This paper focuses on the secondary school experiences of Hispanic students with disabilities, presenting findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) of Special Education Students. The 5-year NLTS study included data on more than 8,000 students (of whom 733 were Hispanic) enrolled in special education in the 1985-86 school…

This paper suggests that "Hispanic" populations are a diverse category. An undifferentiated comparison of the groups only creates a comparative "ecological" fallacy, which contributes to the creation of stereotypes rather than understanding. Each population must be placed within its appropriate historical, regional, and…

California has one of the most diverse societies on earth. Ethnic minorities comprise at least one-third of the state's people, and the society is becoming ever more diverse. It is estimated that by about the year 2010, California will have no majority ethnic group. The historical development of this diversity is traced from the arrival of…

This report describes differences in the employment experiences of high school dropouts and high school completers, taking into account several personal background and education characteristics. Such variables as labor force status, wage rates, type of occupation, job satisfaction, and other job-related activities are compared for two groups of…

This paper reviews variables specific to the Mexican-American culture that might influence work-related behavior and outcomes for youths with disabilities from this population. Areas covered include: parental/family network; cultural view of disability; religious influences; acculturation levels; language issues; education and employment…

This report summarizes perceptions of Latino teachers concerning their professional preparation, their working environment, and school/community characteristics that affect the achievement and attainment of Latino students. A mailing of 1,252 survey questionnaires to members of the Association of Mexican American Educators was conducted. Of the…

This analysis is the third in the Center's series on child poverty in America. The first part of this study is a historical view of trends in child poverty by race and Hispanic origin for children in families below the age of 18 years. The second part presents projections of child poverty rates and levels for the three largest racial groups to the…

Puerto Rican children and adolescents appear more at risk for below average school achievement and for mental health problems and service referrals than other Hispanic youngsters. This study examined the cognitive style and the emotional and behavioral patterns associated with the personal adjustment of 80 Puerto Rican adolescents from…

This feasibility study examined the need and the appropriateness of developing a videotape targeted to parents of young children with disabilities. The study involved a review of the literature, interviews with experts and practitioners, a focus group discussion to elicit the opinions and suggestions of parents of children with disabilities,…

This study identified maternal and family environmental characteristics predictive of school readiness in Black, Hispanic, and Caucasian children, and evaluated how these predictors operate in equivalent or dissimilar ways in the three ethnic groups. Subjects were approximately 600 6- and 7-year-old children of women participating in the National…

The dropout problem in the nation, in the Council of the Great City Schools (GCS) school districts, and in the central cities is reviewed. Annual, single-year, four-year, and status dropout rates are examined. During the decade from 1982 to 1992, the gap in dropout rate between Whites and other ethnic groups has narrowed. The majority of the GCS…

The school-year and annual dropout counts for high schools in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District are summarized for the past 7 years, 1983-84 through 1989-90, and for grades 7 and 8 for the past 6 years. Also reported are the current status of entering ninth graders of 1983-84 through 1989-90, and of the entering seventh graders of…

The Student Affirmative Action Program at California State University, Long Beach was designed to serve the needs of Latino students, an underrepresented population in higher education, and to help eliminate identified institutional barriers to their participation. Barriers include inadequate orientation and information, poor planning and academic…

For an ethnographic study of the personal and educational needs of Hispanic and Anglo adolescent mothers and the services affecting their decision to remain in school, researchers interviewed eight teenage mothers--four in a special high school teen parents' program and four who had dropped out of the program. Two young women in each group were…

This report examines the significance of the ethnic composition of Dade County (Florida) high schools for the academic achievement and dropout rate of its students. The following statistical data were analyzed using multivariate analysis for all 76,830 students enrolled in grades 9-12 in 1989: (1) age; (2) sex; (3) grade; (4) ethnicity; (5)…