The purpose of this study was to screen for gender-based (female-male) and ethnic-based (Hispanic-White) differential item functioning (DIF) in the 2003 Idaho Standards Achievement Tests of reading, language arts and mathematics at grades 4, 8 and 10. The vendor, the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), assembled the computer-administered…

This study was designed to answer two key questions about the fixed portions of the fourth, eighth, and tenth grade spring 2003 Idaho Standards Achievement Tests (ISAT) in Reading, Language Usage and Mathematics: (1) To what extent do test items exhibit substantive differences in functioning across student groups formed based on ethnicity and…

Of the 22 million children currently enrolled in U.S. schools, more than 2 million have limited English proficiency. Preschoolers and elementary-age children make up the greatest proportion of the immigrant student population, and many teachers need support in educating these young, linguistically diverse students. This digest reviews proven…

This study analyzed segregation among public elementary school children using data collected by the National Center for Educational Statistics through the 1999-00 school year. It examined the impact of such factors as families opting out of the public school system or taking school attendance lines into account when deciding where to live, noting…

This paper presents a contextual framework for analysis of Hispanic leadership in higher education and reviews the demographics of Hispanic college presidents, their challenges, and related leadership issues. It can be argued that Hispanic leadership in higher education brings a socially marginalized experience that, by emphasizing social justice,…

This brochure, written in Spanish, for Spanish-speaking parents of gifted adolescents discusses strategies to use to support the interests of their children and how to recognize and extend their children's talents. Parents are urged to: (1) increase their knowledge about the child's areas of interest; (2) discuss the child's present and future…

This report disaggregates school racial composition at the district level in order to explore patterns of segregation affecting U.S. students. It examines segregation trends in large school districts nationwide, investigating whether metropolitan countywide districts are still integrated, the extent to which children in central city school…

The authors examine racial and ethnic differences in computer ownership and Internet usage using data from a survey conducted by the Nomura Research Institute in 2000. They focus on on-line shopping because few studies have examined racial and ethnic differences in e-commerce. The results indicate that blacks and Hispanics are less likely to own…

Although the hope for charter schools is the lessening and eventual elimination of the achievement gap that exists by race and income, this report indicates that charter schools in Milwaukee are mirroring the test score gap of both Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and the state of Wisconsin in both fourth grade reading and fourth grade math. Other…

This qualitative study looks at the Pio Pico experience, Santa Ana (California), which includes the Santa Ana Boys' and Girls' Club, Pio Pico Elementary School, and the surrounding community associations. In each setting, community members were asked about the necessities for work in the setting and about attributes they would like to see in the…

This newsletter theme issue includes five articles on migrant education and migrant students. "Creative Educational Opportunities for Migrant Students" (Abelardo Villarreal, Anita Tijerina Revilla) discusses the need to increase high school graduation rates among migrant students, the high dropout rate and low standardized test scores of…

This report describes capacity and needs assessments of youth services in the District of Columbia. The assessments were conducted by the Urban Institute, Georgetown University, and the University of the District of Columbia in the summer of 1999. D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams requested these assessments to help guide the allocation of additional…

Thirteen Latina teachers were interviewed regarding their memories of and experiences with getting into college and getting degrees in education. Data came from the second phase of a 2-year study. In the first phase, researchers examined teachers' early childhood reading experiences. This study used individual interviews and focus groups to…

This report presents data on U.S. births using information from the birth certificates of the 3.96 million births in 1999. Data are presented for maternal demographics (age, live-birth order, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, and educational attainment); maternal characteristics (medical risk factors, weight gain, tobacco use, and alcohol…

This book is designed to help undergraduate and graduate students begin a discussion about the technicalities, politics, and ethics surrounding qualitative research, focusing on research in the interest of social justice. It offers a view of how two researchers have conceptualized their own research process and renders problematic many of the…