thus purported to be the gateway to low-income and minority students' realization of the "American Dream." That dream is growing more and more elusive for a substantial number of people. Instead of breaking down ethnic and class barriers to economic…

This affirmative action and staff diversity plan was developed to specify strategies and assign responsibility for increasing the number of qualified minorities, women, disabled, and members of other underrepresented groups who staff California's community colleges. Introductory comments explain the rationale behind the plan, indicating that…

In the knowledge-based economy that characterizes the 21st century, most previously industrialized countries are making massive investments in education. The United States ranks poorly on many leading indicators, however, primarily because of the great inequality in educational inputs and outcomes between White students and non-Asian…

Today, language-minority students comprise one of the fastest-growing segments of the total student population in America, a culturally and linguistically diverse group. A large number of bilingual students fall into the at-risk category because their cultural and linguistic backgrounds put them at a disadvantage in the American educational system…

In response to legislative mandate, the California Postsecondary Education Commission developed options for improving students' learning and development in college, including funding approaches designed to support these options. The commission's report summarizes a previous, related report and traces the origins of the current report from it,…

This monograph is based on a conference on bilingual education held by the Center for Equal Opportunity (CEO) in September, 1995 in Washington, D.C. CEO made repeated attempts to secure speakers representing the pro-bilingual education viewpoint; the paper by Portes and Schauffler represents this view. Papers presented include: "Introduction:…

The multicultural and bilingual population of California will continue to increase over the next decades, and as a result, the role of multicultural and bilingual education will increase in importance. Since the 1970s improvements have occurred in instructional materials, in program evaluation, and in teacher certification to meet the needs of…

Proposition 209 is a statewide constitutional amendment initiative in California, which, if passed in November 1996, will eliminate all statewide affirmative action programs. It is argued that, contrary to its title, this amendment is an extreme and unnecessary measure that will actually undermine further advances in civil rights. There are…

Parents of students with disabilities want the same access to educational opportunities as parents of students without disabilities. This "right" to particular services and learning environments is securely supported by federal regulations and policies in all schools, including charter schools. However, in the work of Fierros and…