Center for Research on Latino Educational Success

11/03/04

Background and Mission

Latinos are the fastest growing proportion of the U.S. population, yet, nationally, they lag behind in K-12 graduation rates, participation in higher education, and completion of advanced degrees.

The mission of the center is to improve Latino student success in education (PK-16) through research and development activities. Although the Center will have a primary focus on the Maryland, Delaware, DC, and Virginia areas, it will also address national policy and practice.

Structure

The Center functions within the Maryland Institute for Minority Achievement and Urban Education (MIMAUE), which is a multidisciplinary Institute within the College of Education that includes faculty from multiple departments and colleges.

Faculty

Currently, a number of faculty members from different colleges and departments are working on Center projects. These include Courtland Lee (EDCP), Debra Suarez (EDCI), Marylu McEwen (EDCP), Martin Johnson (EDCI), Phyllis Peres (Spanish and Portuguese), Ana Patricia Rodriguez (Spanish and Portuguese), and Edna Mora Szymanski (Education, Dean's Office). Dean Szymanski is currently coordinating Center activities.

Key Activities

Currently, the Center has four research projects and one service project projected for the upcoming two-year period. These are funded through the federal appropriation that supports MIMAUE. In addition, the Center will seek funding for a variety of research activities, including the following:

  • Studies of Latino participation in higher education in the region.
  • Studies of Latino experiences with the K-12 system from multiple perspectives (e.g., official reports, including enrollment and achievement data, student perspectives, family perspectives, and Latino community perspectives).
  • Studies of intervention programs to improve Latino student success in education, including teacher, student, family, and community interventions.

In addition, to the extent that supporting funding is available, the Center will provide:

  • Professional development activities for K-12 and higher education institutions on promoting Latino student success. Not only will these activities address teaching and learning issues, but they will also assist the institutions in building structures to effectively engage Latino communities.
  • Outreach and support to Latino students at University of Maryland, College Park.