Chapter 11: Engaged Reading: A Multi-Level Approach to Considering Sociocultural Factors with Diverse Learners

Recent demographic trends present an astounding picture of change in the nation as a whole and more specifically in the schools. Population counts from the 1990 census indicate that the Latino population¹ is the fastest growing of the nation’s large ethnic minority groups. The population increased by 53% between 1980 and 1990, while the total population increased by only 9% (U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1991). Schools have seen a parallel change. From 1985 to 1993, the LEP (limited English proficient) population increased at an average 9.2% per year, while the overall student population increased by about 1% annually. The 2,736,000 LEP students enrolled during the 1992 school year comprised about 5.7% of the total student population (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1997). Most of these students are young: more than two-thirds are in grades K-6, and the largest number (about three out of four) of these limited English-speaking students speak Spanish. In 1993, 2 out of 10 students attending public schools in central cities of metropolitan areas were Hispanic (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1997). Disturbingly, in the face of increasing diversity, poverty is rising. In 1993, 39% of Latino children compared to 16% of white children lived in families with an income level below the poverty line (Fromboluti, 1994).