Ch 3: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity

Student performance is impacted by teachers' actions,-

-as they internalize the negative perceptions and become disengaged, resulting in poor academic performance or disruptive behavior.

Language Differences

-possesses accent and/or dialect that may impede communication intent -uses and interprets nonverbial cues to convey communication -shy, withdrawn children may acquire language skills more slowly -may have difficulty with grammar particulary verb tense -use of home language skills may oppose school language expectations

All students benefit from-

-the exposure to broader experiences when a multicultural curriculum is implemented.

The benefits of multicultural education extend-

-to promote success for adults in a global marketplace.

A culturally competent teacher-

-understands culture and its rule in education; -engages in self-reflective examination of his/her cultural attitudes and assumptions and their subsequent impact on classroom instruction and activities; -takes responsibility for learning about students' cultures and community; -uses student culture as a basis for learning; and -creates learning environments that are culturally responsive, where the curriculum includes multiple perspectives and examples

Teachers should understand that a difference can be considered a strength and might best be addressed through a change in teaching approach or an accommodation. Three areas that teachers should be particularly knowledgeable about are:

1) Understanding differences between language differences and language disorders 2) Preventing clashes between home and school cultures 3) Distinguishing between behavioral differences, behavioral disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders

Why is the proportionality in special education problematic?

1st, it is wrong to place students who have no disabilities in special education. 2nd, inaccurate disability identification indicates potentially inappropriate instructional and behavioral practices in the general education classroom. 3rd, a societal sigma is associated with the concept of disability. Finally, some researchers argue that special education is too often imposed on students, rather than being freely chosen by parents as a source of support for their children.

When culturally and linguistically diverse students have disabilities, their education must:

:be steeped in the practices of multicultural education, :include intensive support for language development, and :incorporate the most current evidence-based practices to address each student's particular disabilities.

Language Disorder

=exhibits deficits that are often greater for expressive language than for receptive language =is evident across areas of language: phonology, semantics, syntax, and pragmatics. =may be more evident in the dominant language but present in the other language as well =has difficulty understanding structures and components =presents an inability to meet school expectations

What are some of the benefits of including diverse students with disabilties in high stakes testing and other reform agenda items?

>high-stakes accountability has put pressure on schools to get their ELLs to learn English faster and earlier >accountability measures have now brought diverse students' educational needs to the attention of school district administrators, which in turn will bring additional resources and help to these students and their teachers >learning problems are addressed early and intensively >an atmosphere of high expectatons is created

Prereferral team members need to ensure that:

>the child's parents or other relevant extended family members are involved in the process; >interpreters are provided, if necessary, to ensure family participation; >the child's academic problems are not the result of ineffective classroom instruction or lack of proficiency in English; >a classroom observation occurs to determine whether cross-cultural dissonance may be causing any behavior problems; >the classroom teacher understands the importance of recommended prereferral strategies and implements them with fidelity; >recommended interventions not only address skill remediation but also encourage higher-order thinking processes; >documentation of the students' progress should be comprehensive

Causes of Disabilities

>unequal educational opportunities > poverty

How can disabilities in diverse children be prevented or avoided?

By removing the risk variables: *improving access to health care, *guaranteeing universal vaccinations against disease, and *ensuring safe living environments.

classroom English

English skills required to access the general education curriculum and profit from instruction

How can discrimination in the assessment process occur?

First, opportunities for unfair evaluations are created when an individual untrained in multicultural and bilingual techniques conducts the evaluation. Second, the content of the test items often assumes specific knowledge of mainstream U.S. culture. A third concern is that diverse groups are not always represented in the standardization population.

Ebonics

a learned and rule-governed dialect of nonstandard English, spoken by some African Americans

nativism

a strong opposition to immigration, which is seen as a threat to maintaining a country's dominant culture

composition index

a tool for measuring disproportionate representation in which the percentage of students from a particular racial group receiving special education is compared with their percentage in the overall school population

risk ratio

a tool for measuring disproportionate representation where the risk index for one group is divided by the risk index for another group. A risk ratio of 1.0 indicates proportionate representation. Risk ratios above or below 1.0 represent over- and underrepresentation, respectively

risk index

a tool for measuring disproportionate representation, representing the percentage of students from a particular racial group who receive special education services

Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS)

a validated method in which students coach each other to improve academic learning; peer tutoring for reading and mathematics

mutual accommodation

acceptance and use of students' language and culture within the classroom, while also teaching them the expectations and culture of the school

cross-cultural dissonance

acute misunderstanding of fundamental issues and values about education, disability, and home-school interaction (when the home and school cultures are in conflict)

nondiscriminatory testing

assessment that accounts for cultural and linguistic diversity

conversational English

being able to use English in general communications but not necessarily for academic learning

culturally diverse

being from a cultural group that is not Eurocentric or of mainstream America

demographics

characteristics of human population

peer tutoring

classmates helping each other

bilingual paraprofessionals

classroom assistants fluent in at least two languages

computerized language translators

computers that provide translations of written text from one language to another

contextualized instruction

embeds students' cultures, interests, and backgrounds into instruction

linguistically diverse

having a home or native language other than English

advanced placement (AP)

high school courses that carry college credit

multicultural education

incorporates the cultures of all students into instruction

English as a second language (ESL)

instructing students in English until English proficiency is achieved; does not provide support in the student's native or primary language

fidelity

instruction or intervention is implemented effectively and is consistent with the methods outlined by the program's instructions

underrepresentation

insufficient presence of individuals from a diverse group in special education category; smaller numbers than would be expected by their proportion of students

culturally competent

knowing and understanding the cultural standards from diverse communities

multiple intelligences

multidimensional approach to intelligence; allowing those exceptional in any one of eight areas to be identified as gifted (verbal liguistic; logical/mathematical; visual/spatial; musical/rhythmic; bodily/kinesthetic; naturalistic; interpersonal; and intrapersonal)

sheltered English instruction

restating concepts and instructions, using visuals and concrete examples, to provide language support to ELLs

collaboration

school personnel with different expertise working in partnerships

cooperative learning

small groups of students working together to learn same material

English language learners (ELLs), English learners (ELs) or limited English proficient (LEP)

students learning English as their second language

bilingual education

teaching in and seeking mastery of students' native language and English

melting pot

the concept of a homogenized United States in which cultural traditions and home languages are abandoned for the new American culture

cultural pluralism

the concept that all cultural groups are valued components of the society with each group's language and traditions maintained

overrepresentation

too many students from a diverse group participating in a special education category, beyond the level expected from their proportion of students

digital divide

unequal availability of technology due to socioeconomic status

disproportionate representation

unequal proportion of group membership; over- or underrepresentation

code switching

using two languages in the same conversation; a sign of developing dual language proficiency

dialects

words and pronunciation from a geographical region or ethnic group, different from those of standard language