(1997). Disproportionate Representation of Minorities in Special Education: A Focus Group Study of Parent Perspectives. Final Report Phase II: Minority Parents. This document is the report of one phase of a Minnesota study to examine the problem of misrepresentation and overrepresentation of African American, American Indian, and Latino students in special education. Phase 2 of the study involved seven focus groups comprised of minority parents throughout rural and urban areas of Minnesota. Focus groups addressed questions concerning what works, what doesn't work, what the contributing factors are, and what needs to be done. All focus groups felt that individualized instruction and support services provided in a small classroom setting were two of the most effective aspects of special education. Most participants also expressed strong support for the Individual Education Program process, the value of staff training in cultural awareness, and activities to promote parent involvement. Specific group emphases included: discrimination and racism (African American); the lack of communication between home and school (American Indian); and the… [PDF]
(1988). New Voices: Student Political Activism in the '80s and '90s. An examination of the state of student activism in American higher education is based on a study of the focus and direction of campus activism and on interviews and surveys of undergraduate and graduate students who consider themselves activists. The first two chapters are devoted to an assessment of the overall situation and of the strategies used for organization and communication in activist pursuits. Subsequent chapters focus on specific political issues and interests. They include divestment of financial interests in South Africa, Central American politics, the Central Intelligence Agency, the military and its university connections for war-related activities, racism, the economy and general welfare, women's issues, gay, lesbian, and bisexual rights, student empowerment, the role of the media, and the future of activism. Chapters contain segments of activist interviews and descriptions of specific events. Interspersed among expository chapters are "snapshot" chapters…
(2000). Multiculturalism in the 21st Century: Challenges and Possibilities. This paper outlines, at a general theoretical level, what are seen as the key issues that are facing multiculturalism and, by implication, multicultural education as the world moves into the 21st century. The paper contends that it is necessary to reassess continually what mistakes have been made in the past, what obstacles still lie ahead, and, in light of both, what might be the best way to proceed. It cites the following challenges to multiculturalism (according to Carlos Torres): the ongoing critique of multiculturalism from the Right; the tendency of multiculturalism to concentrate on culture at the expense of structural concerns such as racism; the challenges that postmodernist understandings of identity present for multiculturalism; and the urgent need to develop a multiculturalist paradigm that effectively addresses and, where necessary, redresses all of the above. The paper charts the multiculturalist responses to these four broad challenges, as they currently stand. It… [PDF]
(1996). Cultural Diversity in Catholic Schools: Challenges and Opportunities for Catholic Educators. This book examines sociocultural factors that affect teaching and learning in today's Catholic elementary and secondary schools. The first chapter, "Cultural Diversity: An Important but Problematic Issue," discusses how demographic and societal changes have created a greater need for cultural diversity in education, and stresses the ambiguities inherent in addressing this diversity. The second chapter, "The Success of Catholic Education: Impressive and Still Able To Be Better," recounts the success of Catholic schools in building community, outlines the sociocultural theory of learning, and highlights the challenges to developing culturally sensitive pedagogy and a welcoming school culture. This chapter also addresses the importance of recognizing the school's hidden curriculum, hiring an ethnically diverse faculty and staff, and being aware of aspects of institutional racism. The third chapter, "The Catholicity of Our Schools: Making the Gospel… [PDF]
(1999). Some Reflections on the Past and Future of Research Concerning the Civic Engagement of Youth within the Context of the IEA International Civic Education Study. In 1993, the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) decided to mount a 2-phase study of civic education, the first phase being more qualitative and the second more quantitative, to complete testing before the end of the 20th century and to be released early in the 21st century. Countries participating in phase 1 or phase 2 included the United States, Canada, England, Hong Kong, Australia, Chile, Colombia, and many European countries. The study's international chair, a developmental psychologist, was concerned about the meaning of civic engagement for young people in both newer and older contexts. The qualitative phase elaborated national case studies, which suggested that there is a common core of content topics across countries in civic education and that civic education should be based on important content that crosses disciplines. These case studies contributed to the design of phase 2 in which approximately 110,000 students age 14 and 16-18… [PDF]
(1987). Workshop on Using Non-Cognitive Variables with Minority Students in Higher Education. Research Report #4-87. In recent years thousands of minority persons who were previously denied access to primarily white, U.S. institutions of higher education have enrolled in them. Many institutions initiated special programs designed to compensate for academic skill problems observed in some of these new students. The effect of these programs on student retention is an important area of concern, but in the 1980s some researchers have avoided the special program issue by demonstrating that one can identify, through a set of noncognitive variables, which minority students are likely to remain in college through graduation. Some of these variables, such as positive self-concept, realistic self-appraisal and the ability to delay gratification, have been recognized for a long time. Others, such as understanding and dealing with racism, and preference for long-term over short-term goals also have important academic consequences. A workshop has been developed to train counselors, advisors, teachers, and… [PDF]
(2000). Ethnic Studies: Issues and Approaches. This book offers a comprehensive definition of the field of ethnic studies, covering both major issues in the field and its theoretical and methodological approaches. It traces the origins and evolution of the discipline in the United States and maps its domain. Some of the current issues addressed include affirmative action, illegal/legal immigration, bilingual education, and the English-only movement. For each issue addressed, the book introduces key concepts, outlines main dimensions, presents empirical evidence, discusses theoretical approaches, and suggests alternative perspectives when possible. There are 15 chapters in three parts. Part 1, \Basics of Ethnic Studies,\ includes (1) \Introduction\ and (2) \Methodologies of Ethnic Studies.\ Part 2, \Major Issues in Ethnic Studies,\ includes (3) \Theories of Ethnicity,\ (4) \Ethnic Stratification,\ (5) \Ethnic Adaptation,\ (6) \Ethnic Differences in Socioeconomic Achievement,\ (7) \Ethnic Prejudice,\ (8) \Ethnic Discrimination,…
(1987). Multilingual Britain: The Educational Challenge. This essay and a report focus on the challenge to Britain's educational system posed by an increasingly multicultural and multilingual population. The essay, "Towards a Curriculum Policy for a Multilingual World," attempts to clarify the implications of multilingualism for the entire curriculum, for both curriculum design and administrative concerns. A 10-point plan of action is presented, indicating the need for teachers and other staff fluent in the community languages. The report, "The Education of Bilingual Learners: Towards a Coherent Policy," is the result of a working group on bilingual education within the Inner London Education Authority. Its sections address the following topics: racism, bilingual education, and the need for a policy for equality; a philosophy of bilingual education; the need for schools to keep in touch with the communities they serve; school-level issues of population mobility, placement, reception, orientation, and transfer;…
(1971). The Exploding and Explosive Two-Year College. Junior and community colleges must explode many traditional notions about education in order to fulfill their promises to poor and disadvantaged students. The number of junior and community colleges and the number of students attending them have increased rapidly in the past few years. But many communities think that community colleges didn't keep their promises. Most community college students are poor, and college costs are frequently high. Students frequently cannot get into the job training programs they want because of staff, space and money shortages. To work toward fulfilling community college ideals, ideas about student and teacher roles and about ways of measuring success must be changed. Teachers must help students improve their self concept and gain self confidence, processes which teachers with Ph.D.'s may damage because of a condescending attitude. Good community colleges have stopped using standards based on exclusiveness, a major shift in attitude and procedures, both… [PDF]
(1999). Report and Recommendations of the British Columbia Teacher's Federation's (BCTF) Task Force on First Nations Education to the Annual General Meeting (January 1999). (Revised Annotated Version). In 1998, the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) appointed an eight-member task force to investigate the effectiveness of the education system for First Nations students. The task force report and recommendations are intended to serve several groups of Aboriginal students: First Nations students, with or without status under Canada's Indian Act, who live on or off reserves in rural and urban areas, as well as Metis students. Many Aboriginal students are not achieving success in the public schools, for reasons related to the history of Canada's treatment of Aboriginal peoples, to poverty, and to the failure of public schools to value indigenous cultures. The task force recognizes that each child has a gift that must be looked for and nurtured. To contribute to the success of Aboriginal students, the task force proposed numerous recommendations to the BCTF. Each is accompanied by a supporting statement and the outcome in the 1999 BCTF annual general meeting. Recommendations… [PDF]
(1993). Improving the Success of Ethnically Diverse Education Majors in Preparation for Transfer and a Career in Teaching. In an effort to improve the long-term transfer and retention of ethnically diverse students in education, Southwestern College (SWC) embarked on a cooperative project with San Diego State University (SDSU) and the University of California, San Diego UCSD), to address the needs of ethnically diverse students who express the goal of becoming teachers. The first workshop of the project sought to ascertain the academic and support needs of these students and discussed responses to questionnaires sent to six former SWC students who had successfully transferred to SDSU or UCSD, addressing the level of preparation at area high schools, support services at SWC, and the effects of racism on student achievement. This workshop and a second also focused on course sequencing and basic content standards for education majors, highlighting the importance of adequate mathematics and linguistics sequences at SWC and more rigor in critical thinking, writing, and library research skills for future… [PDF]
(2002). Unlocking the Schoolhouse Door: The Community Struggle for a Say in Our Children's Education. This report explores the perspectives, issues, and capacity building needs of 51 community organizations that are fighting for better public schools nationwide. It analyzes a series of interviews conducted between July 2000 and March 2002. The interviews involved organizers, senior staff, and parent leaders. Overall, respondents described a range of problems that they were trying to correct. The categories most frequently cited as issues tended to direct organizational attention away from areas related to the core content of teaching and learning (e.g., after-school enrichment opportunities; accountability at the school, district, and political level; parent and community involvement; broadening the role of the school in the community; and equity concerns). Issues and perceived needs were not always in synch. Recommendations include acting national even when issues are local, always confronting racism, incorporating traditional civil rights organizations into the education justice… [PDF]
(1995). Knowledge Construction, Competing Critical Theories, and Education. African American leaders and thinkers, as represented by such figures as W. E. B. DuBois and Carter G. Woodson, have historically dedicated themselves to winning the struggle against racism and a racialized social order and improving the quality of life for the African American masses. Postmodern African American scholars have continued this tradition of scholar-activism in supporting the reconceptualization of U.S. society as multicultural. The varying approaches to multiculturalism and the contributions of critical theory and feminist theories are influencing the thinking of contemporary African American educators as they face the future of education. In the postindustrial and postmodern American society of the twenty-first century, the most critical educational struggle for people of color will be for control over the academic, intellectual, and political development of their children. The emergence of a global U.S. society from the Afro-Judeo-Christian popular culture is being…
(1980). Shattering Myths: Japanese American Educational Issues. An historical review of the immigration and resettlement patterns, and a demographic profile of Japanese Americans reveals a myth of the "successful minority." Since the founding of the Japanese American Citizens League in 1928, Japanese Americans have defeated alien land laws, discriminatory immigration quotas, anti-miscengenation laws, and secured naturalization privileges for alien Japanese. Currently, Japanese Americans are the third largest Asian American group and have attained a high level of education with increased visibility in many areas of employment; they tend to live primarily in integrated, urban communities. The stereotypes and misunderstandings created by the concentration camp experience, however, have hampered economic and social progress for Japanese Americans. Moreover, disparities in educational funding policies, uses of propaganda, and violations of civil rights have undermined the achievements of Japanese Americans. The organization of…
(2004). Beyond Beethoven and the Boyz: Women's Music in Relation to History and Culture. Music Educators Journal, v90 n4 p50 Mar. The typical music history or appreciation class teaches students to analyze musical elements and think generally about the aesthetics of historical periods but rarely encourages them to consider why the overwhelming majority of the composers discussed are white, European, middle- and upper-class men. Courses on popular music often discuss jazz and rock without addressing issues such as the barriers women jazz instrumentalists faced and the sexual objectification of women rock artists. Gender-blind world music curricula may also overlook the tremendously important role music plays in women's everyday lives, particularly when those women live in cultures where their voices are otherwise silenced. When women are integrated into the curriculum, they have the opportunity not only to add their names to the existing canon, but also to help students engage in critical thinking about how music is related to issues of sexism (and racism, classism, and ethnocentrism) within and outside the…