After reviewing results from the Nation's Report Card in Writing, this article presents data from a survey of Latino students, the largest ethnic group of students at Northeastern Illinois University. These data suggest that the Hispanic students at Northeastern are similar to their national Hispanic peers in several ways, such as the levels of…

Despite the many physical and psychological benefits of physical activity, it is well documented that the general population does not engage in sufficient leisure time physical activity to accrue such benefits. In the Latino population the situation is even more dire. This review focuses on studies of the relationship between physical activity and…

The blend between Spanish and English found in Hispanic or Latino communities in the United States is usually known as "Spanglish." It is suggested that Spanglish represents the most important contemporary linguistic phenomenon in the United States that has barely been approached from a linguistic point of view. Spanglish may be…

Student-oriented institutional research capacities of colleges and universities provide the means to gather, combine, and analyze a great deal of information about students' academic preparation for undergraduate and for graduate education, their academic and other experiences while pursuing their degrees, and their academic progress and…

When a natural or man-made disaster strikes, there is usually little time for citizens to prepare and protect themselves. In September 2003, the U.S. Department of Homeland Defense implemented a National Response Plan dealing with many forms of disaster. However, when a disaster hits, not all citizens are equally prepared or protected. A sample of…

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative sample of youth in 7th to 12th grades, this study examines how racial and ethnic identification overlap among Hispanic adolescents (N = 6,399). The study examines the choices of friends to evaluate the proximity of race and ethnic identifiers among…

This study, based on recent field research, explores Latino music culture in Toledo, Ohio, and presents strategies for incorporating the music into the classroom. In the ethnographic project, three professors--music educator, ethnomusicologist, folklorist--interviewed many musicians, bands and community leaders. Musicians were regenerating…

The authors report a study in which they examined how principals utilize instructional leadership in high schools within a Hispanic majority context. The emphasis was on students' academic performance, goal development and implementation, school culture, and instructional management, which make up the broader theoretical framework of school…

Currently in her third year as principal of the Leighton Elementary School, Georgia Henson faces conflicting pressures in a district where the priorities of Anglo and Hispanic communities may diverge. This case raises questions regarding administration and supervision of schools in multicultural contexts where political tensions are rising. In…

In this article, Luis O. Reyes provides a retrospective of the historic 1974 Aspira Consent Decree between the New York City Board of Education and Aspira of New York, which established bilingual instruction as a legally enforceable federal entitlement for New York City's non-English-speaking Puerto Rican and Latino students. Reyes analyzes the…

In this paper we discuss a study that looks at the kinds of practices that Latino parents use to support their children's learning of mathematics. Some of our findings reveal that parents react to their children's mathematics education looking back to their own experiences as students. Thus, in some cases, they are faced with pedagogical…

As the racial and ethnic make-up of the United States (U.S.) further diversifies, the need for open dialogue around stereotypes and discrimination intensifies. Schools can provide students with the opportunity to begin to unravel the complexities of race and ethnicity. Students in bilingual classrooms inevitably bring up the issues surrounding…

This book will help you understand some of the most powerful cultural differences that can lead to classroom conflict for many students and how you can actually capitalize on these differences to make your classroom a harmonious, productive environment. Drawing from a seven-year action research study of elementary classrooms with high percentages…

Since decisions about sexual behavior are made by couples, communication between sexual partners is essential for preventing risky sexual behavior. In particular, teens who discuss contraception and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) with their partners before they engage in sex are more likely to use contraception when they do have sex, which…

This monograph details the process Building Engagement and Attainment for Minority Students (BEAMS) institutions used to craft data-driven action plans to improve student success. More than 100 four-year Historically Black, Hispanic-Serving, and Tribal colleges and universities participated in the five-year program that produced best practices…