My research addresses a critical challenge facing U.S. education. I study low-income, immigrant populations and the ways in which families and schools promote (or inhibit) children’s development. My work concentrates primarily on Latino children and families. Most research on Latino children focuses on the achievement gap between Latino and White children that is evident at kindergarten entry and grows during the elementary period. Although understanding differences in achievement between racial and ethnic groups is important, this work teaches us very little about the heterogeneity that exists among Latino children and families.
