The Latino population is the largest racial and ethnic minority group in Massachusetts. In the 1980s, the poverty rate of Latinos in the state was twice that of Blacks and six times that of Whites. With Latino children dropping out of school at a rate three times that of white children, the economic future of this population is bleak. The following chapters address economic and educational issues and suggest strategies for empowerment of Latinos: (1) "The Status of Latino Students in Massachusetts Public Schools" (Anne Wheelock); (2) "Entitlements of Latino Students and Parents: Some Legal Policy Considerations" (Jose Javier Colon-Morera, and others); (3) "Bilingual Education: Perspectives on Research and Other Issues" (Diana Lam); (4) "Barriers to Latino Parental Involvement in the Boston Public Schools" (Ralph Rivera); (5) "Latinos and Educational Reform: The Privatization of Chelsea Public Schools" (Glenn Jacobs); (6) "Latino Experiences in Vocational Technical Education: Implications for Educational Policy and Reform in Massachusetts" (James Jennings); (7) "What Do Latino Children Need to Succeed in School? A Study of Four Boston Public Schools" (Antonia Darder and Carole Christoff Upshur); (8) "I Was an Outsider: An Exploratory Study of Dropping Out among Puerto Rican Youths in Holyoke, Massachusetts" (Manuel Frau-Ramos and Sonia Nieto); (9) "Academic Costs of Social Marginalization: An Analysis of the Perceptions of Latino Students at a Boston High School" (Virginia Vogel Zanger); (10) "Poverty, Resilience, and Academic Achievement among Latino College Students and High School Dropouts" (Castellano B. Turner, and others); (11) "The Effects of the Schooling Processes and Practices on Potential At-Risk Latino High School Students" (Martha Montero-Sieburth); and (12) "Creating Possibilities: Educating Latino Students in Massachusetts" (Sonia Nieto). (SLD)