This newsletter contains six articles focusing on dropouts, potential dropouts, dropout rates, and dropout prevention, particularly in Texas and among Hispanics and other minority groups. "Improving Student Performance: Study Identifies Better Approach" (Maria Robledo Montecel, Josie Danini Supik, and Jose A. Cardenas) correlates student…

Data on Hispanic women in the labor force between 1978 and 1988 show the following: (1) 6.5 percent of the women in the work force in 1988 were of Hispanic origin (3.6 million); (2) the median age of Hispanic women was 26.1 years, 2-5 years younger than Black or White women; (3) 66 percent of Hispanic women participate in the labor force, a higher…

A study investigated the effectiveness of an Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Pull-out program on the reading achievement of Hispanic fifth- and sixth-grade participants. Earlier research on the effectiveness of such programs was inconclusive. Subjects, 30 randomly chosen students from a Chicago public school who received instruction…

Studies have shown that many Hispanic/Latino youth can be considered at high risk for substance abuse problems. The rapidly increasing numbers of Hispanic American youth and the multiple antecedent risk factors suggest that substance abuse prevention must be a leading priority in the Hispanic/Latino communities. Information is a primary tool in…

A study investigated the stigma associated with not speaking a native language in a Hispanic community. Subjects were 288 male and female university students and staff, both Hispanic and non-Hispanic, in the San Diego (California) area. Two forms of a paper-and-pencil survey were administered to the subjects; one gave a stimulus figure, a Mexican…

Minority families are less likely than Anglos to seek services from community agencies. Two studies were conducted with 178 Hispanic, 309 American Indian (Ute and Navajo), and 363 Anglo parents using the Social Network Questionnaire, Self-Perceptions of the Parental Role scale, checklists of community resources, and the Marin acculturation…

From 1986 to 1995, the percentage of Hispanics in elementary and secondary schools increased significantly. However, data continue to show that Hispanic educational attainment levels do not match those of their White and Black peers. Latino children are less likely than their White or Black peers to be enrolled in preprimary education programs,…

As a service of Integrated Research Services, a non-profit organization, this newsletter reports on many facets of prevention research. Written in direct, accessible language, each issue provides a "snapshot" update on a specific topic. Some articles are reprinted (often in a briefer format) from other publications; others provide a synthesis of…

This book presents papers from some leading social scientists and scholars who examine the contemporary contours of America's gang problem. New material is provided on wilding (i.e., running amok for no specific reason) gangs, migration and drug trafficking, and public education disruption. Other topics involve organization of gangs, their social…

The Xinachtli Project, implemented by Chicano activists in Phoenix (Arizona) and El Paso (Texas), addresses the loss of ancestral culture by public school students of Mexican ancestry. The project teaches indigenous Mexican culture to students and their teachers through a series of presentations and lectures on Aztec dance, mathematics, language,…

This study examines the way the nation's educational system distributes opportunities to learn mathematics and science among various groups of students. Participation and achievement in mathematics and science by women, minorities, and the poor is disproportionately low. Minorities and the poor, especially in inner cities, have considerably fewer…

This resource book contains 380 references related to school dropouts and a list of organizations working on the issue. References are grouped according to type of document or subject of the document. The first section contains citations from newspapers or magazines that take a global look at issues related, directly or indirectly, to the school…

In 1985, the Early Childhood and Family Education Program (ECFEP) established a preschool in a Hispanic neighborhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This paper discusses the risks for families in this community, and the ways in which these risks can be countered by an empowerment process model. The operation of the preschool is intended to empower…

In this testimony before the House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Development, the Director of Policy Analysis for the National Council of La Raza discusses the segregation and housing discrimination faced by Hispanic Americans. He contends that housing conditions for much of the Hispanic community are inadequate, due largely to low income…

Adolescent pregnancy in the Hispanic community warrants attention both because it has been underresearched and because its consequences may be particularly dramatic. In addition to economic disadvantage, Hispanic adolescents in the United States must contend with conflicting messages from two cultures regarding standards of sexuality, timing of…