In spite of theoretical validation and legal mandates in special education for parent participation, many studies have indicated that parents' roles in the Individualized Education Programs (IEP) process are still not noticeable and influential and that too often they are not being treated as an equal partner with school professionals. In…

In the very near future, Latino students will become the majority in California's public schools and because of their great numbers and presence, the pattern of lackluster academic achievement must be a major concern of teachers, school leaders, and policy makers. Despite having made great strides in narrowing the gap that separated them from…

Staff development is too often inadequate or overlooked in bilingual education. Rather, bilingual educators are forced to seek outside resources and strategies because of inconsistencies in school district bilingual programs. These authors offer a "crash" course for other teachers who may be looking for solid information about bilingual…

This study examined the effects of a professional development program for teachers of social sciences for English learners. Results from pre- and post-measures of social sciences content indicated greater improvement in student achievement in these areas when scores from students from teachers who had gone through the training were compared with…

Reviews research that provides evidence that nonnative speakers of English in the United States use English a great deal and have acquired it very well. Misreporting of facts has suggested that immigrants are not acquiring English. English as a Second Language classes do facilitate the development of conversational language. (SLD)

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of Utah public and private school English as Second Language (ESL) programs in meeting the needs of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students. The hypothesis was that public schools were more effective in meeting the educational needs of LEP students than private schools. Both qualitative and…

Describes a methodology that educators can use to appropriately classify students who are linguistically and culturally diverse. The article lists the student behaviors to observe when distinguishing a language difference from a language disorder and illustrates how educators can conceptualize student background and current status in selecting…

Discusses the integration of innovative technologies into the K-12 curriculum and its impact on instructional programs for linguistically and culturally diverse students. Describes the debate over whether the culture of computing is inclusive or exclusive, examining: educational technology standards; information technology and fluency; speech…

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…

Examines cultural factors affecting black and Hispanic deaf students' achievement, discussing socioeconomic status and single parent families, parent educational levels, non-English speaking environments, inadvertent effects on the deaf child, family view of disability, and parent-school interactions. Notes strategies for developing parents as…

Evaluates whether inservicing teachers on reading and writing about culturally diverse literature translates into better thinking and writing on the part of ethnic and linguistic minority students. An evaluation study involving 283 high school students reveals very positive results in the cognitive and affective impact on ethnic and linguistic…

Many immigrant children encounter many difficulties and challenges in the public school. As a result, countless bilingual and limited-English-proficient students are lagging behind their peers. Minority students are labeled and treated differently from their classmates. Although equally capable, they are receiving a second-class education. The…

Students learning a new language need a great deal of language support. Those who teach students learning English as their second language know that any language support is crucial for students' language acquisition. Therefore, English Language (EL) students need a variety of language experiences. They need opportunities to hear, write, speak, and…

Describes programs and services available to students of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in secondary schools in California, where almost a quarter of a million LEP students of diverse backgrounds are enrolled. The grim reality is that these students are tracked and provided with inadequate materials and poorly prepared teachers. (SLD)