ABSTRACT
Persistent school failure among large numbers of Mexican-descent students and other Hispanic groups in the United States is a pervasive, well-documented and enduring problem. The history of Mexican-descent students in California schools has been one of segregation and inequality, thus frustrating the achievement of economic and social advancement. The emerging documentation of intragroup variability in patterns of school performance among Mexican-descent students requires that people define the group more precisely, describe more accurately the range of cultural orientations and intragroup variations and examine critically the traditional single-cause explanations of the underachievement of Mexican-descent students in United States (US) schools. Chicano- and Cholo-oriented students are much more likely to be enrolled than other students in the high school’s school within a school (S.W.A.S.) program. The program is considered to be one for students who are unsuccessful and in danger of dropping out of school.
