Today's classrooms are more diverse than ever before. In order to reach these students, educators must be aware of the issues facing their various cultural, racial, ethnic, and language groups. Focusing on the pertinent issues in multicultural education, this new edition raises these critical issues and facilitates meaningful discussion. It has been completely updated with the latest developments in the field to provide the educator with all the tools necessary to become effective practitioners.

Table of Contents

Part I. ISSUES AND CONCEPTS. Chapter 1. Multicultural Education: Characteristics and Goals, James A. Banks. The Nature of Multicultural Education. High-Stakes Testing: A Challenge for Social Justice. Multicultural Education: An International Reform Movement. The Historical Development of Multicultural Education. How Multicultural Education Developed. The Nature of Culture in the United States. The Social Construction of Categories. The Dimensions of Multicultural Education. The School as a Social System. Summary. Questions and Activities. References. Chapter 2. Culture in Society and in Educational Practices, Frederick Erickson. Culture: An Overview. Alternative Definitions and Conceptions of Culture. Cultural Issues in Education, in Society, and in Persons. Teaching and Learning Multiculturally. Conclusion: On Diversity of Tongues and Their Educational. Potential. Afterword. Questions and Activities. References. Chapter 3. Race, Class, Gender, and Disability in the Classroom, Carl A. Grant and Christine E. Sleeter. Race, Class, Gender, Language, Disability, and Classroom Life. Approaches to Multicultural Education. Ms. Julie Wilson and Her Approach to Teaching. Conclusion. Questions and Activities. References. Part II. SOCIAL CLASS AND RELIGION. Chapter 4 Social Class and Educational Equality, Caroline Hodges Persell. Educational Structures. Educational Beliefs. Teachers, Curriculum, and Teaching Practices. Consequences of Social Class and Educational Inequality. Recommendations for Action. Summary. Questions and Activities. References. Chapter 5. Christian Nation or Pluralistic Culture: Religion in American Life, Charles H. Lippy. Europeans Plant Christianity in North America. Early Signs of Diversity. Common Themes. The Spread of Evangelical Protestantism. Religious Freedom and the Separation of Church and State. Diversity, Religious Freedom, and the Courts. Pluralism Becomes the Norm. The New Faces of Pluralism. Summary and Educational Implications. Resources. Questions and Activities. References. Part III. GENDER. Chapter 6. Gender Bias: From Colonial America to Today's Classrooms, David Sadker and Karen Zittleman. The Hidden Civil Rights Struggle. Report Card: The Cost of Sexism in School. Gender Bias in Today's Classrooms:The Curriculum. Gender Bias in Today's Classrooms: Instructions. Trends and Challenges. A Dozen Strategies for Creating Gender-Fair Classrooms. Questions and Activities. References. Chapter 7. Classrooms for Diversity: Rethinking Curriculum and Pedagogy, Mary Kay Thompson Tetreault. Feminist Phase Theory. Summary. Questions and Activities. References. Chapter 8. Transforming the Curriculum:Teaching about Women of Color, Johnnella E. Butler and Deirdre Raynor. The Primacy of Race in the United States. Identity, Knowledge, and Experience. Why Women of Color? What We Learn from Studying Women of Color. Women of Color: The Agent of Transformation. Teaching Using Heresies. Teaching about Women of Color. Conclusion. Questions and Activities. References. Part IV. RACE, ETHNICITY,AND LANGUAGE. Chapter 9. Culturally Responsive Teaching:Theory and Practice. Gloria Ladson-Billings. Teaching and Culture. The Illusion of a Theoretical Inquiry. The Participant-Observer Role for Researchers Who are "Other". Issues of Context and Methodology. Concrete Experiences as a Criterion of Meaning. The Use of Dialogue in Assessing Knowledge Claims. The Ethic of Caring. The Ethic of Personal Accountability. Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Student Achievement. Culturally Relevant Teaching and Cultural Competence. Culturally Relevant Teaching and Cultural Critique. Theoretical Underpinnings of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. Conceptions of Self and Others. Social Relations. Conceptions of Knowledge. Conclusion. References. Chapter 10. Approaches to Multicultural Curriculum Reform, James A. Banks. The Mainstream-Centric Curriculum. Efforts to Establish a Multicultural Curriculum. Levels of Integration of Multicultural Content. Guidelines for Teaching Multicultural Content. Summary. Questions and Activities. References. Chapter 11. The Colorblind Perspective in School: Causes and Consequences, Janet Ward Schofield. Introduction. The Research Site:Wexler Middle School. Data Gathering. The Colorblind Perspective and Its Corollaries. The Functions and Consequences of the Colorblind Perspective and Its Corollaries. Conclusions. Acknowledgments. Questions and Activities. References. Chapter 12. Language Diversity and Schooling, Tom T. Stritikus and Manka M. Varghese. The Immigrant Population in the United States. Historical and Legal Overview of Language Policy in the United States. Programmatic Responses to Linguistic Diversity. Views on Language Learning and Teaching. Conclusion. Questions and Activities. References. Part V EXCEPTIONALITY. Chapter 13 Educational Equality for Students with Disabilities, William L. Heward, Sara Ernsbarger Bicard, and Rodney A. Cavanaugh. Who Are Students with Disabilities? History of Educational Equality for Students with Disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Act: A Legislative Mandate for Educational Equality. Educational Equality for Students with Disabilities: Progress Made but Challenges Remain. Summary. Questions and Activities. References. Chapter 14. School Inclusion and Multicultural Issues in Special Education, Luanna H. Meyer, Jill Bevan-Brown, Beth Harry, and Mara Sapon-Shevin. The Special Education Mandate to Educate All Children. Parent Participation and Multicultural Special Education. The Structure of Parent Participation in the Context of Special Education. Quality Inclusive Schooling: Building School Communities. Diversity and Caring Communities: Outcomes for the Social Good. Questions and Activities. References. Chapter 15. Recruiting and Retaining Gifted Students from Diverse Ethnic, Cultural, and Language Groups, Donna Y. Ford. Assumptions of the Chapter. Recruitment Issues and Barriers. Recruitment Recommendations. Retention Recommendations. Summary and Conclusions. Questions and Activities. References. Part VI. SCHOOL REFORM . Chapter 16. School Reform and Student Learning: A Multicultural Perspective, Sonia Nieto. School Reform with a Multicultural Perspective. Conditions for Systemic School Reform with a Multicultural Perspective. Conclusion. Questions and Activities. References. Chapter 17. Families and Teachers Working Together for School Improvement, Cherry A. McGee Banks. Why is Parent and Family Involvement in Schools Important? Historical Overview. The Changing Face of the Family. Teacher Concerns with Parent and Family Involvement. Steps to Increase Parent and Family Involvement. Summary. Questions and Activities. References. Internet Resources for Information on Parent Involvement. Appendix Multicultural Resources. Glossary. Contributors. Index.

Author Biography

James A. Banks is Russell F. Stark University Professor and Director of the Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Washington, Seattle. He is past President of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and a member of the National Academy of Education. Cherry A. McGee Banks is professor of education at the University of Washington, Bothell. She is the co-author of Teaching Strategies for the Social Studies: Decision-Making and Citizen Action, and is the author of Improving Multicultural Education: Lessons From the Intergroup Education Movement.