The place of non-Western cultural studies in elementary social studies is examined, and possible student and teacher reactions to those cultures and to the various forms that ethnocentrism takes are identified. What research says regarding ways to reduce elementary classroom ethnocentrism is discussed. (RM)

Lessons that show how international students--foreign students and returned American exchange students--can be used as resources in the secondary social studies classroom are presented. Lessons explore national images and heroes, the house and home in various cultures, the global importance of television, and U.S. history from a global…

Until 1947, Australia was considered one of the most monolingual countries in the world. However, now there are more than a million bilingual Australians who regularly use a language other than English when talking with friends and families, or on religious or social occasions. (SL)

Achieving cultural proficiency in schools may seem like a daunting task, but research has proven that are developing positive productive responses to the diverse populations in a school community, the benefits are wide-reaching and impressive: enhanced ability of students to learn and teachers to teach, students prepare to find their own places in…

Considerable progress has been made in Australia toward the attainment of equitable educational outcomes by Aboriginal people during the past 30 years, and by people of the Torres Strait Islands during the past 15 years. Although parity of outcomes has not yet been achieved, Indigenous education is now positioned within the core business of both…

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are not achieving the levels of English literacy required for satisfactory completion of Australia's school system. A national strategy has been launched to help Indigenous students achieve English literacy. However, there continues to be little recognition of the language and cultural needs of the…

The academic success of underserved students depends on their experiences within the education system. These experiences are influenced by the degrees to which their own culture and language are acknowledged and integrated into the school program, how engaged they become and are encouraged to become, and how well educators support them in…

This technical report presents concrete ways of meeting recommended practice by providing an overview of principles and practices in the area of second language acquisition. It discusses some of the major theories in the area of second language acquisition, as well as the developmental process of first and second language acquisition in the…

In response to the growing Latino population, a project examined barriers and supports for community development for Latinos in seven rural Minnesota communities. In each community, bilingual facilitators conducted two Latino and one non-Latino focus groups. Findings revealed much strength in these communities. Residents appreciated the economic…

This study examined the views of English citizens and community leaders regarding problems related to disaffected, disadvantaged, culturally diverse groups. The Community Cohesion Review Team (CCRT) investigated issues needing to be addressed to bring about social cohesion. Communities were deeply polarized, with separate educational systems,…

This fact sheet explains that family literacy programs have been recognized as a way to help children succeed in school while adults develop literacy skills. The Even Start Family Literacy Program is the major family literacy initiative of the U.S. Department of Education. It uses an educational model with four components: adult education and…

This report describes activities of the National Council on Disability (NCD) during fiscal year 2001. Activities were focused around NCD's four strategic goals: (1) to enhance the lives of people with disabilities of all ages and backgrounds through the development of policy recommendations; (2) to educate the public and elected officials on…

The third edition of this bestselling text brings together detailed, accurate information on working with families and children with disabilities from specific cultural, ethnic, and language groups. Filled with timely new additions such as a chapter on South Asian roots, open-ended case studies on ethical dilemmas, and an expanded discussion on…

This paper describes a program designed to increase student awareness and appreciation of their own culture and the cultures of others. The study was conducted in a northern Illinois junior high among 30 eighth grade language arts students. Data were gathered through teacher observation, teacher-student interviews, student surveys and student…

This book contains seven chapters, written by graduate students in teacher education, on educational strategies to promote multiculturalism and combat racial, ethnic, and gender bias in the classroom. Chapters are: (1) "Diversity and Multiculturalism: Quo Vadis? What Is Multiculturalism?" (Deborah Bradford Basey, Michelle Danner, Stacy…