School health education needs to build a broad base of awareness, tolerance, and sensitivity to different expressions of healthy behavior while maintaining scientific accuracy. This can only be accomplished through exposing children to the various types of health knowledge found in different cultures. Health education involves helping students:…

This digest examines the nature of multiple identities among ethnic minority youth and how youth bridge conflicting messages about cultural ways of being. It discusses how the school environment contributes to student internalization of various identities. Culturally diverse students often face contrasting notions of self because they must…

This digest summarizes in a question and answer format a full length report of the same title. It addresses the importance of recruiting minority students for diversity at institutions of higher education. Noted are increasing numbers for these groups along with the current low education levels found among minorities and the potential shortage of…

This digest reviews behaviors and instructional strategies that enable teachers to build stronger teaching/learning relationships with students from culturally diverse backgrounds. Strategies include: (1) appreciate and accommodate the similarities and differences among the students' cultures; (2) build relationships with students; (3) focus on…

The valuing of diversity can be taught to others and should be a major part of any school's comprehensive guidance program. In the valuing diversity model ASK, "A" stands for awareness of self and others; "S" stands for sensitivity and skills; and "K" stands for knowledge cultures different from one's own. School…

To reduce the possibility that children who do not fit stereotypical profiles of gifted children will be passed over, identifying students from diverse backgrounds for talent should be a multipronged effort. Outreach is especially important in areas when parents may be absorbed in meeting their family's immediate needs. To facilitate…

This digest reviews scientific and methodological problems in special education research related to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. The first section of the digest discusses the various definitions of race, ethnicity, culture, and socioeconomic status. The problems with current race classification and the difficulties in determining the…

This digest focuses on several issues in school desegregation that stem from recent changes in demography, policy, and research. Change in student diversity, the first consideration, is even more marked in cities than in the country as a whole, with only 9 of 47 urban cities in the Great City Schools network having a majority white enrollment.…

Some 15 to 20 percent of U.S. school children speak a foreign language at home, and the number is increasing rapidly. However, all limited-English proficient (LEP) students are not alike, and their differences must be understood in assessing their performance. It is vital to understand the role of culture and how the cultural background influences…