Cultural Diversity

Abstract

The changing demography of the United States is presenting new challenges for all aspects of society. The purpose of this article is to explore the implications of an increasingly diverse school population for the process of collaboration. This article focuses on the competencies for collaboration as pertinent to diverse exceptional learners, the role of the special education teacher, and the concept of collaboration across disciplines. s the general population of the United States m becomes more culturally and linguistically diverse (Spencer, 1989), so does the school population. The U.S. Congress has publicly noted Dr these population shifts and the responsibility of government to educate all citizens (Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1990). Congress noted that the public school population of many large cities is composed predominantly of culturally diverse individuals, that the limited English proficient population is increasing quickly, and that the educational assessment of African American students is fraught with problemsThe cultural diversity of U.S. society has implications for all aspects of education, including special education. Although African American students constitute 16% of the total school population, they make up approximately 34% and 22% of the students identified with mental retardation and emotional disturbance, respectively (Council for Exceptional Children, 1994). Educators have questioned the validity of this disproportionate representation and the role that collaboration can play in addressing this issue (Vasquez-Chairez & MacMillan, 1988). The purpose of this article is to delineate the competencies needed by education personnel in order to collaborate in a diverse teaching environment, to discuss the role of special education teachers, and to advocate for collaboration across disciplines. CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND COMPETENCIES FOR COLLABORATION Harris (1991) delineated consultation competencies for educators serving diverse exceptional students and discussed the implications of cultural diversity for the collaboration process. These competencies include, but are not limited to (a) understanding their personal perspectives about those who are culturally diverse, (b) using effective communication and problem-solving skills, (c) understanding their roles in the collaboration process, and (d) using appropriate evaluative and instructional methods. Each of these competencies is further described below.