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This study addresses the growth of multicultural education through a policy analysis paradigm. This study focuses on the growth and current status of multicultural education through policy formation, the administration of multicultural education through policy implementation and the effects of multicultural education through policy impact. To obtain data regarding the three areas of multicultural education policy status, implementation and impact, a survey was sent to all fifty chief state school officers (CSSOs). The survey inquired about the current status of multicultural education policy mandates and administrative processes used in policy implementation. Policy impact was assessed through CSSO's responses to ten perceptual statements about the impact of multicultural education. The findings reveal that thirty-three states have at least multicultural programming policy mandate in the areas of multicultural education, bilingual education, ethnic studies, affirmative action, textbook adoption procedures, or inservice education and technical assistance. The frequency of these policy mandates has decreased since 1980. The usage of certain common administrative practices were examined to determine multicultural education policy and program implementation. The most frequently used practices are (1) the involvement of students, teachers, administrators and community members in planning at the state level (2) a reflection of multicultural education in state education agency organizational structure and (3) assignment of specific personnel the responsibility for implementing multicultural programming. The impact of multicultural education is viewed by CSSOs as a positive force in schools; however, it has not been evenly implemented within or across the states nor has it been a major focus in most states. An examination of the response patterns of two groups of CSSOs (those with mandated multicultural education policies in their respective states and those without) reveals that the two groups view multicultural educational impact differently. Those CSSOs with mandated state policies responded more positively to the impact of multicultural education. From examining the data regarding policy status, implementation and impact, certain inferences are drawn about the current status and future of multicultural education.

This study is a review of the researcher's deliberate strategies for incorporating Latino culture into the teaching of a Spanish language course. The researcher developed, presented and assessed a curriculum unit designed to examine the social and educational problems of Latinos, the history of Latin America, the effects of discrimination and inequality in society, and the struggle by Latinos to succeed and gain respect in mainstream America. While the results from this initial study were mixed, the qualitative data collected indicated that an integration of language and social studies curricula provides students with a more comprehensive perspective on the meaning of culture. / Graduation date: 1997

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Intercultural development is not an intentional goal or expected outcome for College Success courses. However, since such courses are designed to help students adapt to academic and campus cultures, an overlap and alignment between the development of intercultural skills and competence and the development of college competence might exist. This thesis investigated the degree to which intercultural learning was integrated into College Success courses at the curricular level, in instruction practices, and in the individual learning experiences of students, and it also identified current instructional activities most amenable to further targeting of intercultural learning. The research was guided by the following three questions. 1) What are the ways, if any, in which intercultural skills align with those skills seen as necessary for students' successful adaptation in academic and professional settings? 2) Do College Success instructors intentionally or unintentionally incorporate intercultural competence development into the curriculum and instruction? 3) What, if any, are the ways in which instructional practices in College Success courses contribute to intercultural skill development and help students leverage their current experiences with cultural differences? The research was focused on the study of one College Success class at a community college. Data was collected through multiple methods. Class sessions were observed. Interviews were conducted with students in the course, the instructor and the administrator responsible for the course. Documents, including the course syllabus, student learning outcomes, a selection of assignments and the course textbook were reviewed and analyzed. Research findings suggest that there is significant alignment between the development of college competence, as fostered in the College Success course studied, and the development intercultural competence, though such was unintentional and unrecognized by the instructor. The data also illuminated areas where course learning outcomes, curriculum, and instruction could be modified to further support the development of intercultural competency.

Though America's public schools have become increasingly diverse, the teaching staff remains relatively homogeneous. This gap is more apparent in California schools that serve large numbers of students of color, being taught by teachers who are predominately White and female. Because the population of kindergarten-through-12th grade teachers is predominately white and middle class, theorists recommend the self-discovery process of striving for cultural proficiency as a solution. Teacher cultural proficiency is a series of characteristics that are learned, honed, and constantly evolving to create a classroom that is culturally aware and culturally sensitive for all students. Although there is ample literature regarding multicultural education, there is limited research discussing teachers' perceptions and experiences with cultural proficiency, especially white women, who represent the largest population of teachers in California. The purpose of this study was to further investigate teacher stories along their journey on the cultural proficiency continuum. This study includes interviews with three teachers who have reputations for being culturally proficient and who work in elementary schools in a California Central Valley district serving large populations of students of color. The purpose of the interviews was to further explore the teachers' experiences striving for cultural proficiency and implementing culturally aware practices in their classrooms. The results of this study suggest that the continued journey to cultural proficiency mirrors cultural proficiency theory but lacks one key component: self-reflection in regard to whiteness. The interviewed teachers struggled with the theoretical foundations of critical whiteness theory and cultural proficiency, but they believed that the goal of cultural proficiency was one in which they would constantly be striving. The findings of this study address some of the culturally proficient themes of self-discovery, curiosity, experience, and travel that contribute to these teachers' culturally proficient reputations, and they add to scholarship by suggesting an additional tenet to cultural proficiency, that of being intimately aware of one's own whiteness and privilege.

International students have long been an important part of the U.S. higher education community, but generally they have received inadequate attention in the classroom. Also, American teaching and learning strategies have not taken full advantage of international diversity. The purpose of this narrative study was to qualitatively understand the experiences of Japanese graduate students in U.S. higher education classrooms. The study highlights the challenges that Japanese graduate students faced due to cultural differences, pedagogical differences, and language problems and provides a number of suggestions for faculty, domestic students, and institutions to help create a more welcoming environment for Japanese graduate students.