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Diversity Initiatives
CEC is a leading voice for educational practices that
appropriately identify students from diverse cultures for special
education as well as provide high quality educational services.
Through CEC's advocacy and other programs, CEC is spearheading
activities to address the
Over-identification of Students from Diverse
Cultures for Special Education
CEC works to address the over-identification of students from diverse
cultures for special education on many different levels. Through this
multi-pronged approach, CEC is able to help enact policy that supports
effective multicultural educational practice as well as assist educators
to implement best practices in their classrooms.
Policy and Legislation
Through CEC's advocacy, the recently reauthorized Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) contains provisions to reduce the
disproportionate number of students from diverse backgrounds in special
education, including:
- allowing for the development of new approaches to determine whether
students have a learning disability,
- providing funds for training school personnel in effective teaching
strategies and positive behavior interventions and supports to prevent
over-identifi·n and misidentification of children, and
- requiring districts with significant over-identification of minority
students to operate pre-referral programs.
Professional Standards
CEC's standards incorporate the knowledge and skills special educators
should know on educating culturally and linguistically diverse students
with disabilities. As well, the standards define the knowledge and
skills special educators must know to develop learning environments that
value differences and to communicate effectively with students and
parents of diverse backgrounds.
Professional Development
CEC provides extensive professional development opportunities to help
educators become more culturally aware. At the CEC Annual Convention
& Expo, leaders from across the nation gather to explore and examine
issues concerning multicultural education. In addition to the popular
Multicultural Summit, at which experts and educators look at a selected
issue in multicultural education, there is a strand devoted to
multicultural education as well as numerous sessions.
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Publications
CEC's highly respected publications include a number of products and
videos devoted to the education of culturally and linguistically diverse
children and youth with disabilities. Topics range from assessment to
standards-based instruction to over-representation. CEC also publishes
the latest research, instructional strategies, and trends in
multicultural education in its journals, TEACHING Exceptional Children
(TEC) and Exceptional Children (EC), and online newsletter, CEC
Today.
Caucuses
CEC hosts several caucuses, each of which addresses different aspects of
multiculturalism. These unofficial bodies make recommendations to CEC on
various issues concerning their constituencies. They are:
- American Indian Caucus
- Asian/Pacific Islander Caucus
- Black Caucus
- Educators with Disabilities Caucus
- Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus of Special
Educators
- Hispanic Caucus
Under-identification of Students from Diverse
Cultures for Gifted Education
CEC recognizes that diverse children and youth with gifts and talents
must receive an appropriate education if they are to progress
academically and socially. Therefore, the Council actively pursues
policies and events that promote the effective education of this special
population.
Policy and Legislation
CEC is one of the strongest voices supporting the Javits Gifted Program,
which provides funding for gifted and talented education. CEC also works
to ensure educational practices are implemented that enable educators to
recognize giftedness in diverse students.
Professional Standards
CEC's standards incorporate the knowledge and skills special educators
should know on educating culturally and linguistically diverse students
with disabilities. As well, the standards define the knowledge and
skills special educators must know to develop learning environments that
value differences and to communicate effectively with students and
parents of diverse backgrounds.
Professional Development
CEC Annual Convention & Expo
CEC provides extensive professional development opportunities to help
educators become more culturally proficient. At the CEC Annual
Convention & Expo, leaders from across the nation gather to explore
and examine issues concerning multicultural education. In addition to
the popular Multicultural Summit, at which experts and educators look at
a selected issue in multicultural education, there is a strand devoted
to multicultural education as well as sessions addressing the education
of diverse students who are gifted.
Publications
CEC's highly respected publications include products and videos devoted
to the education of diverse children and youth with gifts and talents.
CEC also publishes the latest research, instructional strategies, and
trends in multicultural and gifted education in its journals, TEACHING
Exceptional Children (TEC) and Exceptional Children (EC), and online
newsletter, CEC Today.
Shortage of Teachers from Diverse Cultures
CEC's innovative strategies to attract and retain special education
teachers have gained national attention. A significant aspect of CEC's
program is to attract educators from diverse backgrounds to the field.
Special educators from diverse cultures provide not only the specialized
instruction culturally and linguistically diverse students need but also
a relationship that is culturally comfortable for the students. These
teachers also help other educators understand the cultural dimensions of
student behavior. To attract special educators from diverse cultures to
special education, CEC, with the National Clearinghouse on Professions
in Special Education produced public service announcements, brochures,
and other publicity materials targeting this population at both the
college and career-change levels.
| Initiatives, shortage, Over- Identification, Under- Identification, Diverse Cultures |
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