Culturally diverse educational settings can be challenging to navigate as participants in these settings risk misinterpreting others from different cultures. This article highlights six strategies school community members can use to foster positive cross-cultural interactions while exhibiting and modeling professional teacher dispositions: (1)…

Individualized education programs (IEPs) reflect the spirit of individualized instruction that lies at the heart of special education. Quality annual goal statements, which propel the implementation of special education programming, use clear language to communicate measurable, meaningful, and standards-aligned expectations to all members of the…

Discriminatory discipline practices in the nation's schools disproportionately impact students of color; students with emotional, behavioral, and cognitive disabilities; and youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ). Large numbers of these students are removed from class, lose opportunities to learn, and…

This article focuses on why and how speech-language pathologists and other professionals can encourage the involvement of parents in teaching social communication skills to their young children. Four main topics are explored: (1) the evidence that many of the children with special needs served by speech-language pathologists and other…

Eight students from mainland China chart their learning journeys across national and continental boundaries and socio-cultural contexts. The five women and three men structure their experiences of studying in China and the West around the turning points and life changing choices they made in chasing their dreams. They embody its emergent…

A leading introductory text, this authoritative volume comprehensively describes the school psychologist's role in promoting positive academic, behavioral, and emotional outcomes for all students. The book emphasizes a problem-solving-based, data-driven approach to practice in today's diverse schools. It grounds the reader in the concepts and…

For as long as there has been special education, there has been racially based disproportionality in identification and placement coupled with the concern that some students may be inappropriately identified as disabled. This is especially true for Black students in the categories of emotional disability (ED) and mild mental retardation (MR),…

As external forces demand change in the delivery of postsecondary education and institutions seek to take advantage of new opportunities, the potential for achieving higher levels of student and institutional success is vast. New technologies, communication tools, data use, and organizational constructs present key factors in improving the…

According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics, childhood obesity rates are highest among ethnic minorities. It is very helpful to consider the role of culture when attempting to analyze and explain obesity rates in ethnic minority populations. Culture influences the attitudes and beliefs toward exercise, food and nutrition, and…

Invitational theory uses many elements to define, describe, and delineate its beliefs and practices. For example, the Five Ps of people, places, policies, programs, and processes are consistently cited in the literature and research as the framework for assessing inviting practices. Another example is the presentation of four areas of inviting:…

This book is a resource designed to help pre-service and in-service early childhood educators, including infant-toddler caregivers, understand the role of culture in their programs. It is also intended for professionals who work with children and their families in a variety of other roles, such as social workers, special educators, and early…

When Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and Chinese people arrived in St. Cloud, Minnesota, to make their homes and send their children to school, there had never been an English as a Second Language program. A successful program was set up quickly and is now facing different concerns. (MT)

Issues of diversity, such as culture, class, race, and ethnicity, affect all relationships. It can be difficult to explore these issues in supervision, but doing so is imperative to understanding and working effectively with each other and with families. This article explores the challenges associated with discussing issues of diversity, and…

The article provides suggestions to professionals to help develop effective patterns of communication and interaction with disabled Native American students or clients. Cultural characteristics such as placing greater value on cooperation than competition are discussed. Suggested readings and demographic data are included. (Author/DB)

Describes "Harvest of Hope," a project for science and geography instruction in which students from an inner-city and a suburban school joined in a community service project. Explains that the students planned, planted, and harvested crops for the needy on school property. Includes handouts simulating international negotiations, trade…