Better strategies for teaching multicultural education and lessons about non-Anglo cultures are not what is needed in teacher education. Instead, generative ways are needed for teachers to explore their own assumptions and to construct pedagogy that takes into account the values and practices of cultures different from their own. (SLD)

Describes the new appreciation for religious tolerance within Baltimore's school system that arose during the Second World War. Looks at how American patriotism transformed the Catholic school curriculum, and how public and Catholic school programs sought to use wartime religious tolerance toward racially inclusive ends. (VWC)

In this article, the author relates the effectiveness of using poetry in his classroom. He relates how students who initially thought poetry as "sappy" have somehow changed their perceptions as they begin to learn more about it. Through various poems, these students came to see how poetry can be a catalyst for a provocative inquiry…

Noting that the cultural and racial make-up of the American family population has changed, this paper characterizes the early childhood community's responses to diversity among families on the basis of position statements, program policies, and innovative local initiatives. The paper argues that to assure equitable treatment of culturally diverse…

This paper maintains that increasing Hispanic-American participation in higher education is a desirable public investment. It points out that the educational attainment of Hispanic-Americans has not kept pace with their increasing share of the population and the labor force, and that high school and college completion rates are lower than for…

Books in the Opposing Viewpoints series challenge readers to question their own opinions and assumptions. By reading carefully balanced views, readers confront new ideas on the topic of interest. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited job discrimination based on age, race, religion, gender, or national origin, provided the groundwork for…

This paper examines how the representations of Asian Americans as the model minority and as perpetual foreigners play off one another to shape the positioning and experiences of Asian American students in U.S. schools and maintain the dominant racial order in the United States. Although the representation of Asian Americans as a high-achieving and…

The African American woman has commanded widespread public attention, but popular misconceptions of her socioeconomic role and status differ sharply from her actual situation. The following basic characteristics of the contemporary African American woman, drawn from census figures, are outlined: (1) demographically, females comprise a majority of…

America's most widely used college admission examinations systematically underpredict the abilities of high school girls, who make up over 52% of the test-takers. Each year more than three million students who plan to attend college take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying…

This paper reviews the effectiveness and practicality of various educational approaches for increasing racial tolerance and calls for developing strategies that have been formally evaluated to avoid the waste of time and limited resources. The first section discusses the racial inadequacies of most programs which purport to affect racial…

Deficiency theories of racial inequality are basically inadequate in explaining observed racial differences between groups. Nonetheless, throughout the history of our country, both political leaders and prominent educators have propounded the notion that the inferior social status of blacks is due to some inherent deficiency in their make-up.…

Far-reaching ramifications for minority children of psychological assessment warrants that it be accurate, fair, and valid. This article addresses: (1) problems inherent in standardized testing; (2) a moratorium on intelligence testing; (3) alternate approaches to testing; and (4) guidelines for assessing ethnic minority groups. (LHW)

Discusses persistent racial tensions and achievement differences between Black and White students after 14 years of desegregation at Evanston (Illinois) Township High School. (Author/GC)

Educational researchers must clarify the distinction between the terms "ethnicity" and "ethnic membership." The use of broad terms based on easily observed traits, such as racial characteristics or language, has infiltrated otherwise well-executed studies and undermined their validity. (PP)

Students from two high schools, one predominantly White and the other predominantly Black, were surveyed to determine differences between values held by Black and White students. Conclusions drawn from the students' ranking of 13 value items and their answering of 14 questions about influences on their values are discussed. (CJ)