Race, Education and Learning

1
Race, Education and Learning

• by Stacy L. Reeves

2
Introduction

• In the U.S. there are at least 276 ethnic groups
  and approximately 1/3 of the population is
  African-American, Latino, Asian, or Native
  Indian.
• Children become aware of racial differences prior
  to entering kindergarten and both their parents
  and the media are the conduits from which these
  early distinctions are learned.
• Despite integration laws, many students remain
  segregated in predominantly white suburbs and
  urban cities.
• To minimize the effects of discrimination
  minority groups often create ethnically specific
  social and educational systems.

3
Overview

• Even when minority students attend culturally
  diverse schools, institutional discrimination
  often contributes to the achievement gap between
  them and other white students. Educators often
  do not understand differing cultural learning
  styles and as a result, they misinterpret
  cultural cues. Thus, racial distinctions become
  divisive factors in ones access to educational
  and economical resources. The following slides
  are an overview of educational resources
  addressing these issues.

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Rethinking Schoolshttp//www.rethinkingschools.or
g

• An activist publication, with articles written by
  and for teachers, parents, and students
  addressing policy issues

• Access to archived and current issues
• Teaching strategies
• Critical Issues Collections
• The Promise Civil Rights, Desegregation and the
  "Brown v. Board" Decision

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Race and The Achievement Gaphttp//www.rethinking
schools.org/archive/15_04/Race154.shtml

• The current face of institutional discrimination
  - Admission requirements, open enrollment,
  neighborhood schools, tracking, special
  education, gifted or advanced placement
  programs too often disguise discrimination
• Even minority students from homes of comparable
  income to white students exhibit a 10
  Statistical test gap in standardized testing
• Self-fulfilling prophecy and psychological impact
  of societys racial imbalance account for
  underachievement in standardized testing

6
Center for Research on Education, Diversity and
Excellence (CREDE)http//www.crede.org/research/t
ier/rb3.shtml

• Federally funded research program focusing on
  improving education for multicultural students
• Site provides research data and professional
  development tools
• The AVID program - Un-tracking minority
  students and place both low- and high-achieving
  students in the same academic program.
• 94 of AVID students enrolled in college,
  compared to 56 of all high school graduates
  (AVID Center, 1999)
• African Americans and Latinos enrolled in numbers
  exceeding local and national averages (Mehan,
  Villanueva, Hubbard, Lintz, 1996 Mehan,
  Hubbard, Lintz, Villanueva, 1994).

7
Intimehttp//www.intime.uni.edu/multiculture

• Intime is a website designed to support educators
  in implementing technology into the classroom.
• Site provides
• Multicultural overview
• video vignettes on multi-cultural education
• unit teaching techniques
• Checklist for how to evaluate media for bias
• Evaluation methods for educators and parents

• Emphasizes teaching students that stereotyping
  and generalizations are not synonymous.
• Discusses the role of ethnic based clubs,
  educational systems, and religious organizations
  in society.
• Provides a list of movies and accompanying units
  for instruction

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Islam for Today Arab American Students In
American Public Schools http//www.islamfortoday.
com/arabamericanpupils.htm

• Although this sites primary focus is on Islam,
  it offers a unique perspective into Arab cultures
  as well.
• Some of the sites links are
• History and Civilizations
• Schools and Family Life
• Role of women in Islam

• Contrary to the popular myth that all Arabs are
  "...wealthy...barbaric and backward, and...have
  harems," Arab Americans from different countries
  differ from each other in culture and
  socioeconomic status (Farquharson, 1988, p. 4).

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Arab Culture

• Recent immigrants may feel insecure and lonely
• Arab culture values collectivism. Thus, group
  work is preferable and most preferably
  single-sexed groups.
• Very sensitive to public criticism, use care in
  expressing concerns to Arab American students by
  phrasing in a way that minimizes "loss of 'face'
  
• Reluctant to discuss personal issues with
  strangers
• Sanctity of the family, both immediate and
  nuclear, is of the utmost importance
• Arab students are more comfortable sitting very
  close to their counselors and teachers.

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ERIC Bearing the Image of Model Minority an
Inside Look Behind the Classroom Door by Yee Wan

• Historical conflicts between Asian cultures can
  impact students behaviors
• Students are sensitive to an instructors or
  peers inability to distinguish between one Asian
  ethnic group and another.
• Avoid shortening or altering the students name.

• ERIC is a database sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of
  Education
• Site provides access to 1.1 million citations and
  107,000 full text journal and non-journal
  articles
• There are four subcategories of Asia (East,
  Southeast, South and Pacific Islander) and no
  single Asian culture.

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Asian/Pacific Islander Cultures and Suggested
Teaching Strategieshttp//www.eric.ed.gov/

• Social structures vary from one Asian culture to
  another
• By comparison, Asian students initiate fewer
  questions and exhibit less enthusiasm.
• Students may avoid conflict/confrontation, as
  these behaviors are viewed as immature and often
  result in physical punishment at home.

• In most Asian cultures, praise is only given for
  excellence.
• In the case of conflict, ask students to write
  down their thoughts, problems or issues, rather
  than discuss issues face-to-face.
• Write notes home to parents praising the childs
  work using concrete examples.
• http//www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_
  nfpbtrueERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0asian2Fpaci
  ficamericanstudentsERICExtSearch_SearchType_0k
  w_pageLabelRecordDetailsobjectId0900000b801373
  b9

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Annotated Bibliography

• Banks, J. (1999). Key Concepts to Guide the Study
  of Ethnic and Cultural Groups. Retrieved
  September 24, 2005, from http//www.intime.uni.edu
  /multiculture/study/concepts.htm
• Berlak, H. (2001). Race and the Achievement Gap.
  Retrieved September 24, 2005, from
  http//www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/15_04/Rac
  e154.shtml
• Corte?s, C.E. (2000). Activities to Promote
  Understanding of Stereotypes in Media. Retrieved
  September 24, 2005, from http//www.intime.uni.edu
  /multiculture/Media/understanding.htm
• Mehan, H. Hubbard. L. (1999). Tracking
  "Untracking" Evaluating the Effectiveness of an
  Educational Innovation. Retrieved September 24,
  2005, from http//www.crede.org/research/tier/rb3.
  shtml
• Schwartz, W. (n.d.). Arab American students in
  American public schools. Retrieved September 24,
  2005, from http//www.islamfortoday.com/arabameric
  anpupils.htm
• Wan, Y. (1996). Bearing the Image of Model
  Minority An Inside Look behind the Classroom
  Door. Retrieved September 24, 2005, from
  http//www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_
  nfpbtrueERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0asian2Fpaci
  ficamericanstudentsERICExtSearch_SearchType_0k
  w_pageLabelRecordDetailsobjectId0900000b801373
  b9

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Other Resources

• Multicultural Clearinghouse website
  http//wwwlibrary.csustan.edu/lboyer/multicultural
  /main.htm
• National Association for Multicultural Education
  (NAME) Conferences 11/9-13/05 in Atlanta,
  addressing issues such as Black Students White
  Teachers, We Can Do It! and publications
• 13 aspects of American Culture
  http//www.nwrel.org/cnorse/booklets/immigration/4
  .html
• Lies My Teacher Told Me Everything Your American
  History Book Got Wrong by James Loewen