As the first scholarly book of its kind, this edited volume brings together educational leadership scholars and practitioners from across the country whose research focuses on the unique contributions and struggles that Latinas across the diaspora face while leading in schools and districts. The limited though growing scholarship on Latina administrators indicates their assets, particularly those rooted in their sociocultural, linguistic, and racial/ethnic backgrounds, their cultura, are undervalued in research and practice (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016; Martinez, Rivera, & Marquez, 2019; Mendez-Morse, 2000; Mendez-Morse, Murakami, Byrne-Jimenez, & Hernandez, 2015). At the same time, Latina administrators have reported challenges related to: isolation (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016), a lack of mentoring (Mendez-Morse, 2004), resistance from those who expect a more linear, hierarchical form of leadership (Gonzales, Ulloa, & Munoz, 2016), balancing varying professional and personal roles and aspirations (Murakami-Ramalho, 2008), as well as racism, sexism, and ageism (Bagula, 2016; Martinez, Marquez, Cantu, & Rocha, 2016). The impetus for this book is to acknowledge, explore, theorize, and expand our understanding of how Latinas’ success as school and district leaders is informed by such gifts, including their prioritizing of familia and communidad, relationship building, reciprocity, and advocacy, in the face of such challenges. Thus, this volume covers four topical areas: 1) Testimonies and reflections from the field/Testimonios y reflexiones del campo, 2) Leading in relationship, comadrismo, with and for community/Liderazgo en relación, comadrismo, con y para la omunidad, 3) School community leaders(hip)/Lider(azgo) escolar y comunitario 4) Learning from the experiences of others/Aprendiendo de las experiencias de otras.

Latino Educational Leadership acknowledges the unique preparation and support for both Latinx educational leaders and Latino communities needed throughout the education and policy pipeline. While leadership in communities exists for educational purposes, this effort focuses on the institutional aspect of Latino Educational Leadership across K-12 schools and university settings. The purpose of this book is to create a greater collaborative focus on Latino Educational Leadership by inviting scholarly contributions and insights from both established and up-and-coming scholars. Latino Educational Leadership also advocates for the preparation of all leaders as well as the preparation of Latinx educational leaders, to serve Latino communities. Our impetus on Latino Educational Leadership primarily stems from the changing demographics of our country. As of Fall 2017, Latinx student enrollment in K-12 schools reached an all-time high, with Latinxs comprising 26.8% of the nation’s public school enrollment. Postsecondary level Latinx student enrollment has also improved; rising from 25% in 2005 to 37% in 2015. Given this growth, particularly at the K-12 level, there has been an increasing urgency to prepare and support more Latinx educational leaders. Their rich cultural and linguistic connections to communities help them more readily understand and meet the needs of Latino students and families. Aside from enrollment growth, Latinxs have made record strides in postsecondary attainment; between 2003-04 and 2013-14, bachelor's degrees more than doubled from 94,644 to 202,412, master's degrees conferred rose from 29,806 to 55,965, and doctoral degrees rose from 5, 795 to 10,665. Despite such promising gains, concern has not waned over how to best address the challenges this diverse student population continues to face in accessing, persisting, and matriculating across the P-20 Pipeline. There is still work to be done, as only 11% of all bachelor’s degrees, 9% of all master’s degrees, and 7% of all doctoral degrees were awarded to Latinxs in 2013-14. In particular, there is increasing urgency to address how higher education institutions can better prepare, develop, and retain Latinx leaders and scholars, who will serve and meet the needs of Latinx college students to ensure their academic success. Thus, the purpose of this book is to advance the knowledge related to serving Latino communities and preparing Latinx leaders.

"Eight testimonios of Latina/o/x school and district leaders reveal how community cultural wealth, which is derived from critical race theory, informed professional motivations, leadership experiences, and advocacy actions. The concept of "engraving" asks readers to consider how these leadership characteristics can be endured"--

As the general population of Latinxs in the United States burgeons, so does the population of college-going Latinx students. With more Latinxs entering college, the number of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), which are not-for-profit, degree granting postsecondary institutions that enroll at least 25% Latinxs, also grows, with 523 institutions now meeting the enrollment threshold to become HSIs. But as they increase in number, the question remains: What does it mean to serve Latinx students? This edited book, Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in Practice: Defining “Servingness” at HSIs, fills an important gap in the literature. It features the stories of faculty, staff, and administrators who are defining “servingness” in practice at HSIs. Servingness is conceptualized as the ability of HSIs to enroll and educate Latinx students through a culturally enhancing approach that centers Latinx ways of knowing and being, with the goal of providing transformative experiences that lead to both academic and non-academic outcomes. In this book, practitioners tell their stories of success in defining servingness at HSIs. Specifically, they provide empirical and practical evidence of the results and outcomes of federally funded HSI grants, including those funded by Department of Education Title III and V grants. This edited book is ideal for higher education practitioners and scholars searching for best practices for HSIs in the United States. Administrators at HSIs, including presidents, provosts, deans, and boards of trustees, will find the book useful as they seek out ways to effectively serve Latinx and other minoritized students. Faculty who teach in higher education graduate programs can use the book to highlight practitioner engaged scholarship. Legislators and policy advocates, who fight for funding and support for HSIs at the federal level, can use the book to inform and shape a research-based Latinx educational policy agenda. The book is essential as it provides a framework that simplifies the complex phenomenon known as servingness. As HSIs become more significant in the U.S. higher education landscape, books that provide empirically based, practical examples of servingness are necessary.

This practical volume provides school administrators and teachers with the information needed to convert ordinary schools into high performing schools. It offers practices for teachers and school principals to foster academic success, and strategies for involving parents in their child's education.

Fueled largely by significant increases in the Latino population, the racial, ethnic, and linguistic texture of the United States is changing rapidly. Nowhere is this 'Latinisation' of America more evident than in schools. The dramatic population growth among Latinos in the United States has not been accompanied by gains in academic achievement. Estimates suggest that approximately half of Latino students fail to complete high school, and few enroll in and complete college. The Latinization of U.S. Schools centres on the voices of Latino youth. It examines how the students themselves make meaning of the policies and practices within schools. The student voices expose an inequitable opportunity structure that results in depressed academic performance for many Latino youth. Each chapter concludes with empirically based recommendations for educators seeking to improve their practice with Latino youth, stemming from a multiyear participatory action research project conducted by Irizarry and the student contributors to the text.

This publication explores the experiences of Latinas in the United States' educational system, utilizing the concept of "possible selves" to investigate the lives of Latinas in school, at home, and with their peers. The concept of "possible selves" articulates the interaction between Latinas' current social contexts and their perceived options for the present and the future. Part 1, "Overview of Trends of Latinas' Educational Participation," focuses on: graduation rates, suspensions, tracking and course-taking, standardized test scores, grades, college enrollment by type of college, completion of degrees, majors, Latina/o faculty, and economic effects of education. Part 2, "Characteristics of Communities Affecting Participation/Success," looks at family, peers and peer groups, and schools. Part 3, "Individual Characteristics Associated with Educational Outcomes," discusses culture and the individual and self-efficacy. Part 4, "Conclusions and Recommendations," analyzes the effect of family, school, and community on academic potential and offers recommendations for school personnel, families, and policymakers. The three appendixes provide information on the research methodology, a summary of data on Latinas for selected states, and some Latina-serving programs in the United States. (Contains 259 references.) (SM)