More valid assessments for multicultural populations would help counseling professionals better serve their clients and improve the lives of many people whose backgrounds and experiences may differ from those of White clients. Four common misuses of multicultural contexts are: (1) assuming that labeling something solves the problem; (2) using…

Schools play an important role in combatting racism, which, despite a quarter century of desegregation, may be increasing. Possible solutions offered in this report are: public declarations of repugnance for racism; multicultural educational programs; use of teachers as role-models; and effective use of tolerance-generating resources. Several…

Cognitive, social, and organizational problems put some groups at a disadvantage in learning mathematics, science, and technology. Recent programs and policies have begun to improve these inequalities. Minorities and women can benefit from long-term programs that help them to recontextualize information, reduce their anxiety, and spend more time…

With the recent increase in the number of students wishing to enter vocational programs and the increased pressure on accountability and efficiency, vocational educators need to reexamine their policies regarding the selection and admission of students. Several considerations that complicate these decisions are (1) open-door policies that exist in…

A brief introduction to the topic of gender bias and fairness in testing is provided. A test is biased if men and women with the same ability levels tend to obtain different scores. The conditions under which a test is administered, the wording of individual test items, and a student's attitude toward the test can affect test results. While gender…

Many patterns of racial and ethnic group relations in our schools are based on how members of a given group have been included or excluded in U.S. society. Understanding such patterns requires consideration of slavery, the discrimination faced by Southern European immigrants, the conquests of American Indians and Mexicans, the relocations of…

Court cases are presented that illustrate some of the issues that courts have dealt with in the area of educational testing. While this study was developed primarily for parents, the booklet should also help school administrators and testing professionals learn about court cases and precedents relevant to some major issues in educational testing.…

To ensure that future generations of girls as well as boys fulfill their potential without restriction, it is important that gender equity be taught in teacher education programs as a matter of course. Gender equity is defined as the set of behaviors and knowledge that permits educators to recognize inequality in educational opportunities, to…

Traditionally, disadvantaged groups, such as women and minorities, have not excelled in science and math. Often the lack of literacy and achievement in these subjects is due to the following factors: (1) cognitive differences between how the information is presented and how the students process it; (2) lack of familiarity, because of cultural…

Overwhelmingly, the cultures of schools reflect the norms of middle-class European-Americans. Many young Native Americans fail to adapt to this culture and are perceived as unacceptable and uneducable. Deprivation of a sound educational system and concomitant social relegation lead to dismal educational outcomes and subsequent effects on health,…

Topics related to race and gender have begun appearing with increasing frequency in the adult education literature. The most prevalent trend in the literature is a focus on creating learning environments for diverse audiences, including appropriate strategies for teaching and learning and debate on whether separate approaches and/or special…

Teaching from an antibias perspective means going beyond conventional multicultural education and introducing students to a working concept of diversity that challenges social stereotypes and discrimination. This digest describes current inadequacies in teaching about Native Americans, suggests ways to avoid common pitfalls, and provides…

Discusses issues in reading assessment, including the concern that tests can not measure the reading process. Concludes that tests will never be more than useful indicators; calls for more research and examination of existing and new types of reading comprehension tests. (MM)

Presents resources available from the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) designed to help teachers implement strategies to reduce prejudice. Includes resources on using cooperative learning in prejudice reduction and resources for combating prejudice in the social studies classroom. Discusses four types of strategies for decreasing…

Until recently there have not been many links to students' culture in the mathematics classroom. This may be one of the major barriers to achievement of many groups historically underrepresented in mathematics, for these students may see mathematics as a subject that has very little meaning or value for their current or future lives. This digest…