Education Commons^™

Are Davis County School District Students Represented In Their Schools' Literary Choices?, Erin Searle

Research on Capitol Hill

Feeling represented in high school can have an effect on academic performance. Does the literature taught in high schools represent the students who are reading them? By analyzing the supplemental book list (DCABL) approved by Davis County High School and coding the literary works into categories based on ethnicity and gender, these questions were answered:

• Does literature taught in high schools represent the students who are reading it in terms of ethnicity and gender?
• Does literature include selections written by authors from countries other than the USA or selections with a variety of racially diverse protagonists?
• Does the ratio of …

Disposition For Change: A Teacher's Quest For Student And Self-Liberation, Morgan Sanford, Elise Maddox

Research on Capitol Hill

The tensions that dominate the lives of Mexican-American adolescents complicate their academic achievement. Many Anglo-American teachers see Mexican-American students as lacking parental and administrative support and capability or intelligence, stereotypes that poison progress and inhibit their learning.

Our research considers the influence of visionary, dedicated teachers in the lives of underprivileged students. The biographical film narratives included in our study detail the experiences of Caucasian and Latino teachers and their Mexican-American students. They point to the power of individual teachers to open doors for positive change and progress in the lives of their students.