Excelencia in Education (NJ1) (2012). Latino College Completion: New Mexico. In 2009, Excelencia in Education launched the Ensuring America's Future initiative to inform, organize, and engage leaders in a tactical plan to increase Latino college completion. An executive summary of Latino College Completion in 50 states synthesizes information on 50 state factsheets and builds on the national benchmarking guide. Each factsheet provides state level snapshots about Latinos in the educational pipeline and the equity gap between Latinos and White non-Hispanics in achievement. Additionally, examples of how evidence-based practices improve Latino college completion at institutions of higher education are provided. Highlights from New Mexico's fact sheet include: (1) New Mexico had the 9th largest Latino population in the U.S.; (2) Over half of the K-12 population in New Mexico (60%) was Latino; (3) In New Mexico, 46% of the state population was Latino. (Projections show a continued increase.); (4) The median age of Latinos in New Mexico was 29, compared to 40 for White non-Hispanics; and (5) In New Mexico, 21% of Latino adults (25 to 64 years old) had earned an associate degree or higher, compared to 33% of all adults. (Contains 5 footnotes.) [For the executive summary, see ED532055. For the National Fact Sheet, see ED532060.] [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Access to Education, Achievement Gap, Benchmarking

Rodríguez, Cristóbal; Amador, Adam; Tarango, B. Abigail (2016). Mapping Educational Equity and Reform Policy in the Borderlands: LatCrit Spatial Analysis of Grade Retention, Equity & Excellence in Education. The purpose of our study is to investigate reform policy, specifically a proposed third grade reading retention policy within the Borderlands. Under this policy, students not performing proficiently on the third grade reading standardized exam will be automatically retained in the third grade. The research methods and approach used in this study include an equity analysis formed by combining two steps across a Borderland county in New Mexico. The first step is a regression analysis to answer if access to early childhood education and access to highly qualified teachers inform differences in third grade reading scores, and the second step uses a LatCrit informed Spatial Analysis to create an equity index, to see how equity varies across the spaces of elementary schools. This allows us to essentially map Third Grade Reading Retention Reform Policy in the Borderlands. The setting of the study is in the U.S. Southwest Borderlands, specifically Doña Ana County, which borders Texas and Mexico, in southern New Mexico. Up to a quarter of the population is under the age of 18, two thirds (66.6%) of the population is Latino, and half of the population speaks a language other than English at home. Implications from this study include, for policy makers, policy considerations that come from a non-deficit thinking perspective and focus on systemic considerations to improving educational equity. Given that the setting demographically mirrors much of the state of New Mexico, as well as demographic shifts across communities throughout the U.S., this study provides further considerations for key systemic changes to improving academic measures like reading scores. [More] Descriptors: Equal Education, Educational Change, Educational Policy, Geographic Regions

Anhalt, Cynthia Oropesa; Rodríguez Pérez, María Elena (2013). K-8 Teachers' Concerns about Teaching Latino/a Students, Journal of Urban Mathematics Education. In this article, the authors examine elementary and middle school mathematics teachers' concerns about teaching Latino/a student populations across three regions in the United States: southern Arizona, northern New Mexico, and central California. Surveys were administered to 68 teachers who participated in professional development activities on language and culture diversity. Survey questions consisted of items from three domains: (a) concerns about social issues central to teaching Latino/a students, such as discrimination, multiculturalism, and stereo-types; (b) concerns about the task of teaching Latino/a students focusing on methods, strategies, materials, and new ideas for teaching; and (c) concerns about Latino/a students' learning, which dealt with factors that impact student performance in school, such as home environment, family culture, and expectations. In general, the authors found that the surveyed teachers were highly concerned with issues about teaching Latino/a students and their learning and were less concerned about social issues in teaching Latino/a students. [More] Descriptors: Elementary School Mathematics, Middle Schools, Secondary School Mathematics, Mathematics Teachers

Medina, Christina A.; Posadas, Carlos E. (2012). Hispanic Student Experiences at a Hispanic-Serving Institution: Strong Voices, Key Message, Journal of Latinos and Education. A symposium at New Mexico State University, a Hispanic-Serving Institution, revealed Hispanic students' attitudes about their experiences at the university. Discussions concerned the campus climate, mentors, the experiences of first-time students, cultural challenges, retention, and accountability. Discussion of the resulting data yields policy recommendations to help address the issues raised. [More] Descriptors: Hispanic American Students, Student Experience, Student Attitudes, Organizational Climate

ACT, Inc. (2012). The Condition of College & Career Readiness, 2012: New Mexico. Annually, ACT provides a snapshot of the college and career readiness of ACT-tested high school graduates. This report is offered as a service to inform policymakers and practitioners about selected indicators of effectiveness and how that translates into readiness. It is designed to stimulate discussion, inquiry, and action. This report is designed to help inform the following questions driving national efforts to strengthen P-16 education in New Mexico: (1) Are students prepared for college and career? (2) Are enough students taking core courses? (3) Are core courses rigorous enough? (4) Are younger students on target for college and career? (5) What other dimensions of college and career readiness should be tracked? (6) How is the 2011 graduating class doing? (Contains 7 endnotes.) [For related reports, see "The Condition of College & Career Readiness, 2012" (ED534761), "ACT Profile Report: National. Graduating Class 2012" (ED534873), and "ACT Profile Report: National. Graduating Class 2012. Hispanic/Latino Students" (ED534874).] [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Academic Aspiration, Academic Persistence, Academic Standards

Castleman, Benjamin L.; Owen, Laura; Page, Lindsay C. (2015). Do College-Ready Students Benefit When High Schools and Colleges Collaborate? Experimental Evidence from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness. In this article, the authors address what is called the "summer melt," where academically-accomplished, college-intending high school graduates fail to enroll anywhere in the year following high school, or do not attend the quality of institution (measured, for instance, by graduation rates) at which they have the academic credentials to be admitted. The authors' research focused on investigating whether college-ready, college-intending recent high school graduates benefit when high schools and universities collaborate to support their transition to college. Some questions included: (1) Do students who receive proactive outreach from a high school- or college-based counselor during the summer enroll in college at higher rates than students who do not receive outreach?; (2) Are students differentially responsive to outreach from counselors stationed at a university versus counselors stationed at their high school? ; and (3) Are student groups less represented on the University of New Mexico campus more responsive to proactive outreach than students that are more represented on campus? The study demonstrated that student groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education, such as Latino males, are more susceptible to having their college plans fall apart during the summer after high school graduation. In addition, the study also showed that concentrated and targeted outreach to underrepresented groups during the summer months can have a profound effect on whether they successfully matriculate, increasing their enrollment by 13 percent. Outreach from counselors stationed at the college side was particularly effective, suggesting that proactive communication and the offer of support from students' intended college may helpfully reinforce students' sense of belonging at and welcome from higher education institutions. The following are appended: (1) References; and (2) Tables and Figures. [More] Descriptors: College Readiness, High Schools, College School Cooperation, High School Graduates

Lechuga, Chalane Elizabeth (2010). "They'll Expect More Bad Things from Us.": Latino/a Youth Constructing Identities in a Racialized High School in New Mexico, ProQuest LLC. This research explores how Latino/a high school students in New Mexico constitute their racial identities in this particular historical moment, the post-Civil Rights colorblind era. I explore what their chosen nomenclatures and employed discourses suggest about the relationship between their racial identities and academic achievement. The research questions are: "How do Latino/a youth articulate their expressions of racial identity in the post-Civil Rights colorblind era? What discourses or nomenclatures do they employ? How are these discourses distinguished from one another? What do their expressions of racial identity suggest about the relationship between racial identity and gender? What may their expressions of racial identity suggest about the relationship between racial identity and academic achievement?" This study reveals that Latino/as youth are negotiating their racial identities in the context of racialization and gendering processes at school. As part of that process, this study sheds light on the ways that phenotype influences the construction of race and the process of assimilation. Specifically, for Latino/as, I found that phenotype played into their identity negotiation. Many of these youth employed discourses of "off-whiteness," some embraced their ethnic heritage, many worked to deflect racial-stigma by distancing themselves from Mexicanness, while others "straddled" being "American, but still a little bit Mexican." When examining the experiences of the multiracial Latino/as, I found that the multiracial white and Latino boys appeared to be assimilating into white society and that the multiracial Black and Latino/as youth were subjected to the one-drop rule as they were often racialized as Black. I also found that understandings of race and gendered expectations worked together to create opportunity and barriers. That is, I found that the way in which schools mete out discipline is influenced by perceptions of "hegemonic masculinities and ideal femininities". Most of the young Latino/as had been disciplined at school. The Latino boys were subjected to harsh forms of discipline and the Latina girls were disciplined when they engaged in behavior that was in contrast to "ideal femininities". These findings also suggest that there is no clear relationship between racial identity and school achievement among these young Latinos. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Racial Factors, Civil Rights, Academic Achievement, Racial Identification

ACT, Inc. (2012). ACT Profile Report: State. Graduating Class 2012. New Mexico. This report provides information about the performance of New Mexico's 2012 graduating seniors who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors, or seniors; and self-reported at the time of testing that they were scheduled to graduate in 2012 and tested under standard time conditions. This report focuses on: (1) Performance: student test performance in the context of college readiness; (2) Access: number of graduates exposed to college entrance testing and the percent of race/ethnicity participation; (3) Course Selection: percent of students pursuing a core curriculum; (4) Course Rigor: impact of rigorous coursework on achievement; (5) College Readiness: percent of students meeting ACT College Readiness Benchmark Scores in each content area; (6) Awareness: extent to which student aspirations match performance; and (7) Articulation: colleges and universities to which students send test results. (Contains 22 tables and 6 figures.) [For related reports, see "The Condition of College & Career Readiness, 2012" (ED534761), "ACT Profile Report: National. Graduating Class 2012" (ED534873), and "ACT Profile Report: National. Graduating Class 2012. Hispanic/Latino Students" (ED534874).] [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Academic Aspiration, Academic Standards, Access to Information

Excelencia in Education (NJ1) (2009). Weaving a Web of Support for Students: Assessing ENLACE New Mexico. In a state where the majority of the population is minority, how youth maneuver through the educational system plays a determining role in the economic well-being of the state. ENLACE New Mexico was created in 2001 to empower the community, students and educators to affect positive change in the public educational system, leading to increased student success, not just for Hispanics, but for all students. An acronym for Engaging Latino Communities for Education, ENLACE also has meaning in Spanish – "to link or weave together". A critical premise of "ENLACE" is that partnerships can result in systemic changes as local schools, colleges and universities work together in new ways. In addition, connecting disenfranchised communities to the educational process can shift the work from a series of disconnected projects into an educational movement. ENLACE's theory of action assumes investing in multi-pronged strategies will create the student-level and systems-level impacts that define "ENLACE's" goals and objectives. Therefore, getting incremental results, even if they are limited improvements in a small arena, signals change is possible and provides momentum for sustaining ENLACE's work. As "ENLACE" New Mexico continues to grow and evolve, participants will face continuing challenges. Establishing partnerships that will outlive fleeting external funds requires building relationships and laying down community roots to address educational disparities for the long term. In turn, these partnerships signal to students that their educational achievement matters to everyone in the community. [More] Descriptors: Hispanic American Students, Public Education, Partnerships in Education, Program Descriptions

McIlroy, Ann Lynn (2010). Policy to Practice: A Case Study of Advanced Placement Open Enrollment Programs in New Mexico, ProQuest LLC. This case study explored Advanced Placement open enrollment programs in New Mexico in an attempt to identify mechanisms embedded within the implementation practices which possibly prevent the equitable enrollment of students of color. Advanced Placement (AP) courses have become a gate-keeper in competitive college admissions. Therefore, a study of programs purporting a philosophical alliance with the College Board's AP Equity Policy is warranted in light of the enrollment inequities that exist for Latino/a, African American, and Native American students. Using a critical race theoretical (CRT) lens, the perceptions of eight respondents from four participating school districts in New Mexico were gathered and analyzed. The analysis of the qualitative data indicated four silent gate-keeping mechanisms. Failure to develop an institutional value for equity; institution centered practices; impersonal relationships with students of color; and teacher negativity were identified as silent gate-keepers. As a result, educational institutions are encouraged to acknowledge inequities through data analysis; utilize equity data as a catalyst for self-examination of underlying racist perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors; and, take action to develop the capacity of educators to appreciate diversity. Additional recommendations for educator preparation programs to promote race conscious practices by new and aspiring educators are offered as well as suggestions for further study. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: American Indians, Data Analysis, Advanced Placement, College Admission

Chavez, Alicia Fedelina; Ke, Fengfeng; Herrera, Felisha A. (2012). Clan, Sage, and Sky: Indigenous, Hispano, and Mestizo Narratives of Learning in New Mexico Context, American Educational Research Journal. Colleges and universities retain Native American and Latino college students at lower rates than other ethnic groups even when culturally based services, financial assistance, and support are provided. College teaching and conceptions of learning have yet to evolve on a widespread basis toward culturally diverse epistemologies and practice. This narrative inquiry explores meaning making of 50 Native, Hispano, and Mestizo American students about their learning in a variety of contexts including face-to-face and online college courses as well as learning at home, in extended family and tribal contexts. The study also explores teaching practices students identified as most helpful to their learning and success. Underlying cultural constructs emerged from narrative analysis in eight areas of learning. [More] Descriptors: Hispanic Americans, Student Attitudes, Family (Sociological Unit), American Indians

Education Trust, Washington, DC. (). Education Watch: New Mexico. Key Education Facts and Figures. Achievement, Attainment and Opportunity. From Elementary School through College. This report compares New Mexico's reading and mathematics performance on the most recent administrations of the state assessment with performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). To indicate how New Mexico is doing in narrowing the academic achievement gap between African American and Latino students and their white, middle class peers, the report presents NAEP data by race/ethnicity. The report presents other state-level data on K-college education, including demographic distribution across each educational level, participation and success in Advanced Placement, percentage of students taking high-level courses, school funding gaps, and high school and college graduation rates. On New Mexico's 2002 reading test, white 4th graders scored at the 65th percentile, while African American 4th graders scored at 48th percentile and Latino 4th graders scored at the 47th percentile. On the 1998 NAEP reading assessment, 52 percent of all 4th graders were basic or above in reading, with 22 percent proficient or above. On New Mexico's 8th grade mathematics assessment, white students scored at the 64th percentile while African American and Latino 8th graders scored at the 41st percentile. On the 2000 NAEP mathematics assessment, 49 percent of all 8th graders were basic or above in mathematics, with 13 percent proficient or above. In 1998, New Mexico had the ninth smallest Latino-White achievement gap on the NAEP 4th grade reading assessment. New Mexico's Latino-white 8th grade math achievement gap falls 14th among states on the 2000 NAEP assessment. Latinos are underrepresented in Advanced Placement exam taking and in enrollment in gifted and talented programs. About 37 percent of New Mexico high school students enroll in college, compared to 54 percent nationwide. Over one-third of New Mexico's secondary classes are taught by teachers lacking a major or minor in the field. Districts with the highest child poverty rates, and those with the highest minority enrollments, have fewer state and local dollars to spend per student. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Advanced Placement, American Indians, Asian American Students

Adam, Michelle (2006). States are Faking Minority Progress for No Child Left Behind, Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review. In looking at recent graduation rates reported by states, Latinos should be proud. For the 2002-03 school year, North Carolina reported a 94% graduation rate for Latinos, while New Mexico claimed an 89% rate, and Indiana, an 85% rate. Unfortunately, these numbers are not only deceptive, they are, according to the Education Trust, wrong. Under the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) Act, states were required to report graduation rates to the U.S. Department of Education in 2003 and, most recently, in 2005. But most states, during both periods, have reported numbers that overestimate graduation rates far beyond reliable estimates provided by independent agents. This article discusses the discrepancies found by the Education Trust in the graduation rates the states have reported to them. [More] Descriptors: Graduation Rate, Hispanic American Students, Minority Group Children, State Agencies

Acosta, Sylvia Y. (2010). Corazon a Corazon: Examining the Philanthropic Motivations, Priorities, and Relational Connectedness of Mexican American, Spanish American and Other Latino/Hispano University Alumni/Alumnae to a Hispanic Serving Institution, ProQuest LLC. Public higher education institutions rely on state funding for a significant percentage of operational costs. In recent years, state contributions to higher education have been substantially reduced due to budget deficits at the state and federal levels. Such budget deficits have resulted in decreased funding for higher education. Universities with limited traditional giving are mostly affected by these budget cuts. Many of the institutions with a limited tradition of giving are Hispanic Serving Institutions and several of the alumni from Hispanic Serving Institutions are Hispanic. According to Santiago (2007), "in 2003-04, almost half of Latino undergraduate students were concentrated in the 6% of institutions of higher education in the United States identified as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI)" (p. 3). Thus, understanding the philanthropic giving priorities, motivations, and relational connectedness to the institution of Hispanic alumni is critical to HSIs that serve this population. The sample for this study involved alumni of Mexican and Spanish origin in New Mexico. This study analyzed the results of a survey distributed to 3,200 Hispanic university alumni from a Hispanic Serving Institution in New Mexico. The survey data collected through SurveyMonkey[TM] provided the basis for descriptive analysis. This study provided new and unique contributions to inform the knowledge of philanthropic motivations of Mexican American and Spanish American university alumni/alumnae. Specifically, this research explored the familial and friendship ties (relational connectedness) to the university as an indicator of Mexican American and Spanish American alumni financial support. The study also outlined specific giving priorities and philanthropic motivations of Mexican American and Spanish American alumni. Such knowledge provided the foundation to inform universities of the opportunities and challenges available in approaching Hispanic alumni for private gifts to their alma mater. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Higher Education, Spanish Culture, Mexican Americans

Moore, Anne C.; Ivory, Gary (2003). Do Hispanic-Serving Institutions Have What It Takes To Foster Information Literacy? One Case, Journal of Latinos and Education. Surveys of 111 faculty at 3 campuses of New Mexico State University indicated that respondents had medium-high levels of information literacy and realized that students needed information literacy education. However, respondents were not committed to promoting information literacy in students. Recommendations for promoting Latino students' information literacy are offered to content-area faculty, librarians, higher-education leaders, and researchers. (Contains 29 references.) Descriptors: College Faculty, College Students, Educational Needs, Higher Education

Madrigal-Gonzalez, Lizely (2012). Still "Unfinished Education": Latino Students Forty Years after the Mexican American Education Study, ProQuest LLC. The onus of this dissertation was to evaluate the educational conditions of Mexican American students forty years after the "Mexican American Education Study" published a six-volume study detailing the findings of the "Mexican American Education Study" (1970-1974). The "MAES" study focused on five southwest states Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. To learn the current status of Mexican American students, a three-tier scale of analysis was created. Each level of analysis had a specific focus: macro, meso, and micro. The macro level presented a descriptive analysis of the educational status of Mexican American students in the five states presented in the "Mexican American Education Study" ("MAES") reports. The second level of analysis (meso) focused on the state of Texas and examines the achievement gaps between student groups in state standardized assessments since assessment policies were introduced in the state. In micro level of analysis, the educational achievement of Mexican American students in Ysleta Independent School District, located in El Paso, Texas, was examined by analyzing student outcomes over a nine-year period (2003-2011). The findings of this dissertation indicated that nominal change has been evidenced in the educational performance of Mexican American students since the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights' "Mexican American Education Study." Notwithstanding the many federal and state educational reforms that have been enacted in the past forty years, the achievement and opportunity gaps have not been eradicated. Subsequently, Mexican American parents need to advocate with a unified voice and force change to the educational policy-making process. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Hispanic American Students, Mexican Americans, Educational Quality, Standardized Tests

Hernandez, Donald J.; Denton, Nancy A.; Macartney, Suzanne E. (2007). Young Hispanic Children in the 21st Century, Journal of Latinos and Education. This article presents a demographic portrait of young Hispanic children compared to young non-Hispanic Whites. New results from Census 2000 describe family and economic circumstances of children aged 08, as well as pre-K/nursery school and kindergarten enrollment for the United States, and for the 9 states with the largest number of young Hispanic children (Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Texas). Most results in this article are presented in Tables 1 and 2, and these results along with many additional topics are available at the website of the Center for Social and Demographic Analysis, University at Albany, State University of New York: www.albany.edu/CSDA/children. [More] Descriptors: Whites, Nursery Schools, Hispanic Americans, Young Children

Horwedel, Dina M. (2007). Making It Happen, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. It was not too long ago that the primary lifetime expectations for women included getting married and having children. These traditions were–and in many regards continue to be–more entrenched in the Latino community, but things are changing. Latinas who earn a degree are no longer the exception. In fact, more Latinas earn doctoral degrees today than their male counterparts. And yet, Latinas still encounter obstacles like low expectations, financial constraints and a lack of knowledge about what it takes to apply and graduate from college. This article presents four accomplished Latinas who speak about how they, against the odds, realized their higher education and professional dreams. They are: (1) Dr. Gloria Rodriguez, president of Nuestros Ninos and founder of AVANCE Inc., a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that focuses on parent education and early child development; (2) Dr. Evangelina Holvino, president of Chaos Management Ltd.; (3) Dr. Sylvia Ramos, president of Richard J. Daley College in Chicago; and (4) Felicia Casados, campus executive officer for New Mexico State University-Grants. [More] Descriptors: Higher Education, Parent Education, Doctoral Degrees, Foreign Countries

Arizona State Univ., Tempe. Hispanic Border Leadership Inst. (). A Compromised Commitment: Society's Obligation and Failure To Serve the Nation's Largest Growing Population. A Report on the Educational Experience of Latinos in Five Western States. The Latino population in the United States is growing, especially school-aged children. Yet, because most of the increase in the Latino population is concentrated in the Southwest, the educational problems and needs of this population are viewed as state or regional issues. Policymakers must look beyond their state borders and realize that in this matter, the Southwest is a bellwether for the country, and systemic changes that address Latino educational issues will benefit all of America. This report presents a snapshot of the current educational conditions and circumstances of Latino youth in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Sections on the region and on each state provide data on Latino population growth, Latino K-12 enrollment, enrollment of students with limited English proficiency, Latino high school graduates, dropout rates, enrollment in community colleges and four-year colleges and universities, and state expenditures. Discussion focuses on the deficiencies of education for Latino students; social attitudes, as reflected in the mindset of policymakers and voter endorsement of anti-bilingual education initiatives; court litigation on behalf of Latino students; and state legislation and expenditures. Specific recommendations are offered for each state. (Contains 50 references.) [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Educational Attainment, Educational Indicators, Educational Needs

Sanchez-Griego, Karen (2010). The Power of Their Voice: Promoting Equal Respect and Redistributing Power in Hierarchically Differentiated Groups, ProQuest LLC. Todos Juntos New Mexico was a collaborative made possible through a multimillion dollar grant awarded by the Fellows Foundation to empower the community, students, and educators in New Mexico to affect positive change in our public educational system, leading to increased student success, not just for Hispanics, but for all students. Of particular interest to this study was the organizational structure of Todos Juntos and how successful it was, or was not, during its first years of operation. Many collaboratives are developed with members of the same education level and status who hold similar visions of what they need to accomplish to achieve collaborative goals and objectives. Todos Juntos, on the other hand, navigated uncharted waters by bringing together partners with all levels of education, including those who have historically been silenced by either a lack of formal education or an inability to navigate the complexities of educational institutions. Consider that most organizations operate through a hierarchal vii structure, starting at the top position with someone who sets the agenda, runs the meetings and who, most oftentimes, and makes the final decisions. Todos Juntos was structured differently, operating as a "flat" organization with a facilitator, hired by members of a leadership team, whose primary responsibility was to ensure a collaborative process that enabled a cohesive, unified and participatory unit. Essentially, "flat" meant that the voices of formally uneducated parents, students and community members would have the same merit as those of other more formally educated and experienced collaborative members, such as a university president and a school superintendent. The purpose of this study was to determine what factors contributed to a change in the Todos Juntos structure from a collaborative, "flat" organization into a hierarchal organization when initially, the collaborative founders and participants were strongly committed to an equalitarian, participatory, non-hierarchical structure. The primary goal of this study was to tell the story of Todos Juntos through its participants' words: as individuals, as members of groups, and from the perspective of learning collaborative as a whole. Research findings indicate that the collaborative that set out to be a flat system, but ultimately failed due to multiple barriers including, but not limited to, the collaborative's funding structure, gender issues, inner racial conflict, and discord among members. The collaborative was also found to be Latino male-dominated. Moreover, a subgroup of parents began to operate in a hierarchical manner against earlier expectations, and, lastly, university students turned out to be the most stable participants in the initiative since they operated internally as a small flat subgroup of their own. The students did not really pay attention to the conflicts within the collaborative, but managed instead to keep their attention on the younger students whom they were mentoring and tutoring. Many collaborative members wanted the collaborative to be based on a flat organizational structure and moved in that direction on a day-to-day basis. However, they could not sustain their efforts to make the collaborative a flat structure due to fiscal constraints and policies in addition to managerial controls of the university and public school educational systems from which they were operationalized. As such, study results indicate that the collaborative did not succeed in its larger goal of systemic change for educational institutions. However, the results do seem to give credence and support to a need for Latino-based initiatives in the United States. Further discussion of these results will show others in the future how they might identify and thereby avoid barriers to collaborative work that empowers minority groups. At the same time, these future reformers can take to heart the positive lessons from the Todos Juntos project found in the voices of the people themselves. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Partnerships in Education, Educational Change, Gender Issues, Minority Groups

Valdez, Elsa O. (2000). Political Activism, Ethnic Identity, and Regional Differences among Chicano and Latino College Students in Southern California and Northern New Mexico, Perspectives in Mexican American Studies. Surveys of 242 Hispanic students attending New Mexico Highlands University and California State University, San Bernardino, examined students' political attitudes, political activism, and attitude toward bilingual education in relation to students' choice of ethnic label (Hispanic, Chicano, or Mexican American), level of acculturation, income, and geographic location. Differing sociocultural influences in California and New Mexico are discussed. Descriptors: Acculturation, Activism, College Students, Differences

Harrison, Tenley S.; Lee-Bayha, June; Sloat, Ed (). La Frontera: Study of School Districts along the United States/Mexico Border. School boards associations in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas commissioned this report about K-12 education along La Frontera, the United States/Mexico border, to identify common issues and target policymaking and assistance efforts. Data were obtained from a research review and interviews and surveys of superintendents and school board presidents from 206 school districts within 100 miles of the border. Findings indicate that La Frontera is a historically impoverished region with a high population growth rate that outpaces infrastructure development. The region is primarily bicultural and bilingual, consisting largely of Latinos and Whites, with many limited-English speakers. Many districts struggle to recruit and retain qualified teachers, especially near the border. Most districts experience significant fluctuations in student enrollment and attendance that make it difficult to predict revenue streams and plan budgets, predict staffing needs, and maintain continuity in instruction. Mexican students who cross the border daily to attend school force district leaders to choose between enforcing residency rules or educating all children who show up. La Frontera districts typically deliver services such as health and dental care, life and study skills classes, English classes, and classes for parents on the American educational system. Implications for policy and future research are discussed. An appendix presents maps of district-level student achievement data for each of the four states. (Contains 48 references) [More] Descriptors: Attendance, Community Characteristics, Disadvantaged Schools, Educational Needs

WestEd, San Francisco, CA. (). Voices from La Frontera: Study of School Districts along the United States/Mexico Border. School board associations in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas jointly commissioned this report to identify common issues in K-12 education along the United States/Mexico border. Surveys returned from 206 school districts within 100 miles of the border indicate that this is a diverse and historically impoverished region with a growing population of primarily Latinos and Whites. Common concerns included inadequate education funding; a shortage of qualified teachers; and significant fluctuations in student enrollment and attendance that make it difficult to predict revenue streams and plan budgets, predict staffing needs, and maintain continuity in instruction. Students who live in Mexico but attend school in the United States force district leaders to choose between enforcing residency rules or educating all children in their binational communities. Responding to family and student needs, border districts typically deliver services such as health and dental care, life and study skills classes, and classes for parents on the American educational system. Policy implications are that districts offering health and social services need additional support, methods for easing the teacher shortage and erratic student attendance must be identified, and state and federal policies must be analyzed to identify conflicts among existing regulations and potential resolutions. In particular, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 should be analyzed for the opportunities and challenges it presents. (Contains 43 references.) [More] Descriptors: Ancillary School Services, Attendance, Biculturalism, Educational Finance

Dougherty, Kevin J.; Reid, Monica; Nienhusser, H. Kenny (2006). State Policies to Achieve the Dream in Five States: An Audit of State Policies to Aid Student Access to and Success in Community Colleges in the First Five Achieving the Dream States, Community College Research Center, Columbia University. In 2003, the Lumina Foundation for Education launched a major initiative, "Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count," to increase student success at community colleges. The initiative focuses on colleges with high enrollments of low-income students and students of color. In the first round, 27 colleges in five states were selected. The initiative aims to help more students succeed, while maintaining access to community college for groups that traditionally have faced barriers. A key means to improve the performance of colleges is through enhancement of their capacities to gather, analyze, and act on data on student outcomes, including data on students grouped by race, income, age, sex, and other characteristics. From the beginning, a central component of this effort has been state policy. In each of the states where Achieving the Dream colleges are located, the initiative is working with a lead organization (typically the state community college system office or state association of community colleges) to develop policies that will enhance student success. To help guide that policy effort, the Lumina Foundation commissioned an audit of state policy affecting access to, and success in, community colleges. An in-depth analysis was to be conducted of the initial five Achieving the Dream states (New Mexico, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia), to be supplemented later by a survey of all 50 states. This report summarizes that initial in-depth analysis of the first five Achieving the Dream states. The report analyzes state policies with regard to student access, student success, and performance accountability, with particular focus on minority and low-income students. In the case of access, the report examines what policies states have in place with regard to open door admissions, tuition, student aid, outreach to potential students, a comprehensive curriculum, and convenient access. The success policies the report analyzes pertain to remediation, academic counseling and guidance, non-academic guidance and support, transfer assistance, baccalaureate provision, noncredit to credit articulation, and workforce and economic development. Finally, with regard to performance accountability, the report examines the indicators used by the state, how data are collected by the state, and how the data are used by the state and the community colleges to determine funding and shape how colleges act. Besides describing the policies in place, the report also summarizes the reactions of those interviewed to those policies. Moreover, it details suggestions for future directions for state policy toward community college student access and success. To secure information on what policies the states have and how well they are working, we conducted many interviews and reviewed the written academic and non-academic literature on these subjects. We also attended the Policy Listening Tour meetings in each of the states, conducted by the Futures Project, in order to observe the discussions and informally converse with policymakers. Our interviews were conducted over the telephone and averaged twelve in each state. We interviewed officials of the state agencies coordinating the community colleges, the governor's educational advisor, state legislators or staff members from both houses, the head of the state community college association (if one existed), the presidents or top officials of three or four community colleges (differing in degree of urbanicity and area of the state), and representatives of community organizations representing the African American, Latino, and low-income communities in each state. [More] Descriptors: Articulation (Education), Guidance, State Agencies, Student Financial Aid

Carter, George E., Ed.; And Others (). Essays on Minority Folklore: Selected Proceedings of the Annual Conference on Minority Studies (3rd, April 3, 1975), Volume 3. This collection of selected conference papers includes experiences of specific minority groups: the native Americans, the Chicanos, and the Puerto Ricans. The papers represent the work of folklorists, historians, musicians, literary critics, and minority and ethnic studies experts. The section on native American oral tradition includes papers on Indian oratory, Algonkian communal values, Indian wisdom stories, and the work of Alex Posey, a Creek Indian. In the section on Latino folklore, the topics covered are the importance of folk literature in the Chicano experience, the creation of myth in Chicano literature, Hispanic wedding customs in New Mexico, the paradoxes of contemporary Puerto Rican poetry, the literature of the Barrio, and the Puerto Rican folk tradition of the child's wake. Descriptors: American Indian Culture, American Indians, Conference Reports, Essays

Carter, George E., Ed.; Mouser, Bruce L., Ed. (). Identity and Awareness in the Minority Experience. Selected Proceedings of the 1st and 2nd Annual Conferences on Minority Studies (March, 1973 and April, 1974). Volume 1, Number 1. The first conference focused on specific approaches in the offering of minority studies (both as a collective unit and as separate entities) and on problems of "Anglo" educators in medium-sized Midwestern institutions. Topic panels focusing on various literatures and on specific minority groups were held at the second conference. Stemming directly from papers presented at both conferences, this anthology of 14 essays deals with the subject of identity and awareness in the minority experience of Latinos, Native Americans, and Afro-Americans. Topics covered include: the importance of literature in the emergence of Latino identity; drama as an important medium in a quest for Latino identity; the main thrust of the Chicano studies program at New Mexico Highlands University (Las Vegas); Navajo "nationalism" as a source of identity and awareness; the impact of urbanization on the identity of Native Americans; the importance of identity and awareness from a literary perspective as it relates to Native Americans; the mulatto tradition in literature, a search for identity in two worlds; black identity and awareness viewed from the negative side, as developed by the English; adolescent literature viewed as a method of developing awareness and self-identity; the development of racial pride among blacks (from an historical perspective); and the issue of educational programs in the context of resocialization. [More] Descriptors: American Indians, Anthologies, Black Literature, Black Studies

Loomis, Charles P.; And Others (). Linkages of Mexico and the United States. Study Based on Modified Probability Samples of Rural Michigan, the U.S. General Public, Spanish-speaking Latinos of the Southwestern United States, Urban Mexico, and Rural Mexico. A number of hypotheses derived from sociological theory and from previous research concerning the potential collaboration of citizens of the United States and Mexico were tested. Included in the samples were 1,528 interviews from the United States general public; 306 interviews from rural persons residing in places of 2,500 or less in Michigan; 105 interviews with Spanish-speaking informants in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas; 1,126 interviews with informants in urban Mexico; and 288 from rural Mexico, or from villages and towns of between 100 and 2,500 population. The findings are discussed under the following chapter titles: "Factors of Knowledge and Mass Communication,""Actual Behavioral Linkages,""Attitudes Toward the Across the Border Country and Toward Linkages with That Country,""Desire for Linkage and Collaboration: Its Predictability and Explanation," and "The Meaning of the Linkage-Contrasts of Mexico and the United States." It was concluded that in all samples, informants with more formal education had higher mean scores measuring their contacts in across the border and Anglo-Latino relations than did those with low educational attainment. It was also found that higher educational attainment was less frequently concomitant with high interaction between Anglos and Latinos in interaction arenas, such as church, formal groups, neighborhoods, and work places, than it was for other forms of interaction. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Anglo Americans, Attitude Measures, Cross Cultural Studies

Shartrand, Angela (). Supporting Latino Families: Lessons from Exemplary Programs. Volumes I and II. This report highlights 11 family support programs that are serving one of the fastest growing groups in the United States–the Latino population. The programs described in this report differ from each other in terms of their structures and the types of families and communities served. They represent a range of geographic areas and vary in terms of sponsorship, goals, and services offered. In 1990, Latinos comprised only 9% of the total U.S. population, a figure that is expected to increase dramatically over the next decade. About 90% of Latinos live in urban areas and face the common challenges of urban life. After a discussion of data collection and analysis, the report considers program design and implementation, reviewing: (1) program approaches; (2) context; (3) goals; (4) strategies; and (5) outcomes. A consideration of the lessons learned from these programs makes it apparent that success depends on the fit between program philosophies and goals, the cultural sensitivity the program displays, the participation encouraged in the community, program flexibility, and the match between needs and services. An appendix presents brief profiles of the 11 programs. An abstract and the appendix are included in Spanish. Volume 1 contains 2 tables and 27 references. Volume II includes in-depth profiles of the following programs: (1) Advance Family Support and Education Program, San Antonio (Texas); (2) Bushwick Family Support Center of Family Dynamics, Inc., Brooklyn (New York); (3) Families in Partnership, Albuquerque (New Mexico); (4) Circulo de la Vida Familiar, Boulder County (Colorado); (5) Family Focus Nuestra Familia, Chicago (Illinois); (6) Family Visitor Program, Glenwood Springs (Colorado); (7) Florida First Start Program, Dade County; (8) Fruitvale Head Start Program, Oakland (California); (9) Betances Family Resource Center, La Casa de Puerto Rico, Hartford (Connecticut); (10) The Naranjo Migrant Child Development Center, The Foundation Center, Courtland (California); and (11) Project Early, Kansas City (Missouri). Descriptors: Cultural Awareness, Cultural Differences, Data Collection, Family Programs

Baldwin, Barbara, Ed. (1995). Pathways from Poverty, Western Wire. Articles in this theme issue are based on presentations at the Pathways from Poverty Workshop held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on May 18-25, 1995. The event aimed to foster development of a network to address rural poverty issues in the Western Rural Development Center (WRDC) region. Articles report on outcomes from the Pathways from Poverty workshop including team plans for addressing poverty in their area; the importance of social capital in building community; Native American economic development efforts that incorporate sustainability and cultural relevance; the effect of capitalism on the Palau islands; how sharing resources has enabled low-income families in American Samoa to maintain economic stability; demographic, economic, and educational factors that affect the status of Latinos in the United States, with implications for the American economy; a study of single-parent families and welfare reform; rural minorities and the relationship between employment and poverty; and the importance of rural studies in gaining understanding of rural poverty. Articles include: (1) "Pathways from Poverty" (Jane Brass); (2) "Social Capital" (Marie Cirillo); (3) "The Circle of Development and Indigenous Peoples" (Sherry Salway Black); (4) "Palauan Perspective" (Ayano Baules); (5) "Poverty: A Matter of Values" (Carol S. Whitaker); (6) "Focus on Latinos" (Refugio I. Rochin, Jose A. Rivera); (7) "Is Marriage the Solution? The Single-Parent Family and Welfare Reform" (Janet M. Fitchen); (8) "Employment Hardship and Rural Minorities" (Leif Jensen); and (9) "The Social Scientist and Rural America" (Emery N. Castle). The journal also includes updates on projects sponsored by WRDC and upcoming conferences. [More] Descriptors: Adult Education, Capitalism, Change Strategies, Community Development