In December 1996, a peace accord ended 30 years of civil war in Guatemala, during which an estimated 200,000 people were killed and over 1 million were displaced. Most of the war's victims have been indigenous (Maya) Guatemalans--who make up about 65 percent of the population--and other supporters of economic and political reforms. In this book,…

The present study examines a new battery of nonverbal cognitive measures used extensively with numerous preschool children. Seven nonverbal, individually administered measures of fluid reasoning and visualization were administered to these children. Raw scores were converted to age-corrected scaled scores and subjected to multivariate analysis of…

Why students drop out of school and how to prevent them from doing so has been a recurring theme in research literature. Many factors influence the decision to drop out, including student access to counseling. This question of access to counseling is explored in this paper so as to identify variables that can be manipulated through policy…

This report describes a study that examined the scholastic achievement of college students in general education. The study evaluated the College Basic Academic Subjects Examination (College BASE) scores of 74,535 students who were tested between 1988 and 1993 at 56 institutions of higher education. The study found that: (1) overall, scores in…

Puerto Ricans in the United States are often assumed to be bilingual, and most are to some degree. Among Puerto Ricans, frequent returns home are common, allowing for immersion in both cultures and communication in both Spanish and English. Despite availability of bilingual education, programs are too short for participants to attain even a…

Children who inherit sickle cell disease, primarily African Americans and Hispanics, are at risk for serious medical conditions and require special care both at home and in school. Sickle cell disease is recognized as an "Other Health Impairment" and identified students may be eligible for special education services under the Individuals…

This publication explores the experiences of Latinas in the United States' educational system, utilizing the concept of "possible selves" to investigate the lives of Latinas in school, at home, and with their peers. The concept of "possible selves" articulates the interaction between Latinas' current social contexts and their…

This report describes the June 2000 White House Strategy Session on Improving Hispanic Student Achievement, which focused on developing effective strategies aligned with broad national education goals. The report outlines the challenges that the U.S. faces in increasing Hispanic student achievement, and it shares the many recommendations made by…

Noting the importance of kindergarten for establishing skills critical for school success, especially for today's diverse kindergartners who differ in the extent and types of early care and educational experiences they have had prior to kindergarten, this study focused on the gains in reading skills made by language minority and mainstream…

The 10 issues of IDRA Newsletter published in 2000 focus on education in Texas and on national and statewide educational issues concerning minority, low-income, or bilingual students. Feature articles include: "Musical Chairs and Unkept Promises" (reforming education to keep all students "in the game"); "The ENLACE…

This collection of papers reports research on the effects of bilingual learning on the ability to speak two languages and the ability to acquire full literacy in both. There are 12 chapters in 4 parts. Part 1, "Background," includes (1) "Assessing the Effects of Bilingualism: A Background" (D. Kimbrough Oller and Barbara Zurer…

This document shares a vision for a 4-year curriculum for Heritage Speakers of Spanish (HSS)/Spanish for Native Speakers (SNS), describing a course developed for SNS students within Mercy High School in San Francisco, California. The vision foresees an ever-increasing number of HSS and SNS students completing college level degree programs then…

The purpose of this study was to describe a research project that investigated an alternative service delivery model for infants, toddlers, and their families who were eligible for early intervention services under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These families were of Latino heritage and had Spanish as their…

This book about homelessness in the United States offers 16 chapters in three parts. Part 1, "History Definitions, and Causes," includes: (1) "Redefining the Cursed Word: A Historical Interpretation of American Homelessness" (Kim Hopper and Jim Baumohl); (2) "Homelessness: Definitions and Counts" (Martha R. Burt); (3)…

This document comprises the two 1997 issues of the journal. Articles include the following: "The Importance of Learning English: A National Survey of Hispanic Parents" (Michael La Velle); "The Languages of Immigrants" (Charles L. Glenn); "Follow-Up Study on the Bethlehem, PA School District's English Acquisition…