Two schools in Maryland received ARRA SIG (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act School Improvement Grants) funds to enable them to implement their turnaround efforts. This paper describes the outcomes of these two ARRA SIG recipient schools: (1) G. James Gholson Middle School; and (2) Commodore John Rodgers Elementary School. The experiences of…

The six thematic teaching units, designed for teaching Spanish to native speakers in the American Southwest, are a result of a July 1993 conference of 30 middle school and high school teachers. Each unit was produced by a group of teachers, and is entirely or primarily in Spanish. The units contain lesson outlines, activities, tests, samples of…

As part of a symposium on issues related to diversity and American education reform in the context of Goal 3 of the National Education Goals, this paper addresses the diversity of Hispanic populations in the United States and implications for Goal 3. Seven factors to consider in program planning include the following: heterogeneity of the Hispanic…

This paper reports on a project aimed at improving academic achievement at a predominantly Latino elementary school in the metropolitan Los Angeles area. Project activities were guided by a school change model that helped provide a coherent, sustained focus over a period of several years. The model suggests four elements that can be used to…

This paper describes West Texas State University's efforts to recruit Hispanic students and compares enrollment trends there with national statistics. West Texas State University (WTSU) is a small four-year college, located 12 miles south of Amarillo in Canyon (Texas). A review of enrollment trends in higher education notes that although minority…

This paper presents the results of a two-year initiative to change the social arrangements and interactions of special education students and teachers assigned to a predominantly Mexican-American, low-income seventh grade campus of 520 students. The project investigated how to improve the learning environments of students at risk of being placed…

The New York City Board of Education formed the Latino Commission on Educational Reform to examine issues of concern to Latino children who comprise an increasing segment of the students in the public school system. An interim report was submitted on the dropout rate, curriculum and instruction, support services, parent and community empowerment,…

The National Council of La Raza has developed five innovative community based demonstration projects to improve the educational outcomes of Hispanics. Three of the projects are designed to address high risk students; the remaining two address the needs of parents and teachers. Each of these projects is designed to be implemented by Hispanic…

This study presents the case of a preservice science student teacher with a desire to make science education more accessible to all students. The paper highlights her cross-cultural student teaching experience in an urban middle school with a predominantly Hispanic-American population. Data were gathered from interviews conducted throughout her…

This study determined how multiple ecodevelopmental domains influenced dysphoria in a community sample of Latina adolescents. Risk factors tested include childhood maltreatment, parental alcohol-related problems, and polysubstance problems. Protective factors include general self-efficacy, social conformity, and family connection. Female…

Objective: To explore in a multiethnic primary care population the impact of child gender and of race/ethnicity on parent and child reports of school-age anxiety and on the factor structure of the Screen for Childhood Anxiety and Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Method: A consecutive sample of 515 children (8 to less than 13 years) and their…

This study examined whether the efficacy of "keepin' it REAL", a model program for substance use prevention in schools, was moderated by gender, ethnicity, and acculturation. Gender differences in program efficacy may arise through boys' higher risk of drug use, inadequate attention to girls' developmental issues, or cultural factors…

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection rates in the United States continue unabated among some groups, with young adults of color at greater risk than others. This study sought to determine college students' knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors related to HIV/AIDS. Undergraduate students (N = 443) at a large, urban Hispanic-serving…

Students of color are often underrepresented in gifted education programs. While many educators have sought to reverse or redress this issue, little has changed over the years. In this article, it is proposed that teachers, particularly those working with elementary students, must pursue cultural competence in order to recognize the strengths and…

One particular campus of the California State University system is a comprehensive metropolitan university located in the center of California's agricultural heartland. This campus is one of many universities incorporating approaches to better address the needs of their students. Throughout the article the campus will be identified as the…