- Socioeconomic composition of the school but not racial composition is an important predictor of AHPVT test scores of Latino adolescents. The findings vary by generational status in the case of GPA.
- School SES has a positive effect and school minority composition has a negative effect on grades only in the case of foreign-born Latinos.
- Although GPA and AHPVT scores vary significantly by generational status and ethnicity, these achievement differences are better explained by family background than by variations in school composition.
- High levels of social capital in immigrant families help buffer children from the disadvantages with the schools they attend.
- One of the most effective ways to increase academic performance and lower drop-out rates of native Latino adolescents is to place them in an environment with other children who want to gain educational skills and whose families encourage them to learn.