In Cracks in the Schoolyard, Conchas challenges deficit models of schooling and turns school failure on its head. Going beyond presenting critical case studies of social inequality and education, this book features achievement cases that depict Latinos as active actors―not hopeless victims― in the quest for social and economic mobility. Chapters examine the ways in which college students, high school youth, English language learners, immigrant Latino parents, queer homeless youth, the children of Mexican undocumented immigrants, and undocumented immigrant youth all work in local settings to improve their quality of life and advocate for their families and communities. Taken together, these counternarratives will help educators and policymakers fill the cracks in the schoolyard that often create disparity and failure for youth and young adults.

This powerful book examines:

• The processes that operate within and outside of school to push students out and keep them from thriving academically and socially.
• The patterns that exist among individuals―students, teachers, parents, and other caring adults―to resist failure and construct for school success.
• The role of case study methods in illuminating power, inequality, and success in education.