Assistant Professor's Scholarship Benefits From Her In-Depth Knowledge of Latino Educational Experiences
Assistant Professor
Irvine, Calif., June 1, 2010
Dr. Estela Zarate is an Assistant Professor of Education, with a joint appointment in the Department of Chicano/Latino Studies, at University of California, Irvine. At UCI, she teaches both graduate and undergraduate students in courses such as Multicultural Education in K-12, Theories and Pedagogies of Race, Social and Cultural Foundations of Education, and Qualitative Analysis. Prior to joining the faculty at UCI, Dr. Zarate was Director of Educational Research at the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute in Los Angeles. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of California, Los Angeles in the Graduate School of Education and Information Sciences. Prior to graduate school, she was an admissions counselor at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.
Dr. Zarate's research seeks to understand and improve the educational experiences of Latino and working-class youth. There are three categories of research that best describe her research portfolio: (a) longitudinal studies, (b) evaluation projects, and (c) policy research. Most recently, Dr. Zarate is investigating the role of middle school factors in predicting high school completion. In a forthcoming manuscript, Dr. Zarate and Dr. Claudia G. Pineda, also at the Department of Education, found that how Latino students' primary language is supported in school or not has implications for high school completion. Also in press is a chapter contribution to the 3rd edition of Chicano School Failure and Success, a key text on issues of Latinos and Education.
Dr. Zarate frequently engages in evaluations of projects or policy ventures that seek to address the educational conditions of Latino students. Her expertise using mixed methods and her in-depth knowledge of Latino educational experiences allow her to examine interventions from multiple dimensions, addressing their value to schools, communities, and students. She has evaluated the effectiveness of outreach programs, including Kids to College-Massachusetts, Nicholas Academic Centers, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and policy interventions, such as the ABC's early childhood teacher competencies recommendations.
