NPC NPC Cultural Competency & Diversity in Schools 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'stereotype threat' mean, and how can it affect students?
- Physical danger from stereotyping others
- The anxiety a student feels when at risk of confirming a negative stereotype about their group, which can hurt performance (Correct answer)
- A legal threat filed by parents against school staff
- A type of bullying that only affects male students
Correct answer: The anxiety a student feels when at risk of confirming a negative stereotype about their group, which can hurt performance
Claude Steele's research shows that awareness of negative stereotypes about one's social group can create anxiety that disrupts cognitive performance, especially on academic tasks.
Question 2: English Language Learners (ELLs) in schools have the legal right to:
- Instruction only in English without any language support
- Appropriate language support services to ensure meaningful access to education, per federal law (Correct answer)
- Opt out of all standardized testing permanently
- Choose their own classroom teacher based on language preference
Correct answer: Appropriate language support services to ensure meaningful access to education, per federal law
Under federal law (Lau v. Nichols and Title III), ELL students are entitled to language assistance programs that provide meaningful access to the curriculum.
Question 3: A student's family observes a religious holiday that falls on a school testing day. The paraprofessional should:
- Tell the student their religion is less important than school
- Inform the teacher so appropriate accommodations or make-up options can be arranged (Correct answer)
- Require the student to choose between religion and school without discussion
- Announce the student's absence to the class as an example of poor attendance
Correct answer: Inform the teacher so appropriate accommodations or make-up options can be arranged
Schools must reasonably accommodate students' religious observances; paraprofessionals should inform the teacher so that appropriate academic arrangements can be made.
Question 4: Which practice best supports students from low-income backgrounds in accessing equal educational opportunities?
- Lowering academic expectations for them based on socioeconomic status
- Ensuring access to needed materials, technology, and support without drawing attention to economic differences (Correct answer)
- Separating them from wealthier students to reduce social tension
- Discussing their family's financial situation publicly in class
Correct answer: Ensuring access to needed materials, technology, and support without drawing attention to economic differences
Equitable access means providing necessary resources discreetly and maintaining high expectations, ensuring that poverty does not become a barrier to academic achievement.
Question 5: LGBTQ+ students in schools may face unique challenges. A culturally competent paraprofessional should:
- Ignore comments or slurs since students are 'just joking'
- Use students' preferred names and pronouns and intervene when discriminatory language or behavior occurs (Correct answer)
- Share students' gender identity information with other staff without consent
- Tell LGBTQ+ students to keep their identity private while at school
Correct answer: Use students' preferred names and pronouns and intervene when discriminatory language or behavior occurs
Paraprofessionals support LGBTQ+ students by respecting their identity, using correct names and pronouns, and responding to harassment consistent with school policy.
Question 6: What is 'code-switching,' and how should a paraprofessional view it?
- A technology skill involving computer programming languages
- The ability of students to shift their language and communication style to fit different social contexts — a valuable skill to affirm (Correct answer)
- A sign that a student has a speech or language disorder
- A form of academic dishonesty
Correct answer: The ability of students to shift their language and communication style to fit different social contexts — a valuable skill to affirm
Code-switching — moving between languages, dialects, or communication styles — is a sophisticated social and linguistic skill demonstrated by many bilingual or bicultural students.
NPC NPC Cultural Competency & Diversity in Schools 2
What does 'stereotype threat' mean, and how can it affect students?