Educational Issues and Effective Practices for Hispanic Students

Abstract

The educational status of Hispanic 1 students in the United States is one of the most challenging educational issues. Although the number of Hispanic students in public schools has increased dramatically in recent decades, Hispanic students as a group have the lowest levels of education and the highest dropout rate. Furthermore, conditions of poverty, health, and other social problems have made it difficult for Hispanics to improve their educational status. This chapter summarizes some of the critical educational problems facing Hispanic students and provides some recommendations to alleviate the problems. The chapter is divided into four major sections. The first section focuses on the educational status of Hispanic students in the United States. The second section discusses factors associated with the underachievement of Hispanic students. This section includes problems associated with: (a) the need for qualified teachers, (b) inappropriate teaching practices, and (c) at-risk school environments. The third section examines factors associated with the success of Hispanic students. It provides a brief summary of instructional strategies, schools, and programs that have been found to significantly improve the academic achievement of Hispanic students. Finally, the chapter addresses some of the recommendations and conclusions from our current knowledge of effective practices and programs for Hispanic students.