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Article Excerpt
The United States and its 15,000-plus school districts are more racially and ethnically diverse than ever before, and this increase in diversity is expected to continue. For example, in 1972, White students represented 78% of the student body; as of 2004, they comprised 57%, meaning that some two in five students are Black, Hispanic, Asian, or American Indian (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2006). Despite these changes in student demographics, we are not witnessing much change in teacher diversity; slightly over 8 in 10 teachers are White (NCES, 2007). These demographic differences between students and teachers have raised questions among scholars who study issues associated with equity and excellence in school settings (e.g., Banks, 2006; Gay, 2000; Irvine & Armento, 2001; Grant, 2003; Sleeter, 2007). Not only must there be concern about the extent to which teachers and other educators are culturally competent, attention also must center on whether we are preparing students--future adults and leaders--to be culturally competent.
For several decades, scholars in the field of multicultural or cross-cultural education have urged teacher-education programs and administrators in P-12 settings to formally prepare current educators (e.g., teachers, administrators, psychologists, and counselors) and future educators to become culturally competent (see Banks, 2006; Irvine & Armento, 2001; LadsonBillings, 2001). Cultural competence is demonstrated by employing the necessary knowledge, dispositions, and skills to work effectively with individuals (e.g., students, clients, families, coworkers) from diverse cultural backgrounds. Likewise, regarding standards and guidelines, professional organizations, including NAGC, CEC, APA, and AERA, have developed policies and standards that are culturally responsive.
As scholars in both gifted and multicultural education, we support the belief that all educators must become culturally competent and we endorse policies, practices, and curricula that are culturally responsive. In this article, we do not reiterate the work that focuses on the need for educators to become culturally competent and for policies and practices to become culturally responsive (see Gay, 2000; Hale-Benson, 1986; Irvine & Armento, 2001; LadsonBillings, 1997, 2001); instead, we consider students. Building upon a previous discussion of this topic (Ford & Whiting, 2007), we continue to focus on the importance of and need for helping all students in school settings to become culturally competent. Why must we prepare students to become culturally competent? How can we help Students to become culturally competent? What advantages are associated with being culturally competent?
THE DEMOGRAPHIC CONTEXT: WHY CULTURAL COMPETENCE MATTERS
As of 2004, data indicated that culturally diverse students comprise approximately 43% of the nation's public-school system (NCES, 2006). This percentage has doubled since 1972, when culturally diverse students represented 22% of the student population (see Figure 1). Conversely, the percentage of public-school students who were White decreased from 78 to 57% between 1972 and 2004. This increase in student diversity can be attributed primarily to the growth in the percentage of students who are Hispanic. Since 2004, Hispanic students' representation has tripled (from 6% in 1972 to 19% of public-school enrollment in 2004).
According to NCES (2006), the distribution of diverse students in public schools differed across regions of the country, although student diversity grew in all regions between 1972 and 2004. During this period, the South and West had larger percentages of diverse students than the Northeast and Midwest. Specifically, in 2004, culturally diverse students accounted for 57% of public-school enrollment in the West. Thus, while one region may be more diverse at present than others, all regions are witnessing demographic shifts; no region is exempt from experiencing student diversity.
These changing statistics have important implications not only for educators and other professionals, but also for students. It is clear that students in our schools are more diverse than ever before, and projections are that this rise in student diversity will continue. These changes suggest that we cannot continue with past or perhaps even current practices. Thus, we should consider examining policies and procedures, instruments, curricula, and other aspects of education to ensure that they are culturally responsive. And we must raise such questions as: Are gifted students...
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