The achievement gap between White students and students of color has long been a concern of educators. It is well established that critical pedagogy and culturally relevant teaching practices increase the possibility of academic achievement for ethnic minority students; yet, throughout the U.S., the implementation of such practices has been less than optimal. It is also clear that some teachers are doing an excellent job of teaching students of color. However, it is not clear what those teachers are doing and what their practices look like, particularly in secondary classrooms and for Latina/o students—the fastest growing ethnic minority population in the U.S. Are successful teachers of Latina/o youth engaging in critical pedagogy or culturally relevant teaching practices? Have they developed caring, empathetic relationships with students that result in greater engagement and academic success? Using a multifaceted theoretical framework of critical social theory, seen specifically through the lenses of culturally relevant pedagogy, empathy and false empathy, critical studies in Whiteness, and critical race theory, this ethnographic multiple-case study aimed to answer those questions. By observing and interviewing educators whom principals, teachers, and parents all nominated as “successful” for the Latina and Latino students in a particular school, and identifying the teaching strategies and classroom management routines they employed, I hoped to illuminate key practices and underlying attitudes that other teachers can emulate as they strive to reach and teach Latina/o students.

Latinos consistently have the lowest degree completion rate throughout the United States (Kurlaender & Flores, 2005). At the same time, Latinos are the fastest growing sector of the U.S. population. Taken together, these facts demonstrate an ongoing and growing inequity in educational opportunities and outcomes for a significant portion of the nation's population. The findings of this study provide additional knowledge regarding how Latino students perceive interaction with faculty and how affirming relationships with faculty can develop Latino students' sense of belonging. In addition, the study identifies three main support sources for Latino student persistence, which include family support, collegiate self-efficacy, and a sense of belonging to the campus. This study presents five recommendations for policy and practice based upon the findings of this study, for campus leaders to address the low number of Latino students persisting in their college journeys. Furthermore, it provides three suggested areas for future research.

The Latino population in the United States is projected to increase significantly in the upcoming years as well as the numbers of Latino students enrolled in public schools. These schools are challenged with a gap in Latino student achievement when compared to White non-Hispanic students. Studies indicate that parental involvement in school settings has been correlated to student achievement and that parental involvement is lower for Latino parents than White parents. The purpose of this research study was to examine the relationship between parental involvement of seventh grade middle school Latino students and students’ reading and mathematics achievement. The study also examined selected relevant demographic variables, including socioeconomic status, parents’ level of education, single versus two-parent families, and the gender of the students and parents. The theoretical framework that supported this research study was derived from Joyce Epstein’s (1991) model for parental involvement.

An approach to teaching art using a cross-cultural curriculum to create enthusiasm amongst Latino students and myself was the basis for my research. I collected my data using auto-ethnographical recordings and documenting my results in a pre-evaluation in December 2009, and an implementation of the study in January and February of 2010, with third grade students in a public school in Metro Atlanta. After the pre-evaluation I decided to use a more cross-cultural and tactile approach. I first implemented a lesson based on the Maori of New Zealand. I furthered my research by implementing a second lesson based on Chinese New Year dragon puppets. This lesson was also cross-cultural, but created a more tactile experience. I found that teaching about a culture rather than a singular artist, using tactile materials, and having step-by-step directions that led to a specific outcome created more enthusiasm in my classroom.

An approach to teaching art using a cross-cultural curriculum to create enthusiasm amongst Latino students and myself was the basis for my research. I collected my data using auto-ethnographical recordings and documenting my results in a pre-evaluation in December 2009, and an implementation of the study in January and February of 2010, with third grade students in a public school in Metro Atlanta. After the pre-evaluation I decided to use a more cross-cultural and tactile approach. I first implemented a lesson based on the Maori of New Zealand. I furthered my research by implementing a second lesson based on Chinese New Year dragon puppets. This lesson was also cross-cultural, but created a more tactile experience. I found that teaching about a culture rather than a singular artist, using tactile materials, and having step-by-step directions that led to a specific outcome created more enthusiasm in my classroom.

abstract: This action research study (a) explored how institutionally labeled “at-risk” Latina/o students described their experiences in an opportunity to learn environment within an academic intervention program, (b) examined how these students experienced caring relationships with their teachers in an opportunity to learn environment when compared to their other core academic classes, and (c) investigated how school leaders created conditions to further support these students’ academic success on a larger scale. This action research study utilized a sequential phenomenological qualitative approach. Critical Race Theory, Critical Pedagogy, and Care theory served as the theoretical frameworks for this study. The blending of these theories worked to push Latina/o students’ narrative reflections to emerge as constitutive and instructive voices speaking back against the inequalities in the educational setting, and offered counterstories about the caring dynamics of Latina/o students in the classroom. Participants included high school students identified as “at-risk” and in an academic intervention class / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Leadership and Innovation 2016

abstract: Communication between parents and school personnel plays a significant role in student achievement. Spanish-speaking parents are rather hesitant to seek assistance from their child’s school as cultural and language barriers have created a mindset that they are not supported, understood, or valued. Key stakeholders in education therefore need to acquire a clearer understanding of the Latino culture in a dire effort to better serve Hispanic students in high school and their families. This study examined the perceptions of first-generation Latino parents of high school students while identifying parental needs to improve their child’s college readiness upon completion of high school. It also investigated high school graduation rates and student dropout rates across the United States as well as effective and efficient ways in which the school can enhance the provision of school-related resources to their students. There is wide consensus that parental involvement (including home-based involvement, home-school communication, and school-based involvement) is essential for student success. Despite this understanding, there exists a gap in literature regarding the information, resources, and support available to first-generation Latino parents with children in high school. Using a conceptual framework that draws on theories of cultural and social capital, and a qualitative approach that included field notes, focus groups, and interviews, this study investigated the expectations, lived experiences, perceptions, and practices of 29 Latino immigrant parents of high school students in relation to their child’s secondary school. The findings of this study, which suggest varying levels of parental involvement, were organized around four themes: aspirations, parental support, school-based knowledge, and student preparation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Administration and Supervision 2016

The population of Latino students is growing faster than any other ethnic group in U.S. public schools today; however, the number of Latino teachers throughout the nation has remained low. The Latino Educators of Tomorrow is a new and ambitious Latino educational career program designed to increase the number of Latino students entering teaching as a profession. This research addressed the following questions: 1) What do participants identify as influential in their trajectory towards becoming an educator, and why?; 2) How do LET instructors, acting in the role of mentors, influence participants' desires and plans to become educators, and why?; and 3) What external obstacles hinder the participants' aspirations to become educators, and why? This qualitative study examines the perspectives of 24 high-school and beginning college-age students who participated in the Latino Educators of Tomorrow (LET). Using open-ended surveys and semi-structured interviews, this study identified underlying themes regarding the influence of mentors on the participants' desires and plans to continue to major in education; the positive impact of mentors' appreciation of participants' culture; and the financial obstacles participants identified as hindering their obtaining a college degree. Findings point to the importance of cultural appreciation in mentoring relationships, specifically for these Latino students in the transition from high school to college. Theoretical implications suggest practical recommendations for cultural appreciation to be combined with existing mentoring theory to assist students in their educational goals.

Latino students in the United States face significant challenges including very high student dropout rates and difficulties finding support for student academic success. This research focuses on Latino students who are successful despite these many challenges and explores how these successful students describe their experiences in school. Three successful Latino high school students describe their pathways toward academic achievement in this ethnography, which takes a narrative approach. The student stories illustrate the influence of families, peers, schools, and the interplay between ethnic and academic identity as relevant to how students achieve success. Although these students articulate very different experiences, supports and challenges, all of the students are successful in school, which encourages a reexamination of the ways schools and communities can support minority student success.

The United States is experiencing a socio-demographic shift in population and education. Latinos are the fastest growing segment of the population on the national level and in higher education. The Latino student population growth rate and Latino college completion rate are not reciprocal. While Latino students are the fastest growing demographic group in higher education, they continue to have the lowest persistence and retention rates. Latino students are more at risk for dropping out of college than any other ethnic group. Latinos decreasing persistence rates have caused an academic achievement gap in higher education (Long, 2011). Literature has correlated the gap with Latinos limited IL competency and low library usage (Long, 2011).This quasi-experimental research examined the effects of a targeted information literacy (IL) instructional method on Latino community college students IL skills and library usage. The study also introduced the idea of using a connectivism based targeted instruction to influence Latinos IL skills and library usage. The intent of the study was to investigate the development of information literacy instruction (ILI) which targets Latino students and uses the principles of connectivism. Connectivism posits that students' learn by connecting to information along their personal learning networks (Siemens, 2005). Connectivism helps position the library within Latino students' personal learning networks. This positioning may increase their library usage and by extension their IL skills. Specifically, this quantitative study assessed the effect of the instruction on IL skills and library usage behavior of Latino community college students. A pretest/posttest control group design was used for this study. A sample of 92 Latino male and female students completed the pretest and posttest. They were recruited from a diverse population of community college students who were registered for Introductory English classes. Data was collected through instrumentation that included an Information Literacy Rubric, an Information Literacy Skills Test, a Library Usage Survey/Demographic Identification Form, and a Citation Analysis Form. Though two of the hypotheses were not supported, the data collected allowed the researcher to accomplish two of the purposes of this study, to design and assess a targeted ILI that increases Latino students' IL skills and library usage, and to advance the research that grounds the emerging learning theory of connectivism. The more connections students made to information sources the higher their overall IL skill score were. This data suggests that as students make connections to information resources they are learning IL skills and the more sources they connect to, the more they learn. Though TI did not emerge as the more effective method, it is effective at increasing library usage and IL skills in Latino community college students'. The results of this study may lead to a better understanding of how students acquire IL skills. Instruction has become increasingly important in librarianship and recently has even eclipsed traditional reference service. (Grassian & Kaplowitz, xix, 2009). More and more academic libraries are being held accountable for their contribution to student learning. The findings of this study provide evidence that the instructional efforts of the library are influencing student learning outcomes.