The core practice of professional scientists is inquiry, often referred to as research. If educators are to prepare students for a role in the professional scientific and technological community, exposing them to inquiry-based learning is essential. Despite this, inquiry-based teaching and learning (IBTL) remains relatively rare, possibly due to…

Guidelines are offered for choosing assessment materials and testing Indochinese students in listening comprehension, reading, arithmetic, and educational experience. (CL)

The paper explores several issues which effect the accurate assessment of language and reading disorders and, thus, of discrepancy between expected potential and actual achievement. For related information see EC 132 758-768. (Author)

This article considers the extent to which Child Find procedures discussed in the literature are responsive to families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Discussion of the legal basis for Child Find activities targeting these young children and challenges in early identification of children from diverse backgrounds is…

Culturally specific behaviors must be considered in the pre-referral phase of assessing culturally diverse/limited-English-proficient students. Inferences regarding the reasons for students' performance reflect the knowledge base acquired by the school staff concerning a student's culture. Evaluative questions can gather data to assure non-biased…

This article proposes six "quality" indicators of assessment practices with culturally and linguistically diverse students, including: (1) examination of opportunity to learn; (2) involvement of parents or caretakers; (3) use of trained interpreters; (4) nonreliance on psychometrics; (5) use of a multidisciplinary team; and (6) use of informed…

This guide contains two checklists for evaluating educational materials and classroom activities to ensure that they meet requirements for equity for all students. The first checklist is for teachers and administrators to use when evaluating instructional materials. It asks questions about the depiction of men and women, diverse cultural and…

This paper identifies four key issues in the implementation of Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) to provide services to young handicapped children as required by Public Law 99-457. These include sensitivity to cultural diversity, family assessment, intrusiveness, and establishing family outcomes. A typology of family outcomes which…

This article highlights problems inherent in traditional screening measures for giftedness and suggests the student portfolio as a promising alternative for the identification of gifted children, especially those from special populations. Examples of items to be included in portfolios include writing samples, journals, artwork, projects, class…

The paper, originally given at a 1986 Ethnic and Multicultural Symposium, emphasizes the need for schools to recognize and understand the impact of culture on student academic and social success. Classroom based assessment and evaluation strategies for use with culturally diverse, behaviorally disordered students are reviewed and discussed. An…

This paper provides information concerning preschool narrative development in typically developing North American children, stressing previously documented links between early narrative skills and literacy development. Methods are provided for assessing narrative skills of language-impaired children. The methods involve eliciting from the children…

This study applied 2 U.S. instruments to assess 11 Indian graduate students' evaluations of teaching effectiveness. Results indicated high internal consistency, and the measures' items were seen as appropriate. Analysis suggested more overlap between teaching skill and enthusiasm than evident in Western studies. (Author/DB)

This handbook is the second in a series designed to aid teachers in developing a multicultural education curriculum. It is divided into two parts. Part 1, consisting of seven chapters, covers aspects of Canadian cultural diversity, and suggests activities for acquainting students with the various cultures native to Canada: (1) celebrations; (2)…

This paper uses case studies of culturally diverse exceptional learners to illustrate the impact of teacher expectations on the "accuracy" or "inaccuracy" of student self-concepts. In addition, innovative techniques that reduce stereotypic labels and enhance "accurate" self-concepts are discussed. Critical issues in teacher expectation are…

Providing students with the opportunity to study different cultures increases their global understanding and helps foster tolerance of cultural differences. In this lesson, grade 3-5 students read folk tales from Japan, Wales, and Africa and depict the stories visually for purposes of retelling. Students also research the countries and share a…