Surveyed preservice teachers regarding their beliefs about student diversity (types of diversity they considered important, benefits of classroom diversity, and concerns about their ability to teach in diverse classrooms). Results found that respondents were predominantly white, female, middle-to-upper class English speakers with limited exposure…

Argues that attempts to institute proper and effective methods of educating non English speaking students cannot be reduced simply to issues of language, but rest on a full understanding of the ideological elements that generate and sustain linguistic, cultural, and racial discrimination, which represent vestiges of a colonial legacy in today's…

Describes a study in an urban English district that investigated the impact of a series of three linked INSET programs to help mainstream secondary teachers meet the needs of developing bilingual students through whole-class teaching methods and school policies. Interviews with key participants indicated that the programs were reasonably…

Today, language-minority students comprise one of the fastest-growing segments of the total student population in America, a culturally and linguistically diverse group. A large number of bilingual students fall into the at-risk category because their cultural and linguistic backgrounds put them at a disadvantage in the American educational system…

Although much research has been done on bilingual students from a variety of backgrounds, little research has been done specifically on the needs of K-12 Hmong students. Hmong students are refugees and children of refugees who immigrated to the United States since 1975, leaving their home country of Laos. California public schools have…

This document records testimony regarding the Department of Education's slow pace in providing States the assistance they require to implement No Child Left Behind's provisions for English Language Learners (ELLs) and the status of recent efforts to correct that; practices for training teachers of ELL students and for improving their academic…

A rich amount of research suggests that native-English speaking and linguistically diverse students are equally capable of learning scientific concepts and terminology through collaborative inquiry-based experiences. Yet, a full understanding of how to address English Language Learner (ELL) issues during science instruction and assessment will…

Despite growing interest in children's policy and in research regarding childhood bilingualism and language acquisition, the early care and education of linguistically and culturally diverse preschoolers remains a matter of much concern. Relative inattention at the level of policy to the needs and interests of such children is due to several…

The observations of educators and educational research have shown that academic outcomes for minority groups exposed to the same educational programs are different. The phenomenon does not seem to be due to superior intelligence, social class, or length of time in the country. Documented since the mid-1960s, this should be taken into account when…

This monograph in the Urban Diversity Series examines historical and current policy in the teaching of language minority students in New York and California. It explores the key issues in the public's understanding of bilingual education and defines bilingual education in terms of local educational legislation and implementations. Part I,…

This document consists of the first 10 articles of volume 8 of the electronic journal "Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation" published in 2002-2003: (1) "Using Electronic Surveys: Advice from Survey Professionals" (David M. Shannon, Todd E. Johnson, Shelby Searcy, and Alan Lott); (2) "Four Assumptions of Multiple Regression That Researchers…

Focus groups with Hmong American undergraduates examined their educational experiences in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Over 25 years after the first Hmong refugees arrived, cultural difference is still used to explain the status of Hmong communities. Hmong children are said to be excelling in school, though reports do not consider the high numbers of…

This study explored bilingual education in California, analyzing California law on instruction for English Learners before and after Proposition 227. Proposition 227 required that all English Learners (EL) participate in a sheltered English immersion program in which most instruction was in English with curriculum and presentation designed for…

A survey of 859 school psychologists who indicated prior experience conducting bilingual psychoeducational assessment identified 36 factors used to comply with provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act relating to assessing bilingual or limited-English-proficient students. Seventeen additional factors that were overlooked and…

Describes a program model tested at two Boston high schools designed to better prepare monolingual teachers to meet the needs of their linguistic minority students. Program consisted of needs assessment, workshops, conferences, and classroom projects. Recommendations for future projects include administrator, counselor, and bilingual staff…