The Organization and Administration of a Deficit Curriculum: The Dominant Operating Core Curriculum of a Hispanic Serving Educational System

The demographic face of the United States is quickly changing as the Hispanic population approaches majority minority status. The changing demography brings with it many implications as far as the general condition and functionality of society is concerned. Especially important are educational practices and the construction of public education policies as the public schools are traditionally relied upon as an institution of socialization, as a common denominator to Americanize the young, the poor, the marginal, and the immigrant populations (Tyack and Cuban, 1995). These categorical descriptions, one could say, largely characterize the Hispanic population, which in fact represents the youngest members in American society, with the highest per capita birth rate, the poorest household conditions, and a large immigrant population (U.S. Census 2000)