Narrowing the Achievement Gap: Strategies for Educating Latino, Black, and Asian Students »

Susan J. Paik is Associate Professor at the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University. Her research interests include urban and international studies, educational productivity, family-school partnerships, minority learning, research methods and evaluation. She has participated in education projects in Africa, Asia, Central America, Europe, and the U.S, where she founded and directed a character-development program for inner city children and youth. Dr. Paik has presented her work at the annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Oxford University in England, University of Cape Town in South Africa, University of Bologna in Italy, University of Oviedo in Spain as well as professional meetings in South America, Australia, Germany, and the U.S. She has been awarded Young Scholar by the Stanford University Hoover Institution Koret K-12 Task Force. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, fellowships, grants, including the AERA-NSF-IES grant, NIMH fellowship for prevention, Center for Urban Educational Research and Development (CUERD) fellowship, Chancellor’s Service Award, Teaching Incentive Award, and Early Outreach Award for her dedication and service to inner city youth by the University of Illinois. Among many published articles, she is the author of a research monograph called Educational Productivity in South Korea and the United States published by the International Journal of Educational Research (IJER). She is the co-author of a booklet called Effective Educational Practices published by UNESCO and translated and disseminated to almost 150 countries. Dr. Paik is the editor of Advancing Educational Productivity: Policy Implications from National Databases. She has recently co-edited a special IJER journal issue on family-school partnerships.
Herbert J. Walberg was on the faculty of Harvard University and is now Emeritus University Scholar and Research Professor of Education and Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr Walberg is also Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Stanford University and a Principal Investigator at the U.S Department of Education-sponsored Center for Educational Innovation and Improvement and the U.S. Institute of Education-sponsored National Research and Development Center on School Choice, Competition, and Achievement. An editor or author of more than 50 books, he has contributed more than 300 papers to peer-reviewed psychology and education journals, and he has written extensively for educators and policy makers. Dr. Walberg currently edits a series of booklets on effective education practices for the International Academy of Education that the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Educational Organization distributes in hard copy in more than 150 countries and on the Internet for down loading and re-publication. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Academy of Education, and the Royal Statistical Society. In 2004, the U.S. Senate confirmed his presidential appointment to the National Board for Education Sciences, which will provide guidance and oversight for federal research on education.

The fastest growing populations in U.S. schools are minority children and youth from Latino, Black, and Asian-American communities. Multiple economic, family, and social risk factors pose challenges to these students. Not surprisingly, evidence continues to show that these children face an ever-widening achievement gap throughout their school years.

Consequently, school psychologists, educators, and other allied professionals must become better informed to improve the academic and life prospects of these children. To help these children succeed in school, Narrowing the Achievement Gap: Strategies for Educating Latino, Black, and Asian Students will serve as a valuable professional tool by:

• Providing effective strategies from experienced scholars and professionals that can be used to improve academic achievement and well-being of minority students.
• Examining, collectively, three cultural groups in one concise, yet comprehensive book on themes related to diverse families, immigration issues, and teaching and learning.
• Conceptualizing opportunities and challenges in working with minority children in the context of the federal No Child Left Behind act, related state and local educational policies, and current social trends.
• Tailoring the message of voluminous research to the practical needs of professionals working with minority children in accessible terms.

This volume is a must-have reference for educators, psychologists, researchers, policymakers – and for anyone who works with children.

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"This volume is an important and impressive collection of scholarship that addresses one of the more intractable education problems of our times—ensuring that ALL children receive a quality education."

— Gloria Ladson-Billings, Kellner Family Professor in Urban Education

University of Wisconsin at Madison, and 2005-2006 President of AERA

"A major contribution to the field, the in-depth analyses provided by the chapter authors should be of substantial appeal to a wide audience because of its interdisciplinary approach and orientation to theory, research, and practice."

— Stanley Sue, Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Asian American Studies

University of California at Davis

"In considering the broad problems and in recommending solutions, the book provides breadth, concision, and unique organization."

— Edmund W. Gordon, John M. Musser Professor of Psychology at Yale University Richard March Hoe Professor of Education and Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University

"This volume addresses the most important issue in contemporary education: understanding diversity while making it a pedagogical asset."

— Luis C. Moll, Professor & Associate Dean, College of Education, University of Arizona

Foreword     v
Series Preface     vii
Introduction and Overview   Susan J. Paik   Herbert J. Walberg     1
Culturally Diverse Families and Schooling
Fostering Latino Parent Involvement in the Schools: Practices and Partnerships   Concha Delgado-Gaitan     17
Parenting, Social-Emotional Development, and School Achievement of African American Youngsters   Ronald D. Taylor     33
Asian Pacific American Cultural Capital: Understanding Diverse Parents and Students   Valerie Ooka Pang     49
Histories, Issues of Immigration, and Schooling Experiences
The Mobility/Social Capital Dynamic: Understanding Mexican American Families and Students   Robert K. Ream   Ricardo D. Stanton-Salazar     67
Educational Attainment of Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Young Blacks   Xue Lan Rong   Frank Brown     91
Divergent Origins and Destinies: Children of Asian Immigrants   Min Zhou     109
Socio-cultural Issues on Teaching, Learning, and Development
Educational Issues and Effective Practices for Hispanic Students   Hersh C. Waxman   Yolanda N. Padron   Andres Garcia     131
Improving the Schooling Experiences of African American Students: What School Leaders and Teachers Can Do   Gail L. Thompson     153
The Truth and Myth of the Model Minority: The Case of Hmong Americans   Stacey J. Lee     171
Conclusion and Recommendations   Susan J. Paik     185
About the Editors     195
About the Authors     197
University Advisory Committee     201
National Advisory Committee     203
Index     205