To Prepare:<br/>Before conducting research on your school setting,

make some predictions about the demographic statistics at the local, regional, and national levels for your locale. For example, based on your personal experience and observation, what would you say are the percentage breakdowns with regard to racial and ethnic groups? What percentage of school-aged children come from family environments in which English is not the primary language spoken? How many families do you think are living below the poverty level? What populations are performing better or worse than others with regard to academic achievement in grades P–12? Record your thoughts.
Next, conduct research to find actual data regarding diversity in your school, region, and nation as a whole. You can find valuable data at the following suggested websites (links found in the Optional Resources). You are also expected to do some independent research to find more specific information—about your own school setting, for example:
Institute of Education Statistics: International Education Statistics Websites
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics: Education
The Education Trust: Data Tools
United States Census Bureau: Education
U.S. Department of Education: Data and Research
Then, reflect on your personal experience in your school. What examples of diversity have you experienced that are not included in the data sets?
By Day 7 of Week 1
Compose a 3- to 5-page essay that addresses the following:
How similar or different were your own demographic predictions from the actual data discovered in your research?
Do you think that the data sources used were reliable? Why or why not?
What examples of diversity do you think were not included in the data set? Support your response with references to the Learning Resources, outside resources, and personal experiences.
Based on the data and your personal reflection, whom would you identify as underserved students in your school and/or regional or local area? In your response, be sure to explain why these students are underserved. Support your response with references to the Learning Resources, outside resources, and personal experiences.
What multicultural education best practices might you, as a teacher and collaborator, apply to address the needs of your underserved students? How will these best practices support your development of the RWRCOEL Diversity Proficiencies and contribute to positive social change?