AECTP Diversity in Education 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A teacher notices that students from certain cultural backgrounds rarely participate verbally in class discussions. The most effective first step is to:
- Lower participation expectations for those students
- Explore whether different discussion formats (written, small group) better fit their cultural norms (Correct answer)
- Contact parents to encourage more assertive behavior at home
- Seat those students near more talkative peers
Correct answer: Explore whether different discussion formats (written, small group) better fit their cultural norms
Varying participation formats acknowledges that verbal dominance in discussion reflects cultural norms, not ability or engagement.
Question 2: Which term describes the process by which students from non-dominant cultures are expected to abandon their cultural identity to succeed academically?
- Cultural assimilation (Correct answer)
- Cultural pluralism
- Multiculturalism
- Cultural responsiveness
Correct answer: Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation requires subordinating one's own cultural identity to conform to the dominant culture's norms.
Question 3: An English Language Learner (ELL) student performs poorly on a content-area test written entirely in English. The teacher should first consider that:
- The student may lack motivation to learn
- The result may reflect language proficiency rather than content knowledge (Correct answer)
- The student needs to be placed in a lower-level course
- The student's home environment is not supporting academic achievement
Correct answer: The result may reflect language proficiency rather than content knowledge
Test results for ELLs must be interpreted with the understanding that language barriers can mask true content understanding.
Question 4: Which instructional approach is most consistent with Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?
- Providing identical materials to all students to ensure fairness
- Offering multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression (Correct answer)
- Separating students by learning style for targeted instruction
- Using a single high-stakes assessment to measure all learning goals
Correct answer: Offering multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression
UDL is built on providing multiple means of representation, engagement, and action/expression to meet all learners' needs from the outset.
Question 5: A student with a disability has an Individualized Education Program (IEP). In an inclusive classroom, the general education teacher's role is to:
- Defer all instructional decisions for that student to the special education teacher
- Implement IEP accommodations and collaborate with the special education teacher (Correct answer)
- Modify grading standards without consulting the IEP team
- Remove the student from class during difficult content
Correct answer: Implement IEP accommodations and collaborate with the special education teacher
General education teachers are legally responsible for implementing IEP accommodations and share instructional ownership with the special education team.
Question 6: Which of the following best exemplifies a microaggression in a school setting?
- A teacher assigns extra homework to a struggling student
- A teacher routinely mispronounces a student's name despite corrections (Correct answer)
- A student misses class due to a family obligation
- A teacher enforces a consistent dress code
Correct answer: A teacher routinely mispronounces a student's name despite corrections
Repeatedly mispronouncing a student's name after being corrected sends an implicit message that the student's identity is unimportant.
Question 7: Funds of Knowledge, as an instructional framework, refers to:
- Financial literacy programs integrated into the curriculum
- The academic background knowledge required before enrolling in advanced courses
- The cultural practices, skills, and knowledge students bring from their home and community (Correct answer)
- Federal funding allocated to underperforming schools
Correct answer: The cultural practices, skills, and knowledge students bring from their home and community
Funds of Knowledge are the cultural and intellectual resources rooted in students' family and community experiences that teachers can leverage for learning.
AECTP Diversity in Education 2
A teacher notices that students from certain cultural backgrounds rarely participate verbally in class discussions.
The most effective first step is to: