A convergent mixed methods research design addressed the extent of benefit obtained from reading culturally inclusive prompts (i.e., four brief essays written by Latino authors) to improve essay writing in a developmental (pre-college) English course. Participants were 45 Latino students who provided quantitative data. Chi square analysis showed differences between predicted and actual numbers of grades earned (X[superscript 2]= 20.63, p < 0.01). Interview data from a sample sub-set of participants showed the prompts to be meaningful and helpful in writing the assigned essays. Convergence of both types of data was noted on four dimensions: final course grades, relevance to Latino culture, perceived benefit, and overall satisification. Implications of the findings include challenges for writing teachers and identifying high risk students early in the course. The findings demonstrate the feasibility and relevance of using mixed methods research in community college classroom research.