ABSTRACT
According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2004), the Latina/o1 population in the United States is projected to increase from 14% of the overall population in 2004 to 18% in 2025-at which time Latina/o students will make up 25% of the nation’s school-age population (President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, 2000). In the second largest school district in the nation, Los Angeles Unifi ed School District (LAUSD), Latinas/os already comprise more than 70% of the student population. Despite this population growth, Latinas/os have the lowest levels of educational attainment than any other racial/ethnic group in the United States.2 Within mainstream education literature, low educational attainment and achievement rates for Latina/o students have been falsely attributed to the students themselves, their families, and their communities (Valencia, 2002).
