Chapter 03: Who Are Today’s Students in a Diverse Society?

Some states have passed laws forbidding instruction in any language other than English with the idea of producing a society with one dominant culture. This process of incorporating an immigrant group into the mainstream culture is often referred to as

• socializing.

• enculturation.

• pluralism.

• separatism.

Allen Elementary School is revising its curricula. Some community members are asking that the school pay more attention to cultural pluralism. Which of the following might these residents like to see in the curriculum?

• More attention given to the contributions of nonwhite, non-Europeans to the development of the United States

• A two-pronged curriculum with two social studies texts, one written from an Anglocentric perspective and one from an African American perspective

• New emphasis on anthropology as part of the social studies curriculum

• Greater focus on classical literature

If cultural pluralism were part of a U.S. school, how would that affect a group of immigrant students from Portugal?

• They would mingle together during school, but teachers would encourage them to become Americanized and make U.S. friends.

• The school they attended would hold a “Portugal” month, featuring banners and posters of Portugal in the hallways.

• The teachers would treat the Portuguese students warmly and would make sure that the U.S. students treated the Portuguese students nicely, too.

How could one describe the anticipated proportional population growth trends among the various ethnic groups?

• The populations of Asian Americans, Hispanics, and whites will rapidly increase. African Americans will experience a slight decline in growth.

• White people and African Americans will experience steady growth. Asian Americans will experience rapid growth, and Hispanics will experience a decline in growth.

• Asian Americans, Hispanics, and African Americans will significantly increase in growth, while white people will experience a decline in growth.

• African Americans and Hispanics will make large gains in their populations, while white people and Asian Americans will experience rapid declines in their growth.

In public schools that embraced multiculturalism, which of the following would be seen?

• Posters of American Revolutionary heroes would be displayed throughout the school

• Class discussions would debate the worth of the value systems of other cultures

• In December, decorations denoting any celebration would not be allowed

• Selections for literature classes would represent a broad collection of authors

What is the purpose of multiculturalism in schools?

• To help assimilate students’ cultures into the American “melting pot”

• To reduce prejudice, foster tolerance, and improve the academic achievement of minority students

• To support students in the maintenance and preservation of their own cultures

• To assimilate students into the “melting pot” of the United States and to foster students’ respect for the existence of various cultures

Critics of multiculturalism contend that if multicultural education were accepted uncritically, it could

• result in the failure to transmit the essential information about shared culture.

• blur the contributions of each separate culture.

• cause children to forget their individual cultural heritage.

• offset the effect of the “melting pot” approach.

Which of the following is the most commonly used criterion for identifying gifted students?

• Giftedness testing

• Academic record

• Group intelligence test scores

• Standardized achievement test scores

Which student group is most likely underrepresented because of current gifted identification practices?

• Girls

• Asian students

• White males

• Economically disadvantaged students

Which of the following would fit into the newer definition of giftedness?

• A ten-year-old who can add a series of three-digit numbers in their head

• A twelve-year-old who can hit a three-point shot in basketball 95 percent of the time

• An eight-year-old who can read at a tenth-grade level

• All of these would be considered gifted.