For English Language Learners (ELLs), the process of becoming literate in English is daunting. Not only are these students faced with the same literacy challenges faced by native English-speaking students, but they are also challenged with extensive diversity issues relating to substantial differences in linguistic, cultural, and academic…

As the Hispanic population of the United States continues to increase dramatically, school professionals may misinterpret and may perceive culturally different classroom discourse skills as indicative of language learning disabilities. A possible misunderstanding of pragmatic behaviors of culturally and linguistically diverse Hispanic students may…

In this article the authors review the reading status of urban learners and examine the role of phonemic awareness in reading acquisition. Their review indicates that phonemic awareness alone is not sufficient for reading acquisition, and that phonemic awareness in combination with alphabetic principle is needed to promote reading competence. The…

This article reports findings from a longitudinal investigation of predictors of reading achievement for English-language learners receiving reading instruction in an English-language curriculum. Using the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessments, the study examined the predictive relationships of various measures of…

A diverse, Midwestern, high-poverty urban school district, under the guidance of a university reading professor with expertise in research-based instruction and reading intervention, began a professional-development initiative that resulted in improved reading achievement for its students. This article presents the background, rationale, and…

The study conducted included four school districts that were addressing New York State Chapter 405 citations related to disproportionality. The purpose of this study was to identify the districts' common characteristics related to disproportionality, as well as common approaches and processes used to address the issue. An action research,…

The authors interviewed 27 teachers (16 African American and 11 European American) on instructional factors contributing to overidentification of behavior problems in African American boys. Interviews focused on teachers' perspectives of effective teachers, teacher-student relationships, and communication styles. Analysis of the interviews showed…

This pilot study examines the effects of the implementation of the Cool Tool, a social skills strategy, on the disruptive and problem behaviors of third-grade (n = 4) and fourth-grade (n = 6) African American students in an urban elementary school. Following the completion of the social skills intervention in both classrooms, the findings of pre-…

A pre-postassessment, single-subject, pilot study was implemented, testing the hypothesis that positive behavior support (PBS) would improve family quality-of-life outcomes by reducing parental stress and challenging behaviors of preschool children who are culturally and linguistically diverse and reside in urban, disadvantaged communities. Six…

Because of the recent demographic changes, early intervention (EI) professionals are more likely to interact with increasing numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) children and families. A challenge in providing effective EI services is the lack of personnel from CLD backgrounds and lack of knowledge, understanding, and sensitivity…

This study explored the impact of a Cultural Self-Analysis (CSA) Project on early childhood undergraduate preservice teachers' cultural awareness and dispositions toward working with culturally diverse students and families. The project was based on the ABC's of Cultural Understanding and Communication, a model designed to facilitate the…

Individuals with disabilities tend to experience fewer successful outcomes in postsecondary transition than do youth without disabilities. Ethnically diverse learners have added challenges, such as worldviews, values, language, family involvement, level of acculturation, expectations, decision-making style, meaning of work, importance of money and…

The increasing number of diverse children with disabilities and their families served in schools and other early childhood programs highlights the need to ensure that services and supports are culturally and linguistically appropriate and relevant. Factors that affect the degree to which appropriate services are delivered include the lack of…

This qualitative investigation was conducted with 20 K-5 general education teachers from 10 culturally diverse schools in a large urban school district in the southeastern area of the United States. Data were obtained through semistructured interviews and referral records. Questions were designed to elicit their perspectives about special…

This article reports on the results of a qualitative study that focused on the use of critical pedagogy with African American males with labels of "emotional or behavioral disorders." The teachers in this study worked with students to examine and counter the ways that their status as a special education student affected their identities. The…