RUNNING HEAD: DIVERSITY STATEMENT OF INFORMED

Diversity Statement of Informe !e"iefs Aman a An erson #o""e$e of So%t&ern I a&o Evin Fo' EDU# ()*: Fami"ies+ #omm%nities+ #%"t%re Fa"" Semester of ()1,

RUNNING HEAD: DIVERSITY STATEMENT OF INFORMED Diversity Statement of Informe !e"iefs Introduction Diversity in e %-ation is not a ne. or nove" -on-e/t0 E %-ationa" instit%tions an /ra-titioners &ave fo-%se -%rri-%"%m esi$n on in-or/oratin$ met&o s of instr%-tion t&at a//ea" an 1enefit an in-reasin$"y iverse st% ent /o/%"ation0 Ho.ever+ t&e /er-e/tion of iversity or t&e i ea t&at iversity is a ma2or fo-%s in e %-ation is often overstate an %n er /ra-ti-e 0 Most of t&e /eer3revie.e "iterat%re s%rro%n in$ iversity in e %-ation is "ar$e"y fo-%se on $en er an -%"t%re+ 1%t t&ere is a

myria of ifferent fa-tors t&at affe-t st% ent /o/%"ations an its mista4e to i$nore or %n er3a//re-iate any of t&em 1e-a%se -o""e-tive"y+ a"" of t&ose fa-tors s&a/e t&e %ni5%e nee s of st% ents0 Students Social Ecology Theory !en ers 6()117 states: 8Diversity an e %-ationa" /&i"oso/&y s&o%" $o &an in &an 0 It is re"evant to /oint o%t t&at to ay+ over $enera"i9ation of a to/i- -an rea""y &%rt .&at t&e mainstream Ameri-a is t&in4in$0 T&in$s may a//ear to 1e a "ot 1etter 1%t sti"" &ave a "on$ .ay to $o: 6/0 (70 T&is statement is es/e-ia""y evi ent .&en -om/arin$ t&e ata on st% ent /erforman-e+ es/e-ia""y in states t&at &ave &i$&er t&an nationa" avera$e rates of /overty an minority /o/%"ations0 In t&ese states /arti-%"ar"y+ st% ents /erform 1e"o. avera$e in mat& an rea in$ 6U0S0 De/artment of E %-ation+ ()1(70 T&is /&enomenon is not -oin-i enta"0 It i""%strates t&e fa-t t&at a-&ievement $a/s 1et.een st% ent $ro%/s e'ist an nee to 1e a resse 1y ta4in$ a &o"isti- a//roa-& to s%//ortin$ iversity in e %-ation0 One s%-& a//roa-& to s%//ortin$ iversity in e %-ation -omes from Urie !ronfen1renner+ .&o in t&e 1;<)s intro %-e t&e e-o"o$i-a" /ara i$m0 A--or in$ to !ronfen1renner+ $ro.t& o--%rs .it&in t&e entire e-o"o$i-a" system an in or er to %n erstan an assist in &%man eve"o/ment= e %-ators m%st -onsi er fa-tors on a ma-ro "eve"0 A st% ent is inf"%en-e an $%i e .it&in a "ar$er system+ .&i-& in-"% es not on"y t&e imme iate environment of st% ents> fami"y an s-&oo"+ 1%t a"so ot&er

RUNNING HEAD: DIVERSITY STATEMENT OF INFORMED

-%"t%ra" fa-tors s%-& as -%stoms+ e-onomy an 1o ies of 4no."e $e0 Socioeconomic status is ire-t"y -orre"ate to st% ent s%--ess+ /arti-%"ar"y as it re"ates to t&e e %-ation "eve" of st% ents> /arents an ot&er imme iate fami"y mem1ers 6!ronfen1renner+ 1;;*+ /0 ,?70 Un erstan in$ t&e effe-t of so-ia" str%-t%res on t&e eve"o/ment of st% ents is in-re i1"y im/ortant in a ressin$ an navi$atin$ iversity0 Students Ability to Learn T&e ro"e of e %-ationa" $oa"s is to serve as a $%i e in t&e eve"o/ment of instit%tiona" or -%rri-%"ar im/"ements t&at -ontri1%te to an or$ani9ations "ar$er /%r/ose0 Goa"s s&o%" em1o y t&e va"%es an &o/es of t&e or$ani9ation an s&o%" 1e /ra-ti-a"+ meas%ra1"e an attaina1"e0 Havin$ e %-ationa" $oa"s is in-re i1"y im/ortant 1e-a%se t&ey serve as reso%r-e for $%i in$ t&e eve"o/ment of -%rri-%"%m an /ro$rams an &e"/ or$ani9ations stay on tra-40 T&e ro"e of t&e e %-ator is to %n erstan t&e $oa"s of t&e or$ani9ation an fin .ays to in-or/orate t&ose $oa"s into t&eir every ay instr%-tion so t&ey -an -ontri1%te to t&e rea"i9ation of t&ose $oa"s0 One .ay tea-&ers -an o t&is is 1y "ayin$ o%t -"ear e'/e-tations for t&eir st% ents as .e"" as /rovi in$ t&e reso%r-es an s%//ort to &e"/ st% ents rea-& t&ose $oa"s0 E'/e-tations t&at are 1ot& attaina1"e yet -&a""en$in$ are im/ortant to st% ent $ro.t& an t&e s%//ort of "ar$er instit%tiona" $oa"s0 As a tea-&er+ it is vita""y im/ortant to a//re-iate t&at not a"" st% ents "earn in t&e same .ay or to t&e same e'tent0 T&at 1ein$ sai + &o.ever+ it is a"so im/ortant to set &i$& stan ar s of a-a emia-&ievement for st% ents t&at t&ey fin 1ot& stim%"atin$ an re.ar in$ to t&eir /ersona" $ro.t&0 T&e ro"e of t&e tea-&er in t&is /ro-ess is to serve as a mentor an $%i e for st% ents+ /rovi in$ t&em t&e ne-essary too"s an instr%-tion to $ain %n erstan in$ of -o%rse materia"s+ .&i"e sim%"taneo%s"y en-o%ra$in$ t&em to eve"o/ an en&an-e t&eir o.n in e/en ent interests an s4i"" sets0 Tea-&ers are res/onsi1"e for ins/irin$ an inf"%en-in$ st% ents to 1e /assionate a1o%t "earnin$0 Cultural Diversity Instruction

RUNNING HEAD: DIVERSITY STATEMENT OF INFORMED @a%ren-e Aar4er an Davi Stova"+ "ea in$ resear-&ers on et&ni- iss%es in e %-ation say:

8Ra-e &as /"aye a ma2or /art in s&a/in$ t&e mo ern an /ostmo ern .or" 0 Even t&o%$& ra-e is a myt&o"o$y t&at &as 1een so-ia""y -onstr%-te for t&e /%r/oses of -ontro"+ /o.er an e-onomi- e'/"oitation+ ra-ia"ism 6e0$0 attit% es+ a-tions of stereoty/in$+ is-riminatory /o"i-ies+ %ne5%a" istri1%tion of reso%r-es7 is f%n amenta" to every ay "ife+ t&e s&a/in$ of mora" -&ara-ter+ t&e formation an im/"ementation of "a.+ /o"i-y an t&e st% y of so-ia" -onte't in e %-ation an ot&er so-ia" s-ien-e fie" : 6!en ers+ ()11+ /0 (70 Un erstan in$ t&e im/"i-ations of et&ni- isa vanta$es is f%n amenta""y im/ortant to %n erstan in$ t&e -&a""en$es t&at ra-ia" minorities &ave fa-e 1ot& insi e an o%tsi e t&e -"assroom0 Sin-e t&e ese$re$ation of a""3.&ite /%1"i- s-&oo"s %rin$ t&e -ivi" ri$&ts movement of t&e 1;B)s+ ra-ia" minorities sti"" fa-e %ni5%e isa vanta$es an -&a""en$es in a-&ievin$ t&e same "eve" of st% ent /erforman-e as .&ite st% ents0 Nationa" &i$& s-&oo" ro/o%t rates an "o.er rates of st% ent s%--ess on stan ar i9e e'ams are 1ot& sym/toms of a systemi- an -%"t%ra" /ro1"em fa-in$ ra-ia" minorities0 @an$%a$e 1arriers form%"ate a "ar$e /ro/ortion of t&e -&a""en$es fa-in$ many minority st% ents+ es/e-ia""y His/ani- st% ents0 Even if st% ents are not ire-t immi$rants from a forei$n -o%ntry+ often times a se-on ary "an$%a$e to En$"is& is %se in t&e &ome+ .&i-& -an serve as an enormo%s -&a""en$e to s%-& st% ents0 In a ition+ ra-ia" minorities are more "i4e"y to e'/erien-e /overty .&i-& -&an$es fami"y /riorities0 St% ents in "o.er so-ioe-onomi- -"asses are "ess "i4e"y to &ave one3on3one time .it& t&eir /arents or re-eive t&e 4in of assistan-e an s%//ort t&ey nee to 1e s%--essf%" as /arents are more fo-%se on /rovi in$ 1asi- nee s "i4e foo an s&e"ter for t&eir -&i" ren0 As a tea-&er+ it is im/ortant to re-o$ni9e an sym/at&i9e .it& t&ese ty/es of -&a""en$es an to /rovi e as many reso%r-es an so%r-es of s%//ort for str%$$"in$ st% ents as /ossi1"e0 I entifyin$ et&ni-a""y3re"ate -&a""en$es as ear"y as /ossi1"e is -riti-a" in /rovi in$ t&ose 4in s of reso%r-es ear"y on0 Curriculum for all Learners

RUNNING HEAD: DIVERSITY STATEMENT OF INFORMED Tea-&ers &ave a res/onsi1i"ity to tai"or t&eir -%rri-%"%m to a non-homogenous $ro%/ of st% ents so t&at a"" in ivi %a"s re-eive a 5%a"ity e %-ation re$ar "ess of $en er+ so-ioe-onomi- stat%s+ ra-e or ethnicity. Some of t&e t&in$s tea-&ers -an o to assist in t&is /ro-ess are to in-"% e "an$%a$e assistan-e for st% ents .&ose /rimary "an$%a$e is not En$"is&0 T&is mi$&t in-"% e /rovi in$ S/anis& e'ams or assistan-e in inter/retin$ materia"s so it>s %n erstan a1"e to st% ents0 In a ition+ /rovi in$ a itiona" reso%r-es to st% ents .&o mi$&t 1e str%$$"in$ or at ris4 is res/onsi1i"ity of a $oo tea-&er0 A

itiona""y+ tea-&ers -an esi$n a -%rri-%"%m t&at a//ea"s to m%"ti/"e "earnin$ sty"es to ma'imi9e t&e

1enefit of t&e -%rri-%"%m -ontent a-ross a iverse st% ent /o/%"ation0 Conclusion Havin$ iversity in o%r e %-ationa" system isnCt somet&in$ ne.0 So fo-%sin$ a "ot of o%r attention on in-or/oratin$ met&o s t&at 1enefit a iverse /o/%"ation is a $reat i ea0 Ho.ever+ .e nee to ma4e s%re t&at .eCre not overstatin$ an not /ra-ti-in$ t&ese met&o s0 !ronfen1renner fo-%ses on many as/e-ts of a st% ents "earnin$+ in-"% in$ attention on so-ioe-onomi- stat%s0 Tea-&ers nee to fo-%s on t&e nee s of many st% ents+ an ma4e s%re t&at t&e many st% ents are 1ein$ e %-ate 0 A"" of t&ose fa-tors s&a/e t&e %ni5%e nee s of st% ents0 Ma4in$ s%re t&at "an$%a$e+ ra-e+ an $en er are a"" a /riority in o%r so-iety+ -an &e"/ an e %-ator fo-%s in on tea-&in$ t&eir st% ents to t&e 1est of t&eir a1i"ities0

RUNNING HEAD: DIVERSITY STATEMENT OF INFORMED Eor4s #ite

!en ers+ D0 6()1170 Diversity: Overstated and Underprepared. Union #o""e$e0 !ronfen1renner+ U0 61;;*70 E-o"o$i-a" Mo e"s of H%man Deve"o/ment0 International Encyclopedia of Education, 3+ ,<3*,0 U0S0 De/artment of E %-ation0 6()1(+ Se/tem1er (<70 Newly Released State- y-State Snaps!ot of Educational "erfor#ance0 Retrieve from U0S0 De/artment of E %-ation: &tt/:FF...0e 0$ovF1"o$F()11F);Fne."y3re"ease 3state31y3state3sna/s&ot3of3e %-ationa"3 /erforman-eF