America's school-age population is experiencing a demographic shift. In 1972, students of color represented 22% of the school-age population; in 2005, minority students accounted for 33% of public school enrollment (Statistics, 2007 Villegas, 2002). This study sought to explore how these changing demographics affected University Town Community Schools, the district's interventions, and teachers' perceptions to those interventions. This study also explored teachers' feelings of efficacy when teaching minority students. Using a qualitative study among third-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade elementary school teachers, a random sample of 9 teachers from schools comprising a minority population of at least 40% were interviewed. Data analysis involved the use of themes that emerged from the interview data, observations, and quotations from participants. The findings indicated that the district acted on a school-by-school basis, with no specific actions to target any one racial group. Meanwhile, teachers were inconsistent when discussing race, behavior, and learning. Teachers felt comfortable assigning behaviors based on race and culture, but were hesitant to assign learning strengths and weaknesses based on race or culture.

Recent publications have urged researchers to address neuropsychological assessment issues among culturally and linguistically diverse individuals for whom current assessment measures are not typically appropriate. This dissertation examined cultural considerations in clinical neuropsychological practice with Cree-speaking Canadians residing in Saskatchewan. Four inter-related studies focused on understanding cultural perceptions of normal aging and dementia within a Canadian Aboriginal population, modifying existing screening and neuropsychological assessment instruments for use in both normal aging research and clinical practice, and investigating the role of culture in cognitive aging with Cree-speaking. Study 1 involved the qualitative analyses of a series of key informant interviews with an Aboriginal Grandmothers Group. Three related themes were identified that highlighted Aboriginal experiences of aging, caregiving, and dementia within the healthcare system. The third theme, the importance of culturally grounded healthcare, directly informed test development for Studies 2 and 3. In Study 2, two screening measures that were adapted for use with seniors from diverse cultural groups were further modified and examined for use with Canadian Aboriginal seniors. Overall, performance was consistent across the two screening measures, and the measures informed clinical diagnosis and were well-received by both the Aboriginal patients and their family members. Study 3 describes the development of the Grasshoppers and Geese Test battery (G&G), created by modifying and integrating existing instruments and paradigms for language and memory assessment for use with culturally diverse seniors. All G&G subtests demonstrated adequate preliminary psychometric properties and generated excellent sensitivity and good specificity in differentiating healthy older adults from adults with Alzheimers disease. Finally, Study 4 examined performance on the G&G and on other neuropsychological measures in groups of young-middle aged and older adults from majority culture and Cree background. Cree participants mean scores were lower on measures of confrontational naming, semantic memory, verbal fluency, prospective memory, and processing speed, and were presumed to be in keeping with the significantly fewer years of education, lower estimated reading ability, and possible health disparities in the participants of Cree background. Findings of the four studies are discussed in the context of implications for current clinical practice and with regard to future research.

This qualitative study examined the dropout crises from the perspectives of Mexican American dropouts labeled as learner disabled who were receiving special education services. Such study is imperative as this group increases both in school and in special education classes. There were two research questions that guided the study: 1. What are the perceptions of Mexican American dropouts who participated in a special education program regarding their educational experiences? 2. What were the factors that influenced these students’ decisions to drop out of school? From the participant interviews, historical academic documents, and rich-descriptive information gathered from the students’ voices, three themes were revealed as the primary reason for dropping out of school: non-responsive school culture, lack of supportive environment, and social factors. It was evident in the data collected that the school culture was unfavorable toward their learning and in meeting successful graduation requirements. Under non-responsive school culture, the following subthemes emerged as underlining factors to their dropping out: (a) low expectations, (b) non-caring for the student, (c) ineffective curriculum content, and (d) social issues at school. School-related factors such as the lack of a supportive environment revealed the following subthemes: (a) symptoms of school failure, (b) negative learning environment, and (c) culturally non-responsive instruction. Other attributing factors for dropping out of school included family structures and peer pressure. While each of the participants had unique experiences, each attributed non-responsive school culture, lack of supportive environment, and social context as major factors for dropping out of school. Therefore, the significance of this study lies in the potential to impact Mexican American student achievement in the reduction of dropouts.

Recent publications have urged researchers to address neuropsychological assessment issues among culturally and linguistically diverse individuals for whom current assessment measures are not typically appropriate. This dissertation examined cultural considerations in clinical neuropsychological practice with Cree-speaking Canadians residing in Saskatchewan. Four inter-related studies focused on understanding cultural perceptions of normal aging and dementia within a Canadian Aboriginal population, modifying existing screening and neuropsychological assessment instruments for use in both normal aging research and clinical practice, and investigating the role of culture in cognitive aging with Cree-speaking. Study 1 involved the qualitative analyses of a series of key informant interviews with an Aboriginal Grandmothers Group. Three related themes were identified that highlighted Aboriginal experiences of aging, caregiving, and dementia within the healthcare system. The third theme, the importance of culturally grounded healthcare, directly informed test development for Studies 2 and 3. In Study 2, two screening measures that were adapted for use with seniors from diverse cultural groups were further modified and examined for use with Canadian Aboriginal seniors. Overall, performance was consistent across the two screening measures, and the measures informed clinical diagnosis and were well-received by both the Aboriginal patients and their family members. Study 3 describes the development of the Grasshoppers and Geese Test battery (G&G), created by modifying and integrating existing instruments and paradigms for language and memory assessment for use with culturally diverse seniors. All G&G subtests demonstrated adequate preliminary psychometric properties and generated excellent sensitivity and good specificity in differentiating healthy older adults from adults with Alzheimers disease. Finally, Study 4 examined performance on the G&G and on other neuropsychological measures in groups of young-middle aged and older adults from majority culture and Cree background. Cree participants mean scores were lower on measures of confrontational naming, semantic memory, verbal fluency, prospective memory, and processing speed, and were presumed to be in keeping with the significantly fewer years of education, lower estimated reading ability, and possible health disparities in the participants of Cree background. Findings of the four studies are discussed in the context of implications for current clinical practice and with regard to future research.

Federal government agency reports have documented concerns regarding the use of school discipline and suspension indicating that Black students are referred for discipline and/or suspended at a higher rate than students of other ethnicities. Available data from the local school district involved in this study reflected similar troubling patterns of discipline referral and suspension. The purpose of this study was to determine if variables such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender predict the likelihood of receiving discipline referrals or being suspended at an affiliated charter high school in the local school district. Guided by Bandura's social learning theory, this correlational explanatory quantitative study examined archival school discipline data for 1,570 students who received at least one discipline referral or suspension during the 2013-2014 school year at the local high school. Binomial logistic regression results showed that Black male students from low socioeconomic backgrounds were significantly more likely to be suspended compared to other ethnicities. Negative binomial regression analysis indicated students who were Black, male, and were from low socioeconomic backgrounds were at significantly greater risk of receiving a referral than other ethnicities. A professional development training was designed to provide school personnel with culturally-responsive, preventative discipline strategies that meet the needs of all students including those who are at highest risk for punitive discipline and suspension. By equipping school personnel in this and similar school communities with culturally-responsive discipline strategies aimed at meeting the needs of all students, diverse student populations are likely to experience greatly needed positive social change exemplified by improved social, behavioral, and academic outcomes.

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Ethnic minority groups are societally defined groups that exist as psychological and/or numerical minorities, and whose members presumably share biological and/or cultural heritage (Markus, 2008). Although religious and national minority groups clearly are defined by culture, racial minority groups (which psychologists have tended to regard as defined by biology; Fairchild, Yee, Wyatt, & Weizmann, 1995;Yee, Fairchild, Weizmann, & Wyatt, 1993) similarly are defined by culture (Jones, 1997). In turn, culturally diverse families are defined by the presence of one or more family members who are members of racial, religious, or national minority groups within a given society (Gaines, 1997). According to Erving Goffman (1963), stigmatization toward members of ethnic minority groups not only can affect those individuals but also can affect the individuals' families. Within the U.S.A. and other Western nations, majority group members as well as minority group members in interracial marriages often are acutely aware of the transmission of stigmatization throughout entire families (Gaines & Ickes, 2000). However, the transmission of stigmatization can occur in all families in which one or more members belong to racial, religious, or national minority groups (Gaines, 2001). In the present chapter, we draw upon Goffman's (1959, 1963) symbolic interactionist theory in examining support communication within culturally diverse families. We pay particular attention to Goffman's (1963) concept of stigma as applied to members of ethnic minority groups and as applied to their families. Moreover, we focus on specific forms of support communication (following Mickelson & Williams, 2008; Williams & Mickelson, 2008) that members of ethnic minority groups may use to obtain social support from family members and, thus, counteract the potentially negative effects of stigmatization. In addition, we consider the utility of Claude Steele's (1997) concept of stereotype threat in explaining the potential lack of generalizability of support communication processes across ethnic (and especially racial) groups.

<P> With the rise of globalization, international assignments and multicultural teams, managing cultural diversity has become essential to organizations. As managing cultural diversity in team work has historically been a challenge (Earley & Gibson , 2002), academics and practitioners have directed resources toward enhancing understanding of how best to manage team diversity and improve effectiveness of international assignments (Tsui et al, 2007). Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is the abi lity to behave effectively in culturally diverse situations (Earley & Ang, 2003). Theory and research suggest that cultural diversity within teams often relate negatively to team member experiences of team processes, thereby negatively impacting team outcomes. The current study relies on similarity/attraction theory (Byrne, 1971 ), social identification theory (Turner, 1982) and self-categorization theory (Turner. 1982) to evaluate the relationship between cultural diversity and team processes (cohesion , participation, relationship and task conflict) and team outcomes (performance and satisfaction). The moderating effect of Cultural Intelligence on the relationship between cultural diversity and team processes was also explored. Data were collected from fourth year business school students working in teams of four to six to manage a virtual company competing with other teams in a stimulated market. A significant negative relationship was found between cultural diversity and team cohesion and participation; and a significant positive relationship was noted between cultural diversity and both team relationship conflict and task conflict. Furthermore, team satisfaction correlated positively with team cohesion and negatively with both types of team conflict while team performance was unrelated to team cultural diversity and perceptions of team processes. Finally, team members' CQ positively moderated the relationship between team cultural diversity and team processes (cohesion, participation and relationship conflict), where the team was comprised of two different cultures only. Where teams were comprised of members from more than two cultural groups, the moderation was negative. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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No description available.