This year people celebrate the 50th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision, "Brown v. the Board of Education." A half-century after the Supreme Court found that segregated schools are "inherently unequal," there is much research to support the Court's decision. However, 2004 finds the U.S. educational system becoming more segregated…

Affirmative action addresses disparities in higher education. Recent trends threaten gains, resegregation is underway nationally. California outlawed affirmative action, the quality of K-12 education is declining, and prison construction is soaring. African American and Latino participation in higher education has declined; both groups are…

This article addresses Latino population growth in the United States and their participation in higher education, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs. The demographic and educational trends outlined here suggest that although the Latino population will continue to grow very rapidly, the participation in…

This study analyzed the impact of specific types of financial aid on students' college choice, with particular focus on racial differences. For overall student populations, the receipt of grants or a combination of grants with loans had a positive impact on attending first choice institutions. In contrast, having loans only had no significant…

Using critical race theory as a framework, this article examines the access and availability of Advanced Placement (AP) courses and how they impact educational outcomes for Latina/o and African American students. To begin thinking critically about enrollment patterns of AP courses, we ask the following questions: How do school structures,…

This paper examines the experiences and context in the making of a Chicano activist. Utilizing autoethnographic methodology, I discuss my own identity development, as it was mediated by issues of social capital and mentoring, two significant elements related to Chicano educational activism. I discuss dimensions or race, class, self-esteem, and…

The retention rate of a growing Latino student population at Lansing Community College (LCC) in Lansing, Michigan, continues to be an institutional priority. The college has had many successful outcomes from programs designed to assist students pursing their education goals; but the challenges of Latino students in a community college…

The problem of adolescent substance use has been examined extensively. Beyond simple prevalence estimates, however, little research has been conducted on substance use in the school context. The present investigation was an in-depth study of students' attitudes and behaviors regarding alcohol and marijuana use during the school day. Based on a…

In this study, the authors examined the role of parental beliefs about the causes of child problems in predicting later mental health service use in a large, diverse population of at-risk youths. Study hypotheses were that parental beliefs consistent with biopsychosocial causes would be associated with later mental health service use;…

This cross-sectional study examined the relationship among maternal HIV, pubertal development, gender, ethnicity, and spirituality and adolescent participation in sexual possibility situations (SPSs) and in sexual activity. SPSs are social encounters with cross-gender peers that afford the opportunity to engage in sexual activity. Heterosexual…

Medicare, as a publicly funded insurance program, has produced significant improvement in the overall health of America's elderly populations. However, health disparities still persist between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White populations in terms of overall access to health services. This study utilized data from the Hispanic Established Population…

Historic trends affect the social construction of the Hispanic self that have negatively affected achievement. This is reflected in the models of training and career counseling. Achievement depends on many factors among college students. Hispanic college students have certain obstacles that need to be addressed related to self-concept to meet…

This paper provides an analysis of data on school security measures which were obtained from a survey administered to a sample of 230 high school students. The majority of students indicated that the school police officers and security officers help keep the schools safe and that the drug-sniffing dogs help reduce drugs in the schools, but there…

The evaluation field in the United States has seen an increase in evaluations with and of diverse cultural populations, including racial or ethnic populations as well as those cultures and subcultures with special interests, concerns, or needs, such as the youth and gay and lesbian communities. These evaluations have occurred as the populations…

Objective: The objective of the present article is to review and discuss Familias Unidas, an empirically supported, family-based, culturally specific drug abuse and HIV prevention intervention for Hispanic immigrant adolescents and their families. Method: The authors focus on engagement and retention as well as on intervention delivery.…