Despite their numbers, Latinos continue to lack full and equal participation in all facets of American life, including education. This book provides a critical discussion of the role that select K–12 educational policies have and continue to play in failing Latino students. The author draws upon institutional, national, and statewide data sets, as well as interviews among students, teachers, and college administrators, to explore the role that public policies play in educating Latino students. The book concludes with specific recommendations that aim to raise achievement, college transition rates, and success among Latino students across the preschool through college continuum. Frances Contrerasis an Associate Professor of Higher Education in the area of Leadership and Policy Studies in the College of Education, University of Washington in Seattle “Prof. Frances Contreras is one of the nation’s leading authorities on Latino educational problems and on policies that will effectively address these. This book presents a unique and incisive analysis of the Latino educational achievement gap and its connections to concomitant gap in educational opportunities for Latinos. This very readable book combines rigorous scholarship with clearly stated policy recommendations. It should be read by all who are interested in understanding and addressing one of the most serious problems of our times.” —Jorge Chapa,University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign “Rich in data and social context, Contreras presents a compelling and comprehensive picture for the collective need to invest fully in the education of our Latino youth. As important, she delineates a bold public policy pathway for Latino student success that encompasses K–12 and higher education.” —James M. Montoya,Vice President, Higher Education, The College Board “This book offers valuable insights and productive recommendations for addressing a critically important topic: how to improve educational equity for Latinos, one of our nation’s fastest-growing but most-underserved populations.” —Laura Perna, Professor, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania

High-Achieving Latino Students: Successful Pathways Toward College and Beyond addresses a long-standing need for a book that focuses on the success, not failure, of Latino students. While much of the existing research works from a deficit lens, this book uses a strength-based approach to support Latino achievement. Bringing together researchers and practitioners, this unique book provides research-based recommendations from early to later school years on “what works” for supporting high achievement. Praise for High-Achieving Latino Students "This book focuses on an important issue about which we know little. There are many lessons here for both scholars and educators who believe that Latino students can succeed. I congratulate the authors for taking on this timely and significant topic." ~ Guadalupe Valdés, Ph.D., Bonnie Katz Tenenbaum Professor in Education, Stanford University. Author of Con Respeto: Bridging the Distances Between Culturally Diverse Families and Schools "This is a must-read book for leaders in institutions of both K-12 and higher education who want to better understand success factors of Latino students in the US. Using a strength-based framework to understand and support Latino achievement is a new paradigm that must be considered by all." ~ Loui Olivas, Ed.D., President, American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education "In addition to being the right book at the right time, these editors should be congratulated for giving us a stellar example of how a research-practice collaboration comes together to produce such a valuable and lasting contribution to the field of school reform and improvement. Those who work in schools, universities, think tanks and policymaking centers have been waiting anxiously for this kind of book, and it’s now here." ~ Carl A. Cohn, Ed.D., Former Executive Director, California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, CA State Board of Education member, and Superintendent "There may not be a silver bullet for solving the so-called problem of Latino underachievement, but well-conceived solutions do exist. This powerful book offers strength- and asset-based frameworks that demonstrate Latino achievement is possible. Read this text to not only get informed, but to also get nurtured and inspired!" ~ Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D., Professor in Education, University of Texas at Austin. Author of Subtractive Schooling: US-Mexican Youth and the Politics of Caring

When the numbers don’t lie, this is your guide to doing what’s right If your school is faced with a disproportionate rate of suspensions, gifted program enrollment, or special education referrals for students of color, this book shows how you can uncover the root causes and rally your staff to face the challenge head on. You will: Understand how bias creates barriers to the success of students of color Know what questions to ask and what data to analyze Create your own road map for becoming an equity-driven school, with staff activities, data collection forms, checklists, and progress monitoring tools

Will the United States have an educational caste system in 2030? Drawing on both extensive demographic data and compelling case studies, this powerful book reveals the depths of the educational crisis looming for Latino students, the nation’s largest and most rapidly growing minority group.Richly informative and accessibly written, The Latino Education Crisis describes the cumulative disadvantages faced by too many children in the complex American school systems, where one in five students is Latino. Many live in poor and dangerous neighborhoods, attend impoverished and underachieving schools, and are raised by parents who speak little English and are the least educated of any ethnic group.The effects for the families, the community, and the nation are sobering. Latino children are behind on academic measures by the time they enter kindergarten. And while immigrant drive propels some to success, most never catch up. Many drop out of high school and those who do go on to college—often ill prepared and overworked—seldom finish.Revealing and disturbing, The Latino Education Crisis is a call to action and will be essential reading for everyone involved in planning the future of American schools.

Why do we feel uncomfortable talking about class? Why is it taboo? Why do people often address class through coded terminology like trashy, classy, and snobby? How does discriminatory language, or how do conscious or unconscious derogatory attitudes, or the anticipation of such behaviors, impact those from poor and working class backgrounds when they straddle class? Through 26 narratives of individuals from poor and working class backgrounds – ranging from students, to multiple levels of administrators and faculty, both tenured and non-tenured – this book provides a vivid understanding of how people can experience and straddle class in the middle, upper, or even elitist class contexts of the academy.Through the powerful stories of individuals who hold many different identities--and naming a range of ways they identify in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, ability, and religion, among others--this book shows how social class identity and classism impact people's experience in higher education and why we should focus more attention on this dimension of identity. The book opens by setting the foundation by examining definitions of class, discussing its impact on identity, and summarizing the literature on class and what it can tell us about the complexities of class identity, its fluidity, sometimes performative nature, and the sense of dissonance it can provoke.This book brings social class identity to the forefront of our consciousness, conversations, and behaviors and compels those in the academy to recognize classism and reimagine higher education to welcome and support those from poor and working class backgrounds. Its concluding chapter proposes means for both increasing social class consciousness and social class inclusivity in the academy. It is a compelling read for everyone in the academy, not least for those from poor or working class backgrounds who will find validation and recognition and draw strength from its vivid stories.

How can we ensure that more Latino students have the opportunity to pursue higher education? Based on lessons learned from successful college bound programs and research on Latino students, this book provides K-12 educators with a comprehensive guide to preparing and motivating Latino students to attend college. Learn how you can create a college-going culture through: High expectations Goal setting Taking rigorous courses Exposure to college environments from an early age Parental involvement throughout the K-12 experience Early socialization beginning in the early grades

In her practical and inspirational book,Literacy Essentials: Engagement, Excellence, and Equity for All Learners , author Regie Routman guides K-12 teachers to create a trusting, intellectual, and equitable classroom culture that allows all learners to thrive as self-directed readers, writers, thinkers, and responsible citizens. Over the course of three sections, Routman provides numerous Take Action ideas for implementing authentic and responsive teaching, assessing, and learning. This book poses akey question: How do we rise to the challenge of providing an engaging, excellent, equitable education for all learners, including those from high poverty and underserved schools?Teaching for Engagement: Many high performing schools are characterized by a a thriving school culture built on a network of authentic communication. Teachers can strengthen classroom engagement by building a trusting and welcoming environment where all students can have a safe and collaborative space to grow and develop.Pursuing Excellence: Routman identifies 10 key factors that describe an excellent teacher, ranging from intellectual curiosity to creativity, and explains how carrying yourself as a role model contributes to an inclusive, caring, empathic, and fair classroom. She also stresses the importance for school leaders to make job-embedded professional development a top priority.Dismantling Unequal Education: The huge gap in the quality of education in high vs low income communities is the civil rights issue of the 21st century, according to Routman. She spells out specific actions educators can take to create more equitable schools and classrooms, such as diversifying texts used in curriculums and ensuring all students have access to opportunities to discuss, reflect, and engage with important ideas.From the author, I wroteLiteracy Essentials , because I saw a need to simplify teaching, raise expectations, and make expert teaching possible for all of us. I saw a need to emphasize how a school culture of kindness, trust, respect, and curiosity is essential to any lasting achievement. I saw a need to demonstrate and discuss how and why the beliefs, actions, knowledge we hold determine the potential for many of our students. Equal opportunity to learn depends on a culture of engagement and equity, which under lies a relentless pursuit of excellence.