This book examines sociocultural factors that affect teaching and learning in today's Catholic elementary and secondary schools. The first chapter, "Cultural Diversity: An Important but Problematic Issue," discusses how demographic and societal changes have created a greater need for cultural diversity in education, and stresses the…

Jessup Elementary School (Maryland), Towson State University (TSU) (Maryland), and Anne Arundel Community College (Maryland) have joined in a effort to change the notion of partnership in professional development schools (PDSs). The focus is not only the preparation of early childhood teachers but also the professional development of faculty and…

The need for advanced (fourth-year) college business courses taught in foreign languages by foreign language teachers, and the design of such courses, are discussed. It is proposed that such courses be offered more often, generally in French, German, and Spanish and preferably over two semesters or three quarters, with a minimum of 3 contact hours…

A program was developed to create a positive school climate in a multiethnic school to reduce conflict among students. The targeted population consisted of students in kindergarten through grade six in a school in a low socioeconomic environment in a rural community in northern Illinois. The majority of the school's 309 students were White, but…

The Talent Development approach to helping greater numbers of students succeed in middle school is based on a belief that all students can learn challenging material if the right types of support are given. This report presents the essential components of the Talent Development framework and describes their initial implementation in Evans Junior…

This final report describes activities and achievements of Project TIE (Teams in Early Intervention) Outreach, a 3-year project which provided training for regional and local interdisciplinary teams (including parents) in New Mexico. The model used by the project stresses: (1) interdisciplinary communication, (2) a common framework for early…

Service learning in preservice teacher education helps students to understand themselves and diverse members of the community, develop intercultural competence, and investigate more deeply what it means to be a member of the community. "Human Diversity, Power, and Opportunity in Social Institutions," is an introductory course that…

The narrative records events leading to, during, and following an English language literacy event for older First Nations, Metis, and other Canadian older women, which took place in Saskatchewan in January 1996 under the supervision of Intergenerational Grandmothers Uniting, formally known as the Cross Cultural Intergenerational Pilot Project, an…

Daycare directors in northern Canada, with little or no post-secondary education, face the difficulties of programming for children from diverse cultures. Directors often feel isolated in their small communities, and a lack of programming expertise and early childhood development training for them has become a concern. This practicum designed,…

In recognition of a need in the Buffalo area, the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo) established the Japanese Language and Culture Program for Business People and Students (JLCP) within the university's Center for Critical Languages. JLCP is a 3-year, 6-semester certificate program open to anyone with at least a high school…

A graduate level course offered to foreign medical graduates (FMGs) at Wayne State University in Michigan was developed after a needs assessment indicated the desirability of improving the speaking fluency, pronunciation, and cultural understanding of FMGs. It was found that weaknesses in those areas, which are not assessed in the Test of English…

The Rural Special Education Project (RSEP) is a school-based, special education teacher preparation program located on the Navajo Reservation. The program, which is a partnership between Northern Arizona University and Kayenta Unified School District, immerses Anglo participants in Navajo culture and heightens their awareness of cross-cultural and…

The Korean kindergarten curriculum involves a mixture of Japanese, American, and Korean methods. The Japanese influence is reflected in the use of large group instruction and an expectation of uniformity from the children, influences from the United States include a consideration for children's individual interests, and the Korean influence is…

A workshop was held by the Office of Library staff at the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) for international college students, to assist them in making the transition to the American educational setting. The workshop also served to heighten the awareness of the library public service staff to the needs of the international students at the…

This manual was written for both health care professionals and community leaders wishing to work together to enhance the availability of culturally appropriate health care services for refugees. The material is also relevant to people who wish to develop the sensitivity and skill needed to serve any culturally diverse clientele. The booklet…