TCRecord: Article: Dense with statistics concerning how U.S. policies, K-12 schools, and institutions of higher education are failing Latino/a students, this text also offers compelling stories from undergraduates struggling to achieve a college education. Frances Contreras has woven a cogent argument for how and why public policy has developed to constrain college attendance and graduation for Latino/a youth. Contreras reframes the so-called achievement gap as a K-12 opportunity-to-learn gap grounded in inequitable and inhospitable schooling practices. She untangles a web of factors contributing to a leaking educational pipeline that most harms students who are English Language Learners (ELLs)—including a paucity of highly qualified teachers; poor school facilities and a lack of excellent curricular materials; many teachers’ negative perceptions of Latinos/as’ intellectual talent and motivation; low levels of teacher interactions with Latino/a families; and a lack of school staff who either speak Spanish or can effectively teach ELLs.
