In the drive toward "democratization of education," the twin goals of diversity and uniformity (like equality and excellence) are considered desirable even though they often conflict with one another. This paper reviews the history of curriculum design, including bilingual and cultural pluralism influences and concludes that both…

Asserting that inclusion of diverse children in schools is desirable, the article presents recommendations for instruction of heterogeneous groups. Suggestions center around such topics as class size, individualized instruction, multidimensional classrooms, student self-management, opportunities to respond and learn, a positive and accepting…

The Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) was administered to matched samples of 30 Mexican-American and 30 Anglo-American children. Indices of internal consistency and standard errors of measurement were generally equivalent for groups. It was concluded that the PIAT is as reliable with Mexican-American children as with their Anglo…

This paper compares and contrasts the findings of studies on the learning styles of multicultural subgroups in the United States in terms of the categories of the Dunn and Dunn Learning Styles Model. It concludes that individual rather than group characteristics must be addressed when providing instruction--regardless of cultural or racial…

This article first discusses various definitions of "difference" and then reviews some sociological theories providing a general conceptual understanding of the response to difference in today's society. It stresses the need to build communities and schools that support difference and develop cultural citizenship without polarizing…

Argues that the United States already possesses the knowledge necessary for educational change and improvement but that leadership, will, and commitment are lacking. (CMG)

A historical view of the production and treatment of human difference and diversity in Ontario (Canada) school policy and practices is presented. Five distinct patterns are identified that have characterized the educational treatment of difference and diversity in Ontario. It is argued that continuing examination of the treatment of difference is…

This digest reviews the literature related to learning styles of American Indian and Alaskan Native students. Several studies show that in some tribes, observation, self-testing in private, and then demonstration of a task for approval are essential steps in learning. Indian children often hesitate to participate in large and small-group…

The development of programing for the gifted and the culturally diverse follows the same general developmental sequence: awareness, recognition, appreciation, acceptance, and affirmation. A gifted program model, based on the recognition of individual differences, enrichment, and self-actualization through counseling, can be effectively applied…

School administrators are challenged to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse school population, including minority, poor, and disabled students. Democratic schooling holds the most promise for student diversity, but its premises are limited for students with intellectual disabilities. The special education profession has disseminated…

Continues the argument against tracking and ability grouping in schools. Traces circumstances and beliefs leading to this system of handling student diversity and shows how these factors obstruct schools' efforts to achieve two highly valued goals: academic excellence and equal opportunity. Suggests alternative approaches. (MLH)

The media selection guidelines in this booklet have been developed to further emphasize fairness and respect for all individuals in Saskatchewan (Canada) schools. The six forms of bias that may appear in learning materials include: (1) invisibility--underrepresenting certain groups; (2) stereotyping--assigning rigid roles or attributes to a group;…

Discusses: (1) David Hawkins' theory that humans are equal, free, and rational; (2) the kinds of curricular, methodological, and administrative changes required by schools in order to bring about equality, freedom, and rationality; and (3) application of the findings to the Four M (multilingual, multicultural, multimodal, and multidimensional)…

This consideration of learning style and the minority student analyzes and synthesizes the research that reveals the similarities and differences among the learning styles of culturally diverse populations and describes how to teach and counsel adolescents with different learning styles. Research suggests that students whose instruction is not…

The diversity that actually exists among Asian-Pacific American students is explored, and the most common stereotypes that mainstream teachers have of them are described. Teachers often express a preference for working with Asian-Pacific American students, but judging students on stereotypes, even positive ones, neglects individual differences and…