... Latino children's opportunities for equal education are hampered by many factors, which are highlighted in this document ...

Following its rapid growth over the past twenty years, the Latino population of Massachusetts is now the largest racial and ethnic minority group in the state. It is also one of the poorest. During the "Massachusetts Miracle" of the 1980s, the Latino poverty rate in the commonwealth was twice that of blacks and six times that of whites. And with Latino children dropping out of school at a rate three times that of white children, the economic future of these young adults is bleak indeed. Unlike blacks--who are concentrated in Boston--Latinos are dispersed geographically throughout the state. This distribution, combined with their limited economic and political power, has made Latinos victims of public indifference and neglect. This volume and its companion, Latino Poverty and Economic Development in Massachusetts, edited by Edwin Melendez and Miren Uriarte, are designed to educate policymakers and other concerned individuals about the particular needs of Latinos in Massachusetts. They address issues of education and economic development and suggest strategies to facilitate Latino empowerment in ways that preserve ethnic identity, language, and cultural expression.

Based on the work of real leaders and educators in high-performing, urban schools across the country, this book unpacks five key practices that are integral to improving achievement and postsecondary outcomes for Latino students. These inspiring stories affirm that excellence and equity are possible when educators come together around an important purpose and focus on the needs, strengths, and interests of all their students. Full of specific examples and guidance, each chapter also includes an assessment tool designed to help school leaders reflect upon their current practices, affirm school strengths that resemble the exemplary practices described in the chapters, and help educators pinpoint opportunities to strengthen practices in ways that can improve the postsecondary readiness of their students. This important book will help leaders create a positive school culture, coherent school design, and develop the practices and policies that support Latino students in their performance and help students realize their potential.

Latino/a students are in a unique position in today's society; teachers and administrators are in an influential position in educating them. Community, parents, and educators alike are poised to enable these students to gain the education they need for success. Chapters by recognized authors and successful practitioners explain theory with actual applicable examples, demonstrating where and how education is successfully working for Latino students.

This watershed volume brings together the foremost leading authorities and scholars lending their individual voices to a single, urgent issue: literacy for Latino students. In a departure from traditional paradigms, Latinos examine their own lived experiences in U.S. schools and offer sound theories born from positions of expertise and first-hand knowledge as researchers and educators. Their discussions and critical perspectives on literacy for Latino students in grades K–12 touch on the important topics of: Encouraging biliteracy in the classroomConstructing theories of possibilityPromoting critically literate youthOrganizing teaching and learning to students’ potentialLinking literacy to lived experiencesAs insiders in Spanish-speaking communities that are often maligned for their children’s alleged “failure” in schools, these authors offer hope for children’s academic potential as well as evidence showing that integration of native language and culture in supportive learning environments can lead to success in literacy in two languages. Contributors: Alma Flor Ada, Héctor H. Alvarez, María V. Balderrama, Patricia Baquedano-López, Lilia I. Bartolomé, María Echiburu Berzins, Esteban Díaz, Bárbara Flores, María E. Fránquiz, Kris D. Gutiérrez, Bobbi Ciriza Houtchens, Robert T. Jiménez, Eloise Andrade Laliberty, Alice E. López, Roberta Maldonado, Carmen I. Mercado, Luis C. Moll, Rosa Zubizarreta “In this illuminating volume, the authors courageously challenge the assumption of a skill-based English-only literacy for Latinos. By shifting the literacy debate to a sociocultural terrain, they urge readers to confront the prevailing issues of racism, classism, gender, and economic deprivation that characterize the literacy of Latino/Latina students in the U.S. public schools. Simply put, this volume provides readers with the necessary political clarity to understand and appreciate what it means to be literate in the changing multilingual and multicultural world of the 21st century.” —Donaldo Macedo, Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and Education, University of Massachusetts, Boston

Drawing on both extensive demographic data and compelling case studies, this book reveals the depths of the educational crisis looming for Latino students, the nation's largest and most rapidly growing minority group.

...Presents basic information about Latino students in Massachusetts public schools; includes enrollment, achievements, dropout data, MCAS test results and after high school plans of Latino graduates...

Bringing together scholarship from both sides of the Atlantic, this book focuses on the questions that shape the field of multicultural education, offering the reader an opportunity to achieve a real grasp of the subject.

Latino (or Hispanic) children are one of the fastest-growing groups in U.S. schools today. On average, these students perform worse than Anglo students on measures of academic achievement and other measures of academic success, and their drop-out rate is high. There are schools of excellence among those serving Latino children, but the majority of these children are placed "at risk" by schools and community institutions unable to build on the cultural, personal, and linguistic strengths these children are likely to bring with them to school. Schools serving Latino students need programs based on high-quality research, capable of being replicated and adapted to local circumstances and needs. The purpose of this book is to present the current state of the art with respect to research on effective instructional programs for Latino students in elementary and secondary grades. Surprisingly, this has not been done before; there are many books on the situation of Latino students in U.S. schools, but none so far have reviewed research on the outcomes of programs designed to enhance the academic achievement of these students. The chapters represent a broad range of methodologies, from experimental to correlational to descriptive, and the solutions they propose are extremely diverse. Each examines, in its own way, programs and practices that are showing success. Together, they present a rich array of research-based effective programs that are practical, widely available, and likely to make a profound difference. What binds the chapters together is a shared belief that Latino students can succeed at the highest levels if they receive the quality of instruction they deserve, and a shared belief that reform of schools serving many Latino students is both possible and essential. This is a book filled with statistics, description, and reviews of research--but even more, it is filled with optimism about what schools for Latino students can be, and what these students will achieve. It is a highly relevant and useful resource for educators, policymakers, and researchers who want to use research to inform the decisions they make about how to help Latino students succeed in elementary and secondary schools, and beyond.